138 



IRISH GARDENING 



have oriyinaled in AimiKa, and the idea, whidi 

 was doc'idodly novt'l, soon found its way to tliis 

 I'ountry, witll Xhv result that, although not frc- 

 (juently praotiscd, yet it is often trit-d l>y men of 

 small "gardens, and Others l)y way of exi)eriment. 



Having seeuretl s<>me sugar or parallin liarrels, 

 you will proceed to make some holes in the hottoms 

 lor drainage, and larger ones round the sides of 

 the harrels, in whieh. when all is ready, will he 

 jjlaecd till- strawherry plants. 



The holes should he ahout three inches in 

 diameter, and should he made in circles round the 

 harrels, so that the holes in each alternate row 

 are in a straight line; this gives each plant more 

 room in which to grow. Al)0ut six holes to a circle, 

 and twenty-four in all. will he founil to In- as 

 many as can Ik- well introduced. 



First of all. then, get an iron down pipe, or romid 

 woodfu stake, and place it in the centre of the 

 harrel.. the grower can then fill in the l)arrel with 

 rich light loam, with some manure mixi-d, mitil 

 he comes to the first line of holes, then j)lace a 

 plant out in each hole, and add more soil, and 

 so on. As the work proceeds gently move the pipe 

 or stake, as the case may be, in the centre, until 

 the l)arrt>l is filled, when it can be moved on to the 

 next harrel. and its place filled in with small 

 stones, so that when Avatcr is poured down into it 

 there may be an equal distribution to all plants. 



It is a pretty sight to see a well-grown crop of 

 fruit on barrels, also being so clean and free from 

 germs of any kind. 



Greenfields. Tii)perary. P. SrnoKTKi.i). 



Allotments, 



Thk month of January will mark a new financial 

 year for allotment hoideis, and it can reasonably 

 be urged at this period that the time is overdue 

 for a reduction in the rent of garden allotments. 

 A good deal of the land iitilised for plots would in 

 all probability be lying idle but for the plots, or, 

 at the most, might realise a nominal figure for 

 grazing. It can be said that fencing and other 

 charges prohibit a reduction in the rent. l)ut if 

 the land is not to run absolutely wild, fencing of 

 some descrij)tion must be done. The majority of 

 plots in towns are of what is now known as the 

 standard size — viz., 300 square yards, usually let 

 at ten shillings per plot. Nominally, this is at 

 the rate of £8 per statute acre, but actually less. 

 some allowance being essential for cart-roads and 

 footpaths. In any case, however, the above charge 

 is exorbitant, and on top of this, where a supply 

 of water is laid on, the water-rate, in addition, 

 is paid by the allotment holders. The time is, 

 therefore, opportune for the matter to have con- 

 sideration. 



During the war the rise of the allotment move- 

 ment and the cultivation of small gardens gener- 

 ally were the means of saving the situation for 

 more than one horticultural seedsman. It would 

 not be in the least surprising if that movement 

 has not introduced what will eventually lead to 

 a total change in the functions of the seedsmen 

 in the respect that in catering chiefly for the 

 large estates in the past, the business will rely 

 chiefly upon the smaller gardens generally. It is 

 not contemplated here, for one moment, that the 

 seedsmen look for such a change with enthusiasm, 

 but the thousands of small gardens and allotments 

 about the country have a considerable Ijeneficial 

 effect on the trade even now. 



Gener.^l Rem.\rks.— If possible, avoid working 



or even walking on heavy lami when the soil is 

 wet from rei ent ruin, yuch soils are also ])ar- 

 ticularly binding when melting after frost. Hoe- 

 ing the .soil between rows of recently-planted 

 Cabbages is beneficial in that it helps to sweeten 

 the soil, and which, being thrown a^jainst the 

 stems, serves as a protection during frost. 

 Potatoes which have been kept for seed can now 

 lie conveniently placed in l)Oxes. It is essential 

 that the boxis should be in a j)Osition to receive 

 all the light possible, and the temperature above 

 freezing point is all that is necessary. Should the 

 boxes l)e i>la( cd anywhere in semi-darkness com- 

 bined with a warm temperature, the sprouting of 

 the tubers will be much too rapid, and will even- 

 tually have to be rubbed off. if not retarded in 

 time. The economical jjractice of jjreserving 

 Potatoes for seed can easily be overdone, when 

 it becomes false economy. An excellent method, 

 but one involving a little extra trouble, is to pur- 

 chase a sufficient quantity of new seed each year 

 to plant a few rows, and to save the whole of 

 the crop resulting for planting the following 

 season. The ordinary method of just selecting the 

 small tubers from the general crop can, if per- 

 sisted in for a few seasons, cause a serious de- 

 crease in the weight of the crop. 



The opinion is general that the flavour of 

 Parsnips is improved after being frozen, but the 

 roots are difficidt to dig out when in this con- 

 dition. A small mnnber can be dug up and 

 covered with soil for convenience when the 

 groimd is not frozen. A further covering with 

 loose, dry nuiterial is also helpfid. Parsnips 

 rajudly dry and shrivel if kept out of the ground 

 very long. The same precautions in case of frost 

 are useful for Jerusalem Artichokes. 



The supplies of late Cauliflowers are decreasing. 

 A good deal can be done in the way of preserving 

 any remaining ones by tying the leaves over the 

 curds and pushing the plants with the heel of the 

 boot over to the north, and then heaping soil 

 against the stems. 



Preparations can now be made for forcing 

 Rhubarb. If the roots are lifted and placed in 

 the allotment shed they will force readily if kept 

 in the dark. Ordinary soil can be used from the 

 plot to cover the roots, and watering .should not 

 be neglected when it is required. 



Manures. — Poultry manuie .should 1)6 stored in 

 barrels and kept dry. In this condition it is equal 

 in value to four times the quantity of farmyard 

 manine. Owing, however, to its hot and fermen- 

 tative nature it should be used with caution. 

 About four to six cwts. to a plot is a good 

 dressing. 



Pigeon manure is even stronger than poultry 

 manure. The manurial value is probably about 

 eight times the value of farmyard manure. The 

 scrapings of the pigeon loft should, therefore, be 

 carefully preserved. 



In the Channel Islands and also along our 

 coasts, sea-weed is largely used; and, like farm- 

 yard manure, it is a complete manure. For 

 sandy soils it is extremely valuable for improving 

 their condition, also in retaining moisture, and 

 thus helping the plants in time of drought. Sea- 

 weed containing, as it does, potash, is extremely 

 valuable for Potatoes. If possible, it should be 

 applied before j)lanting time; occasionally the 

 tubers are " soapy " if the sea-weed is not de- 

 cayed. It is also a valuable manure for Cal)bages, 

 and. generally speaking, it is about equal in 

 value to oidinarv faimyard manure. 



G. II. Oliver. 



