1 10 



IRISH (JARDENING, 



JULY 



lost if the mixture 



ipplieil to tlu" l>i'il sir.iij^'lit 



away, and while rain is actually fallinjr. Tlu- iviin-wati-i- 

 absorbs the ammonia and carries it into the soil. 



Sanov soils lack orjjanic matter. They are so freely 

 supplied with air that the orjjanic matter is very rapiiily 

 rotted down by soil bacteria. Additions of farmyarii 

 manure, leavefi. &c, will lari?ely increase the water- 

 holding- power, and will also in very loose soils jire\i'ni 

 shift ini^ by wind. Sandy soils, as a rule, lack not only 

 iiitroj(^en but phosphoric and potash food as well. 

 Leijuminous crops are excellent for such soils, as they 

 increase the stock of nitroj^en compounds. If the soil 

 is at all aciii lime must be added. Heavy clay soils an- 

 too close-framed and sufler from a lack of air. Great 

 care must be taken not to cultivate them when wet. It 

 will destroy the texture. Drainagfe is of first import - 

 .ance, as this will admit air. The addition of or^anii- 

 matter, such as farmyard manure, will tend to further 

 open the soil as well as supply a stock of nitrogfcn. 

 Potash they usually have in plenty, but the}- are, as a 

 rule, deficient in phosphates ; therefore, a dressinj^- ii(' 

 dung should be supplemented by a further application 

 of phosphate of basic sla,^. 



Book Notices. 



Messrs. C. Akthir Pe.\rson. Ltd., send us the first 

 two volumes of their " Small Holders' Librarv, " one 

 beingf "Profitable Beekeeping- " and the other " Practical 

 Hints for the Holding. " The volumes are published at 

 oi\e shilling net. The work on beekeeping is bv H. 

 Geary, Expert to the Leicestershire Beekeepers' 

 -Association. It is written verv carefully, very clearly, 

 and to the point, and is well and fully illustrated. It is 

 a little book that we can recommend to an)' one desirous 

 to learn the fundamental facts about keeping bees. It 

 is needless for us to draw attention to the importance 

 of bees to fruit growers, as it is now universally recog- 

 nised ajnong gardeners that the more bees there are in 

 a district the better for the fruit crop. The second 

 book is an attempt to tell the small holders how to run 

 his allotment of land with success, and concerns itself 

 with all sorts of subjects on which he is likely to require 

 advice. It is an interesting collection of suggestions 

 and directions, and will be found extremely useful to the 

 class of reader it is intended to help. 



" Thk Irish Review" for July contains two articles 

 that make special appeal to readers interested in rural 

 affairs. In one, Dr. Gerald McCarthy, writing from the 

 United States, deals with the subject of " The Irish Race 

 and Emigration," and shows how ill-fitted most of the 

 States are to natives of the north-temperate countries 

 of Europe, and gives the special biological reasons why 

 Irishmen, even in the first generation, physically 

 degenerate in America. The second article referred to 

 is a continuation of Mr. George Russell's brilliant 

 theses on the Problem of Rural Life. The other 

 contents include a stirring poem by the Hon. Emil\- 

 Lawless, Litt. D. , an interesting paper on Dr. Samuel 

 Johnson and Ireland, and a serial story of Dublin 

 Life, by James Stephens. The price of the Review is 

 sixpence. 



The Month's Work. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Grounds. 



H\ W. rsiiiK, riu- ("..lidcMis. HriMi.iiislown, Cabinteely, 

 Ko. Duhliti. 



J 



\.\ ill m.my respects very much 

 ii'M-mbles January as regards our 

 work in the flower garden, so much 

 ilepenils on the weather whether we have 

 a busy ov an easy time. If very dry 

 weather occms we must keep the water- 

 barrel going; if not kept supplied with 

 plenty of water herbaceous plants very 

 soon suffer. When applying water we 

 should do so most plentiously, and after 

 watering, the hoe should be run amongst 

 the plants to break up the surface and 

 close all cracks. It will also be found a 

 loose, fine surface prevents evaporation. 

 Careful staking and tying of plants is very 

 necessary, as we frequently get "gusty" 

 da)s, and an hour's wind plays havoc with 

 tall, soft-growing plants. 



tjrive sweet pea plenty of water, with 

 liquid manure in it, and keep all seed pods 

 picked off; if allowed to remain and ripen 

 seed, it prevents the plants flowering. 

 Look after violets and see that thev do 

 not become dry ; if allowed to get dry, red 

 spider on the leaves will be the result. 

 Dahlias are very thirsty plants and require 

 a good deal of attention ; if too many 

 shoots are giowing on the plant they will be requiring 

 thiiuiing, staking and tying out. Hollyhocks, whether 

 planted singly or in groups, should be carefully staked 

 and plentifully watered ; mulching with well-rotted 

 niatiure will tend greatly to prolong their flowering 

 period and to keep them healthy. 



If carnations are attacked by wire-worms place pieces 

 of potatoes just below the surface of soil ; examine these 

 every morning, and destroy any worms found near them. 

 Carnations and pinks should now be propagated by 

 piping and layers ; flower stalks should be neatly 

 staked. A very neat method of staking consists of a 

 circle of light, galvanised wire attached to a neat bam- 

 boo stake ; those can be had from nurserymen, and will 

 last several years if carefully put awa)' when not re- 

 quired. Disbud carnations, but not too severely ; too 

 severe disbudding tends to make the flowers burst. 



Bedding plants will require to be staked or pegged 

 down, as the case may be. Beds of verbenas may be 

 kept clear of aphis by occasionally syringing with weak 

 tobacco water. This is also a very good method of 

 keeping earwigs, &c., off dahlias, chrysanthemums, 

 and plants in general which are troubled by insect pests. 

 Campanulas, Canterbury bells, chelones, wallflowers, 

 &c., should now be pricked off from the seedling beds 

 and grown into nice bushy plants for autumn planting. 

 Divide and plant on border facing north primroses 

 which may be required for spring bedding. This is the 

 best time to divide polyanthus and primroses. 



Now is a good time to put in cuttings of arabis, ceras- 



