IRISH GARDENING 



141 



Department of Agriculture and Techni' 

 cal Instruction for Ireland 



Spring Feeding 



FOK Stock. 

 War. 



-Effect of the 



The attention of farmers i.s directed to the 

 pos.sibility of feeding jstiift's beiii^ scarce and dear 

 next s])ring. It is to be home in mind tliat. apart 

 from the present situation, tlie hay crop is liglit 

 and the turni]) cro]) doubtful. Moreover, mucli 

 of the grain whicli in ordinary circum.stances 

 would be fed to stock may be better utiHsed as 

 food for human consumption, and particularly for 

 seed, of which more than the usual quantity 

 may be required 

 A great deal 

 can be done to 

 provide food for 

 stock next 

 s])ring by sow- 

 ing now the 

 following winter 

 crops : — 



( 1 ) Giant 

 Rape : 



(2) Giant 

 Essex rve ; 



(3) 'Winter 

 vetches, with 

 either rye, win- 

 ter oats, or 

 winter wheat ; 



(4) Italian 

 rye grass. 



These may be 

 sown during this 

 month after the 

 following crops : 



(1) Early or 

 m id-season 

 potatoes : 



(2) Oats or 

 barley ; 



(3) Flax; or 



(4) Grass. 

 Giant Rape 



may be sown 

 after all the 

 cro])s mentioned 



statute acre, and covered by hai'rowing lightly. 

 Autumn Manuring. — After potatoes no manure 

 need be a])]ilied. After oats, barley, flax or 

 gi'ass, if ])ossible a dressing of dung shovild be 

 ]>loughed under. If dung is not available, 

 artiticial manure should be applied after the land 

 has been ploughed and cleaned, and before 

 sowing the seed. A suitable manuring for all 

 these crops is 3 or 4 cwt. superphosi)hate and 

 2 cwt. kainit : or 5 cwt. potassic superphosphate 

 ])er statute acre. 



8PHiN(i Manuring. — To ensure a successful and 

 early cih)}) it is essential that a dressing of 1 cwt. 

 of nitrate of soda per .statute acre should be 

 applied in February in every case. 



To sum up : — (1) Sow during August, or at 

 the very latest early in September. (2) If pos- 

 sible, ap])ly farm- 

 yard manure in 

 all cases exce])t 

 after i)otatoes. 

 (3) Api)ly nitrate 

 o f soda in 

 February. (4) 

 Secure from the 

 r)e])artment of 

 Agriculture a 

 (•oi»y of leaflet 

 Xo. SO which 

 gives fuller par- 

 ticulars regard- 

 ing catch croi)s. 



Restio subverticitxatus. 

 Six feet high, at Castlewellan. Co. ^)o^^n. 



after i)otatoes all that is re- 

 quired is to sow the seed and hari'ow the land : 

 after other crops the land will re((uire to be 

 ])loughed and harrowed befoi-e the seed is sown. 

 and then the seed covei'cd by haiTowing again. 

 The seed should be .sown broadca.st at the rate 

 of 7 or 8 lbs. per .statute acre. 



Giant Es.sex Rye may be sown alter all the 

 croi)s mentioned. The land will require to be 

 ]>loughed ; the seed may then be sown and 

 liairow cd in the same way as for oats. Seeding 

 should h(! at the rate of Ki stoiU's per statute acre. 



Winter Vetches may follow all the rmps 

 m(;ntioued. Tlu^ land should be ploughed and 

 the vetches sown broadcast as iji the case of an 

 ordinary grain crop. Along with the vetches 

 should be sown either rye, winter oats or winter 

 wheat ; the rate of seeding should be about 

 8 stones of vetches and 4 stones of grain ])er 

 statute acre. 



Italian Ryegrass will give the best results 

 wlien sown after potatoes. The seed may be 

 sown broadcast at the rate of at least 3 bushels per 



Restio sub- 

 verticillatus. 



The Resto be- 

 longs to a small 

 natural order 

 called Hestiacea; 

 and is closely 

 related to the 

 Cy perns and 

 sedges. 



The botanical 

 nanu' c o m c s 

 froiu/'csif/.sacord. 

 alluding to the 

 u.se of the iilant s 

 in South Afri( a, 

 their native couutry. l\i gardens it is also 

 known as Wildenovia teres and tlu; Hope (irass. 

 Kestio subverticillat us is a rare ]>lant. usually 

 gi'own in a cool greenhouse, except in favoured 

 localities. Our illustration is taken from a. line 

 six'cinu-n. six feet high, and as much in diameter, 

 growing outside in the Castlewellan (iardens, Co. 

 Down. M 



Tnder such conditions it is an exceedingly 

 graceful and distinct i)lant, tlu-owing up bamboo- 

 like rods from the base, wliicli in their secorul 

 year become feathered witli fine green side shoots 

 sjiriuging fi'om brown sheaths. 



.Mr. T. K\ an writes to say that in S(| 1I nn her the 

 Hestio was (lowering freely, "the llow<'rK are 

 whiti^h. rather like a meadow grass, with abun- 

 dant i)ollen. and the numerous flowers make the 

 jtlant very noticeable at this season of the year." 

 Tlie Restio may be i)ropagated by division, 

 and at Edinbuigh. where it is grown in a green- 

 house, small I'oots sonu'times form at tlie base of 

 the side shoots within the brown sheaths, and 

 these pieces when taken off to form new plants. 



