8 



IRISH GARDENING 



ire not suitul)le for the tal)lo. Socil of good oarly 

 .-orts such as SImrpe's Express or Sluirpe's Victor 

 should he ol)taiiU'd at om-e and put to sprout. In 

 hite March it ran he planted in rows 2 feet apart, 

 the sets heing placed 12 inches asunder. Other 

 sorts suitai)le for the general crop are King Edward 

 VII.. Duke of York. Hritish gucu. The Factor. 

 Ip-to-Date. and Windsor t'astle. These shoidd he 

 planted any tiiue from April I5tli to May luth, 

 I'lant in rows 2 to ."{ feet aji.nrt, and let the sets he 

 i; feet from each other in tlic jows. On a wet Jay. 

 when the i-rops are coming up. scatter super- 

 l)hosphate freely ahout tlu- rows and hoe it in. 

 Earth-up hetiuies. or they will fall ahout. They 

 should not he lifted initil the tops hegin to die 

 tiown. or many tuhers will have to he wasted as 

 heing too small to use. 



Paksmi's and Carrots— I'or these a deeply dug 

 soil is essential, and no fresh manure must l)e with- 

 in 2 feet of the surface at the least. They apprccate 

 a dressing of potasli to the soil, say a pound or .so 

 of sulphate of potash per rod. I have also found 

 it necessary, if one is to get a good crop, to give a 

 dressing of phosphate manure. For early work 

 use Basic Slag (5 Ihs. per rod), but hy the time this 

 can appear it will he too late to do this, so instead 

 use 50 ozs. of superphospliate per rod. washing it 

 in a week I)efore sowing. Sow from now onwards 

 for parsnips, as they require a long growing period. 

 Carrots we find it is no good to sow liefore the 

 middle of March in this district. The best sorts 

 to grow are Parsnips The Student and Hollow- 

 Crowned, and Carrots Long Surrey Eed. Altrino- 

 ham Selected, and Champion Scarlet Horn. 



Beetroot — This requires similar treatment to the 

 ahove. hut nnist not he sown till about the end ot 

 April. Drills are draw^n 1\ inches deep and 18 

 inches apart, and the plants thinned to 1 foot 

 apart, A dressing of Nitrate of Soda m lbs. per 

 rod) is useful during the growing season. Good 

 sorts to grow are Sutton's Blood Red. Dell's Crim- 

 son. Veitch's Red. Chillingham, and Covent 

 Garden. 



Other Root Crops — The Jerusalem Artichoke is a 

 valuable root crop. Plant in March 6 inches deep 

 in rows 2 feet apart, alk^ving 12 to 15 inches be- 

 tween each set. A good sunny site is essential. 

 Salsafy I have already dealt with in a note, so I 

 need not repeat. l\ohl Rabi should be raised from 

 seed sown in heat in March and planted out after 

 ])eing pricked off in May or June. The same applies 

 to Celeriac. Turnips, of which the best sorts are 

 Early White and Snowball, should be sown in the 

 middle of March in good rich soil, and thinned to 

 *) inches apart. Sow broadcast or in rows, if rows 

 let them be 18 inches apart. Onions here are best 

 sown in heat in February, and pricked off, being 

 planted out in rich soil when tlie weather is 

 warmer. Ailsa Craig is the best sort. Shallots 

 planted in February or March in rows a foot apart 

 and inches between the sets also form a useful 

 root crop. E. T. E. 



Mashed Artichokes 



This is a great improvement on the ordinary 

 way of serving boiled artichokes. Peel, and after 

 being well-boiled in water add a small quantity of 

 milk, just enough to keep the vegetable white. 

 Mash the artichokes temoothly. put in a deep 

 di-sh, pepper and salt to taste, some butter, milk 

 or cream, sprinkle over the top wnth fine bread 

 crumbs, with small pieces of butter added, bake in 

 the oven until browned on the top. 



Kew Notes. 



COTO.NKA.STEJt HaHUOVIANA. 



In Mower, foliage and fruit this Chinese Coton- 

 caster is a distinci and useful addition to our 

 hardy evergreen sliruhs. It was introduced from 

 Vminan by Mr. Iv li. Wilson during his first 

 . xpcdilion'on hcliah of Messrs. Vcitch in 19ul. ('. 

 Hiirriniinia is an elegant large evergreen bush. 

 or 7 feet ii» height and more in diameter, making 

 a very ornamental lawn shrub. The white flowers 

 are frci'ly produced in terminal and axillary 

 corymbs. These are followed by quantities of pea- 

 like fruits which in late autumn turn a rich orange 

 red, 



DkITZIA WiLSONlI. 



A vigorous shrub. G feet or more in height, this 

 Chinese Deutzia is a very valuable addition to our 

 hardy shrubs. Flowering at the end of May or 

 early in June, the blossoms escape the frosts which 

 ofteii spoil the poi)nlar Deutzia grtirilix. The pure 

 white flowers are 1 inch across and freely produced 

 in corymViose panicles. 



QUERCUS MIRBECKII. 



A native of Nortli Africa and Portugal. Mirbeck's 

 Oak is a very distinct and handsome tree. Though, 

 strictly speaking, deciduous the large dark green 

 leaves usually hang on the trees until well into 

 the new year. Native trees are recorded up to 120 

 feet high' but it was only about 1845 that the first 

 acorns reached this country. Our tallest trees, 

 however, already exceed 70 feet. 



A. O. 



In Memoriam- 

 Mr William Dick, who i)assed i)eacefully away 

 at his residence, Belsito Lodge, Inchicore, Dublin. 

 November 19th, " soothed and sustained ,by an 

 unfaltering trust, like one who wraps the drapery 

 of his couch about him, and lies down to pleasant 

 dreams," was born 6th June, 1830, at Keith, 

 Banffshire, where his father held the post of over- 

 seer on the Duke of Fife's Brsemar estate. In 

 early life he was apprenticed at Gordon Castle 

 (Duke of Richmond), going from there to Dalkeith 

 Gardens under Mr. David Thompson, gardener to 

 the Duke of Buccleugh. At the end of 1859 he 

 was appointed gardener to the Marquis of London- 

 derry, Wynard Park, Stockton-on-Tees, when 

 after ten years he left to occupy a similar position 

 at Canford Manor, Dorset, seat of Sir Ivor Guest. 

 Seven years later, through the influence of Sir 

 Joseph Hooker, Diiector of Kew. and his own emi- 

 nent suitability fc'i- the post, he was appointed 

 bailiff of the PhaMiix Park. Dublin, W'here. after 2.3 

 years' notable service in its amenities, he retired at 

 the age of seventy years on pension from the Irish 

 Board of Works. During his more active life Mr. 

 Dick was a freonent contributor to the Srotfifth 

 Gardener, The Crorch n, and other papers under the 

 ndny-de-plume " The Squire's Gardener." Above 

 the average height, of distinguished appearance, 

 and gifted with more than ordinary attainments 

 in his vocation, Mr Dick was a notable person- 

 ality in the Irish gardening world, and now that 

 he has passed away " full of years," it is pleasant 

 to recall various little incidents which revealed 

 the high moral standard he lived up to and that 

 rare old world courtesy and dignified manner which 

 went to make a true" gentleman. At the funeral, 

 private, which took place November 22nd. to 

 Castleknock, Co. Dublin, his Rector paid touching 

 tribute to the esteem in which our old friend 

 was held. K., Dublin. 



