136 



IRISH GARDENING, 



SKI'TKMIUiR 



artificially proparod Liiltuics o{ tlic bactoiia 

 which are now on the market. Hut while inocu- 

 lation oi the soil is hardly e\ei necessar\ , 

 because the bacteria are already prest-nt, it is 

 yet possible to stimulate their activit\ bv snit- 

 able treatment ot" the land The presence ol 

 acids in the soil has a restraininj^ inlluence on 

 them, and they are encoiiraj^ed in ilieir work 

 by a suHicient supply of phosphates and polasii 

 I'roni the forej^oiiiij considerations it is 

 obvious that the nitroi^en-tixin^ bacteria are ot" 

 immense importance and ^.ssistance to all crop 

 i,'-rowers. whether ol" farm or g-arden ; and a 

 knowledij-e of llieir methods o\' work and oi' the 

 conditions favourable and otherwise to their 

 development is essential to success. So far 

 there is comparatively little known about these 

 orijanisms, but there are a few g-eneral truths 

 well established which have been briefly indicated, 

 and of which the following is a summarv : — 



1. In all soils there are organisms which lav- 

 hold of some oi' the nitrogen of the air and 

 build it up into a form in which, after further 

 changes — decay, ammonification, nitrification — 

 it can be utilized by green plants. 



2. Such organisms are encouraged in their 

 work in soils which are well aerated, free from 

 acids, and have a fair supply of lime, phos- 

 phates and potash. Hence good cultivation, 

 drainage, liming, and liberal dressings of 

 phosphates and potash are desirable. 



3. In most soils are bacteria which, when in 

 union with the roots of leguminous crops, take 

 up nitrogen from the air and ultimately give it 

 up to the leguminous plants in a form which 

 the latter can utilize. 



4. Some of this nitrogen remains in the 

 ground in the roots after the crop has been 

 removed, and will in time become available for 

 subsequent crops. It follows that, by often 

 growing leguminous crops, large quantities of 

 nitrogen will be added to the soil. 



5. The nodule, or legume, bacteria are in- 

 variably present in almost all soils, but where 

 they are absent they can be added artificially. 



6. The nodule-bacteria require the presence 

 of phosphates, potash and lime for their work. 

 Acidity and too much moisture hinder their 

 activity. Therefore, good tillage, manuring 

 with phosphates and potash, drainage and 

 liming, will favour the storing up of nitrogen 

 in the soil through the agency of the nodule 

 bacteria. 



School (xardens. 



Some Practiial Suggestions. 



I\V I.. J. I llMIMM^KV. 



IT is now some years since the subject of 

 gardening was recognised as a valuable 

 adjunct to the teai.!iing in ruial schools, 

 and, lollowing on this somewhat tardv con 

 cession, many schemes, some ambitious, others 

 mc>st simple, have b( en prepared and in many 

 cases acted upon. Ciardening is, undoubtedly, a 

 subject fo\- rural schools, but at the same time 

 in towns and cities there is a strongly growing 

 tendency to return to the country, and it miglit 

 well be that some instruction in gardening in 

 town schools would just turn the scale in many 

 instances in favour of the more natural life of 

 the country. 



One of the advantages of this subject is that 

 it is adaptable to almost any locality, and almost 

 every subject has a distinct connection with the 

 cultivation of the soil. For instance, geo- 

 graphy is rendered more attractive by an 

 acquaintance with some plant that -grows in a 

 particular country. South Africa, as the home 

 of the lily, should be more real and less 

 abstract than South Africa a sub-coi>tinent. 

 History is enlightend by the knowledge of the 

 reign in which some well-known plant was 

 introduced, while the practical problems of 

 arithmetic and drawing are capable of almost 

 endless application in the garden. 



Although it is neither possible nor desirable 

 to turn out accomplished gardeners, the famili- 

 arity with the garden plants, the garden tools, 

 and. above all, the garden methods, will lead to 

 an ultimate interest in the cultivation of the soil, 

 the advantage of which in a country of farmers 

 can not be over-estimated. If more of the 

 present generation could recognise good fruit 

 and vegetables there would be a diminished 

 sale of flavourless foreign productions and a 

 more than corresponding sale for home-grown 

 produce. The ignorance of the average house- 

 holder in the matter of fruit is astounding, and 

 until this ignorance gives place to at least some 

 knowledge the efforts of home-growers in pro- 

 ducing really excellent supplies must be very 

 much retarded. A walk through a market will 

 convince any one that the first consideration in 

 regard to fruit is colour, and in vegetables size. 

 All this can be remedied by providing that 



