9+ 



IRISH GARDENING 



as by tlien llio stfiiis ar<' lianl. If tlic si>ikts of 

 Lavendt'i- an- iiii and i)laii(l on j)a|u'r t«. dry, 

 tlu'V iftaiii tin- J), rfiiiii.' for a long tiiiif. 



Onions.— Wlicii thf toliagt" has sliowii <'vid<iil 

 .iiiiis uf d.'i-ay. lay tin- l.ullis tliiidy on liar.l. dry 

 •.round, and turn tlinn until proiH-rly drit-d. l'i<U 

 v.r llir liardfsi anti ili'ant'si hnlhs. tlii-y may 

 ilitn Ik- tiod on roprs. and inni'r ni) for winter use. 

 Till' remainder enn lie nscd first. ]mj)orted Onions 

 are now so i-lH-ap tiiat their enltivation is not 

 nearly so extensive on allotments, owing also to 

 tlie ravages of tin- nuiggot. Seeds sown, however, 

 in the antnnni of the Tripoli varieties are well 

 worth t-idtivating. as a heavy i-roj) ean he ohtained 

 with little tronhle. and free from maggot. If a 

 •_'ood hed is made now transi)lanting will not he 

 neeessary in the si)ring. as the plants may he 

 thinned "then and ns(xl as seallions. To make the 

 hed dee]i digging is important, and a dressing of 

 lime and soot raked in ])revious to sowing. Tread 

 the soil firmly and make a fine and level snrfaee 

 for the seeds. Draw drills twelve inches apart 

 and sow Giant Red, also Giant licmon Rocea. 

 The ordinary varieties suoh as Ailsa Craig and 

 Bedfordshire Champion may he sown. While we 

 havi' no faith in fixed dates for sowing seeds, it 

 is not wi.se to sow before the recognised date liere, 

 which is the 16th of the month. 



liETTUCE. — Seeds of Lettuce may be sown during 

 August, about the second or third week. Select 

 a hardy variety, such as Winter Pearl or All the 

 Year Round. If the plants are to remain in the 

 seed bed throughout the winter, the seed must 

 be sown thinly. Overcrowded plants melt away 

 during the winter. The best results are obtained 

 by transplanting into drills twelve inclies apart. 

 "By this means a valuable addition to very -little 

 Lettuce in the spring is obtained. 



Celkry. — Place soil to the plants as growth 

 succeeds. Break the soil up; tlie most satisfactory 

 method is to hold the phiiits working tlie soil 

 around them with the hand. 



Flower Bouder. — If the Sweet Peas sliow signs 

 of exhaustion pick all the blooms and seed pods 

 off. and give a good watering with manure water. 

 Eafly flowering Chrysanthemums are worth all 

 the trouble given to them, and, if necessary, tlie 

 shoots shoidd be staked. The later kinds are im- 

 satisfactory in allotments owing to lack of shelter, 

 and especially l)ecause the blooms become .soiled 

 with rain in the vicinity of towns. G. II. O. 



The Month's Work. 



Midland and Northern Counties. 



By Mr. F. Streeter, Gardener to H. B. Barton, 



Esq., D.L., Straffan House, Straffan, 



Co. Kildare. 



Kitchen Garden. 



Celery. — The Celery plants in all stages will now 

 l)e making growth, and will require constant 

 supplies of water. Carefully remove all side 

 growths as they appear, and also any discoloured 

 leaves. The earliest plants .should now be pre- 

 pared for blanching. Tie a strand of matting just 

 under the foliage at the top of the stems, then add 

 a little soil over the roots, about two or three 

 inches, or use brown paper strips about four 

 inches wide, When flni.shed give a thorough soak- 



ing ajid a dusting of soot once a week. Watch 

 for Celery fly, and destroy the grubs at once, 



Coi.KwoKTs.— .Any vaiiint plots should be now 

 lilied with Colew.irts of any variety. Tlie.se will 

 prove mosi usel'id when the sunuuer CaUhage is 

 over. Plants should be allowed 18 inches between 

 the rows, and about 15 inchi-s apart. 



SiMtiNo ("aiihauk. — Anotiier sowing may he made 

 for supplying the main bed ])l:',nls. Flower of 

 Spring for preference. If the ground is very hot 

 and dry thoroughly water the tlrills before sowing, 

 and again after the seed is sown water the whole 

 bed. I'ersonally, I avoid watering all sjjring Cab- 

 bage after tliis, as it may cause them to become 

 too soft, but t'veryoiu^ must be guided l)y circum- 

 stances. Guard against fly and mildew. 



All Green (5 rowing Croi'S. — Keep tlie ground 

 constantly stirred, and clean between all growing 

 crops. Remove all dead and decayed leav'es. and 

 shf)uld the stems of any variety become loose, 

 draw .some soil up to them at once. 



Cauliflower. — Watch most carefully all Cauli- 

 (lowers, covering the curds as soon as they show 

 colour. Ai)ply good nnilching in hot weather, and 

 make secure from all winds. Do not sow the autvnnn 

 sowings for early spring use too soon, otherwise 

 they will get too large and button. 



Celeriac. — Keej) this crop growing freely and 

 free from weeds. Manure water may be given in 

 lilentiful supi)lies. Remove any yellow leaves or 

 offshoots. 



Turnips. — Thin the winter Turnips to about !) 

 inches ajiart as they become ready. Keep the hoe 

 well plied between the rows, and occasional dust- 

 ings of soot. Seed may still be sown and may 

 prove useful for supplying greens in case of a 

 severe winter. 



Onions. — f^arge Onions require to be handled 

 most carefully wlien strong. If any are reqinred 

 for special ])in-poses use a hand barrow to carry 

 them, one layer and on wood wool. The very 

 )»e*t ibulbs should be placed on a finished fruit 

 house shelf to get full sun tor a few days to obtaii"! 

 that beautiful clear skin so nuich admired. These 

 large bulbs should be used in the kitchen first, 

 as they will not last long into the New Year, 



Carrots. — Make a sowing of Shorthorn Carrots 

 for winter supplies of freshly pulled roots, and 

 used as a vegetable they are most excellent, using 

 the main crop for stock purposes and flavouring. 



Winter Onions. — Towards the end of the month 

 seeds of the Giant White Leviathan, Red Italian 

 and licmon Rocca should be sown thinly and 

 evenly in shallow drills to supply the early bulbs 

 for next season. Make the ground very firm, and 

 (lust well over with soot and wood ashes. 



Spinach. — Prepare a good breath of ground, south 

 border for preference, for the main sowing of 

 winter Spinach. I find in these gardens that 

 Victoria round, recom-iiended for summer work, 

 stands the climate much better than the prickly 

 generally used for thi.-; j)urpose. When the soil is 

 naturally heavy apply a good dressing of leaf soil 

 and road grit, burnt refuse or anything to lighten 

 it, and enable the rains to drain off. Sixteen 

 inches is a good working distance, and finally 

 thin to four inches from plant to plant. 



Potatoes. — As soon as the second early and main 

 crop Potatoes become ripe, they should be care- 

 fully lifted and stored in a frost proof house, 

 Allow^ the tubers to dry on the ground before 

 storing — a few hours will suffice — place the ware 

 together and place the seed thinly on shelves. 

 Should any disease be present, be careful to burn 



