I20 



IRISH GARDENING 



a strou<; tfiulrm^y to llow-r to tlir >mi, >.' tliiii 

 when piantiiit: oiif must \\;ili-li tli.' various i.osi- 

 tions. 



llYBIlll) LOBKLIAS.— TllfSf jylaiits air sal.i ll llllfll 

 iiiitl rt'plantfd in i-old !)ils «niring llif wiut.i ; tiny 

 will '^oiin'tiiiu's i-oiiif through sali'ly. and otlit-r 

 linifs i)i'ii.-h altogfthi-r. Always lift witii a goo<l 

 sec that they do not I... oiiir too 

 n the trames on all ixissililf 



and 

 air 



liall of soil. 

 dry; ki-t'i) 

 oi'casions. 



liAWNs. — MaKi- 

 thoroughly oil tl 



final mowing. CMcai 



muhincs and m-iu\ aw 



any repairs; do not di-lay this oin-ration t 



machines art' rt'ciuin-d n<xt spriiiL'. An 



dressing and alti 

 done. 



II the 

 - . - .- . top- 

 rations should now \>r i|nitkly 



Southern and Western Counties. 



By Mr. J. Matthews, Gardener to Sir Kirliard 



'Musgrave, Bart., Tourin, Cappoquin, County 



Waterford. 



The Kitchkn Gauden. 

 Make i)reparations for the protection of tender 

 croj)? against a sharp frost which may he e.xjjccted 

 any night this month. If a covering can lie 

 erected over such plants as Frencli Beans, Veget- 

 able Marrows and Scarlet Runners the st-ason may 

 he prolonged a hit; for tlie latter, tiffany can he 

 stretched along the top and sides, and for the 

 others frame liglits could be fixed over tliem; 

 newspapers, too, may be brought into use, and will 

 ward off a few degrees. 



Cabbage. — Continue the ])lajiting out trom the 

 seed-bed as ground becomes vacant; the earlier 

 l)atch is making good progress and will l)enelit 

 with a free use of the hoe along the drills. 



Cauliflower. — As these become fit for use tie 

 the leaves over them to protect the curds from 

 tlie weather, also to sarve them getting discolom-ed. 

 Late sown seedlings should be pricked off into cold 

 frames as soon as large enough to handle. 



Celery. — Continue the earthing up as growth 

 proceeds, a little at a time is. the rule, always 

 keeping the heart clear of soil. 



Globe Artichokes. — The v)ld stems may now be 

 cut awaj', and the beds made tidy for the winter. 

 Jerusalem Artichokes may ajso. be reduced in 

 height to three or four feet. 



Potatoes. — Complete the lifting of late varieties 

 during the month. The seed for next year may be 

 selected as the work goes on, and stored in a cool, 

 airy place free from frost. The others can be 

 housed or pitted in the open according to con- 

 venience. 



Hoots. — Beetroot, Carrots and Salsafy should 

 all be lifted and stored in sand; late .sowings of 

 Carrots and Turnips may be left in the ground and 

 lifted as required for use. Parsnips, too, are better 

 left in the ground, as when lifted in quantity lliey 

 get tough and u.seless. 



Rhubarb. — The demand will not b(- .so great for 

 forced Rhubarb during the lieavy apple crop. How- 

 ever, a few stools may be lifted when the growth 

 has died dow-n and exposed to the w^atlu^r, forcing 

 will then be much easier. 



Seakale. — This vegetable is acceptable at all 

 seasons, and for forcing home-grown crowns a 

 l)atch should be lifted as soon as the leaves ripen 

 off; leave them exposed to the weather for a week 

 or two. The best Seakale is produced by forcing 

 the crowds of permanent ,beds, placing pots over 

 them and banking up with fermenting material. 



T0M.ATOES. — Any green fruits still hanging on 



outdoor plants should be cut and liinii: up in a 

 warm house to 1 ipeu, the llavour will not be up 

 to tile usual, but they are ii.s.-ful for t-ooking pur- 

 po.sea. riants carrying crops under glass reciuire 

 caretul attention, water with care and keep the 

 atmosphere of the house warm and dry with a 

 tree circulation of air. 



Trenching and digging may be jjuslieil on .is 

 the ground is eleareU of crops, get as much turned 

 uj) iLS possible 1). tore the end of the year. Jn 



favourahle weather keep the I at work amongst 



all green crops. 



Tin; KrL'IT (iAltOK.N. 



The picking o| .Apples and I'ears will now be a 

 daily duty wiieii the weather permits; it will, in 

 many cases, be difticult to find room in the fruit 

 store to house the crop. J have tried late keeping 

 varieties pitted in the same manner as Potatoes, 

 and, providing rats can be kept from entering the 

 l)its, the Ai)ples keep very well for ii time; when 

 si)ace becomes available in the fruit room they 

 may be taken inside and picked over during line 

 w.-ather. 



Planting oi)erations may Ix- taken in hand to- 

 wards the end of the month, and pushed on while 

 the soil is still warm to encourage root action. 

 Trees planted at this time will gel a hold of the 

 ground before winter sets in. 



Place stakes to such trees as require them, and 

 ])revent swaying with the wind; otherwise, when 

 wet weather comes on, there is a puddle round the 

 collar, and, under such conditions, root action is 

 impossible. 



Trees that weic marked for root pruning may 

 be operated upon, completing the work if possible 

 before the end of the year. 



Strawberries. — Any runners pushing out from 

 the young plants in new plantations should be cut 

 away to throw all the strength of the plants into 

 making strong crowns for fruiting next year. Keep 

 the hoe through the drills occasionally to keep 

 weeds in check. 



The Pleasure Grounds. 



This is a busy month in the flower garden pre- 

 paring for a spring display. Get the i)lanting of 

 Wallflowers, Myosotis, Sweet Williams, Aquilegias. 

 Polyanthus and other plants used in the l)eds and 

 borders comx)leted as quickly as possible to enable 

 them to get established before hard weather comes 

 on. Any alterations or improvements in the flower 

 garden and pleasure grounds should be taken in 

 hand now, as the soil is generally in fair working 

 condition, and favourable to the production of 

 roots. The lifting and replanting of shruhs may 

 be proceeded with from the middle of the month 

 onwards, or as soon as they can l)e moved with 

 safety. Give them a thorough watering as soon as 

 planted, ])lacing stakes to those that require sup- 

 port. 



(leraniiuii cuttings that have been standing in 

 the open should be Jifted into a cool airy house 

 where plenty light can reach them. Clean off any 

 damp leaves, and water with care during the 

 winter months. 



Rock Plants should be kept cleared of falling 

 tree leaves, as if these are left to accumulate over 

 lender subjects many of them are sure to decay. 



Grass mowing will be nearly over for the season, 

 but the lawns will require regular sweeping and 

 rolling to keep them in good order. Before putting 

 away the machines, have them properly cleaned 

 and oiled, and sliould any repairs be necessary 

 this is the best time to have it done. 



