IRISH GARDENING 



31 



Celery. Make a smart finish, and have covering 

 such as bracken or long litler in readiness for 

 severe frost, removing same inniiediately the frost 

 has gone. When the ground is very hard lift 

 sufficient heads to meet requirements, and store in 

 the vegetable shed. This crop has made rapid 

 growth during the sunniier-like weather of 

 October, and will require watching very closely. 



Onions. — Complete the stringing of all Onions, 

 and occasionally examine fur bad bulbs. Keep a 

 little air always circuhiting through them. 

 Shallots and Potato Onions will require constant 

 watching to keep them in tlie Ijest condition. Hoe 

 between the lines of the autumn-sown varieties, 

 and after a spell of frost see that they are not 

 lifting from the ground. 



Leeks. — Give the final earthing-up of the Main 

 Crop Leeks. See that the soil does not fall into 

 the hearts of the plants. These are very hardy, 

 and will not suffer much from frost. 



Tomatoes. — Where glass is available make an 

 early sowing of Sunrise or Winter Beauty Tomato. 

 Sow in 6-inch pots and raise in a temperate house. 

 Do not grow them too close, otherwise the foliage 

 will become drawn and spindly. Keep clean from 

 all insect pests by fumigating. See that the 

 foliage is dry when fvunigating. 



Salad. — Keep sufficient supplies of Chicory, 

 Christmas Salad, and Endive blanched. Sow 

 plenty of Mustard and Cress and introduce Water- 

 cress, and, where Winter Radishes are esteemed, 

 pull them and take into the kitchen quite young. 

 Keep the soil stirred between young Lettuce in 

 frames and give plenty of air. 



Seakale. — Have sufficient supplies of Seakale fit 

 for use at all times. Introduce the required niun- 

 ber of roots into the forcing-house weekly, and 

 where permanent beds are used keep plenty of 

 fermenting material over the boxes or pots. 



Parsnips. — During frosty weather, lift and place 

 under cover sufficient Parsnips to meet the de- 

 mand. 



Preparation for the Forcing Season. — Con- 

 tinue to collect all leaves possible for hot beds. 

 Place them in as large heaps as possible. When 

 all are gathered it will be advisable to turn, and 

 when making hot beds thoroughly make the whole 

 as firm as po.ssible. This will cause the heat to 

 keep up much longer. We put several hundred 

 loads into each bed and find the heat just right 

 for planting out early Marrows, Beet, Carrots, 

 Potatoes, Asparagus, Beans, and many other large 

 lots of forcing vegetables. 



Trenching. — Push forward the turning up and 

 manuring of all vacant plots. Trench and thor- 

 oughly manure a certain portion each season. By 

 this means the whole garden will be brought into 

 a great state of cultivation, and will produce treble 

 the crops of nuich finer (|uality. Where the 

 garden is rich in humus, give a good dressing of 

 lime and work in road sciapings if free from 

 motor traffic or tar. During frosty weather get 

 manure, leaf soil, and fresh loam wheeled on to 

 the plots. Get all stakes in readiness for next 

 season. Keep the stocks of all seeds in a perfectly 

 dry place, and away from mice, &c. Protect the 

 Globe Artichokes in severe frost. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Grounds. 

 Summer Bedding Plants. — All plants must be 

 safely housed by this time, as there " is nightly 

 danger of frost. They only require a temperature 

 of 40 degrees to 45 degrees during the next 

 two months. When the tuin of the year comes 

 introduce a little moie heat and a growing atmo- 



sphere. Keep plenty of air on the frames contain- 

 ing Violas, Pentstemons, &c., that are rooted. 



S.ALviA PATENS.— It is advlsablc to lift and store 

 this Salvia, or, better still, collect a quantity of 

 fresh seed for raising in the spring. This beauti- 

 ful blue ought to be much more extensively 

 grown. This summer it has been magnificent in 

 the blue garden here. Another feature that has 

 been greatly admired was a quantity of Strepto- 

 solen Jamesonii, 8 feet high, growang over a 

 cream ground-work of Lupins (Annual). 



Weeping Trees.— Where new flower gardens and 

 pleasure grounds are being formed, a good selec- 

 tion of trees witli pendulus habit, should be 

 planted, such as Weeping Copper Beech, Willows, 

 Ash, Limes, Sophora, and Halesia tetraptera. 

 Give them a good isolated position with plenty of 

 room and they will repay you. Sometimes a 

 branch will grow erect, but these should be re- 

 moved. 



L.AURELS. — Where one has a big, dry bank to 

 cover quickly and near the public road, as often 

 happens, I would advise planting Laurel Rotundi- 

 folia. Keep it short by pruning with a knife or 

 secateurs, and on no account use shears, as these 

 will mutilate the foliage and cause them not only 

 to look hideous, but will eventually cause them 

 to die. During the past few years we have been 

 struggling to grub uj) thousands of Laurel in these 

 gardens and planting choice shrubs, grassing 

 down and putting various bulbs through the 

 whole plantations. 



Roses— Climbing.— Tie in thinly, just sufficient 

 to cover all Poles and Pergolas, the young, strong 

 growths of Climlnng Roses. If the cutting away 

 of the old flowering shoots was neglected wh«n 

 they finished flowering this must be done at once. 

 Do not tie in too thickly. 



Planting Shrubs. — Finish all planting and 

 alterations as quickly as possible. When planting 

 choice shrubs great care must be taken to have 

 the soil in first-rate condition. Protect in case of 

 severe weather. 



Lawns. — If the grass continues to grow it may 

 be advisable to cut it once more, as this will help 

 to lessen the work of sweeping. Many beds that 

 were grassed down will require re-turfing after 

 this hot summer. This is most important, as the 

 indentations cause much trouble to the mowing 

 machines. Keep the edges of the walks and beds 

 well trimmed to keep a smart appearance. Collect 

 all leaves as soon as they are down, and store for 

 leaf soil for top-dressings. 



Sweet Violets. — Keep the soil stirred around 

 the Violets and keep plenty of air on the frames 

 during mild weather. In frosty weather cover the 

 lights with mats or bracken, leaving just a label 

 imder the lights for air. In severe weatlier add 

 good linings of long litter outside the walls of the 

 frames to keep away tlie frost. 



Hardy Fruit Garden. 

 Planting Fruit Trees. — Push forward the 

 planting of all kinds of fruit trees during open 

 weatlier. Any tree that is not satisfactory should 

 get attended to. Endeavour to get all trees to root 

 on the surface. They will then derive all the 

 benefits of the warm sun and any feeding and 

 watering that may be given them. Where the 

 soil is ])oor add "a fresh compost as previously 

 advised. Cut away any broken or bruised roots, 

 and lay the fibrous roots in layers, placing the 

 soil in position witli the hands, packing up all the 

 crevices with good fibrous loam. Place a stake 

 in position at once where needed. In tlie case 



