.")- 



IRISH GARDENING 



distialuviiOf for a imnihiT ol" >t'ais, so avail ol' (lir 

 (il>|M(ituuil y to ciLSUiv tliat tluTc is a .sullicifiit 

 ilcptli of trooil soil uiuUt yovir lives. If lli.- sub- 

 soil is too luavy aivtl lK>or. (li<; liowii to such a 

 iii'|»tli as will allow of thmwiuK out a <|uaiitit\ ol 

 till' liacl subsoil, and .ov.t tlu- bottoui of liolr 

 witii ariv a\'ailablf draiiiauc sudi as rou^;h stoms. 

 I. rok.-ii 'bricks, A:c.. spr.-adiiiK stabU- c.r lid.iy 

 Miauurc over tiicsi'. aiul tiit'U llll up to ri'tpiirid 

 clcjith with ^'ootl s(.il : this trratnu-iil uiay \><- 

 apjilifd to all kiiuls of tr«'fs cither in open jjardru 

 or trees trained a^'aiust walls. Trees Iraiuctl 

 a-aiiist walls should oiilv be t.-uiporaril v fastened 

 up after r.'plantintr. until the grouiul has had 

 tiuu' to settle down, when they may be fully 

 nailed in ai^ain. When leplantin^^ trees a-iainst 

 a wall keep the base of tree a few inches away 

 from the wall to avoid herealter any injuritnis 

 pressure a;4ainst wall as the tree i-xpands. Trees 

 in the open with bulky heads should, in addition 

 to beinii nuule \ ery lirm in replant intj. be secur(>d 

 a-^aiusl looseniu'.^ in the ground by hitch winds : a 

 1,'ood stronfi stake placed slaiitinj; at^ainst prevail- 

 iiii; high winds ami tied against stem, or one or 

 two stout braiuhes of tree, is generally sullicient. 



During this month, or on to mid-March, new 

 l>laidations of currant and goosel)erry bushes may 

 l)e maib- : tlu'Se should be planted on ground 

 previously i>r, pared for this purpose, or on a i)lot 

 renilered fertile and ricli by jirevious cropjiing. or 

 if in isolated imsitimis, .such as l>y garden walks, 

 \-c.. sonu- manure may be incorporated as 

 planting proceeils. 



According as i)runing is linished off amouijst 

 fruit brees of all kinds, dear away and turn all 

 prunings or rubbish of any kind that may Ik- 

 lying about; it is also very advisable to colled 

 and burn the fallen leaves of fruit trees where scab 

 has been prevalent during ])reviou.s summer : 

 then, on all favourable occasions, i)roeeed witli 

 the digging of borders and plots, applying — as the 

 work proceeds — such manures as it is intended to 

 use ; good farmyard or stable manure is very 

 generally conceded to ))e the })est. Chemical 

 manures should only be ap])lied according to 

 instructions after being thoroughly tested and 

 experimented with. AJany admirable fruit tree 

 manures are nutnufacturcd as a substitute or an 

 auxiliary to farmyard numure ; these, of course, 

 nuist be used, according to the directions of 

 makers. All fully developed fruit trees in robust 

 fruitful condition shovdd receive an annual 

 dressing of farmyard or stable manure with basic 

 slag, as advised in my notes last month. Younger 

 trees should be manured according to their size 

 and bearing conditions. A light dressing of i,ir- 

 slaked liuie on all finiit quarters once in three or 

 four years is very beneficial; sufficient to wliiten 

 the ground is enough, or at the rate of a ton to 

 a statute acre. 



Wliere jteaches and figs are grown outdoors 

 these should be ])runed and nailed in during this 

 montli. All nailing and training of trees on walls 

 should be comj)leted during this month, and the 

 borders dug. as al)ove advised. In. these gardens 

 we never ])lant any crop whatever over wall tree 

 roots, but allow a s])ace of one yard frotn base of 

 tree alt<)gether to fruit trees, a i)lan that .should 

 be followed wherever at all j)racticable. as by this 

 means Iheic is less mutilation of roots and an oppor- 

 tunity is allowed for mulchings of manure, also 

 watering in very dry spells of weatlier. whi<h is 

 very important to the production of liist class 

 crops. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



I!v A 



Sh.tr-i 



Ci 



;i:w 1' 

 iCraul 

 .rk. 



i:m 



I' I. 



A. F. 



(. lim- 



it r. 



u t; 



pr. 



>r this month, 

 rreais in woik 



il. 



Till-: weather IS tlu- 

 .111(1 ;is rVi-rv litU- lu 

 slioul.l he ,iispose,l 



Ukoai) Means, if in denianii. iii.iv ite sown 

 111.; l/>ngpods for ,arl> use on a light soil, the 

 W'iudsoT' section Inr iii.iin< lop on good heavv 

 soil l.d theearlv Longpodsst.ind-J f.-d bdw.-ei' 

 the rows, th.' Windsors :{ fed : the latter are of 

 superior (pialitv. .Nfosl |»eo|de will liiul a 

 .March sowing tlie b.-st \\,y the m.iincrop. 



I'KAS. -First aiul second eailies mav be sown, 

 according to the ne<-ds of the household, dwarf 

 varieties in rows from 1 to 2 feel ai>art. as their 

 heights n.-cessitale. but tall varieties. su<-h as the 

 Pilot. (Jradus. iN:c.. should be i)laided far enough 

 a])art. say 1<5 to l.S feet, to i.ermil of live lines 

 of early jxdatoes being ])lanted between. This 

 l>lan gives a maximum croj) of j)eas ami pi'ovides 

 shelter to the ]»otatoes. 



Bkussels SpjtouTs. — Sow in lieat or on a south 

 border to ]»roduce an early autumn supply. 



Camhack. — Sow for succession, aiul where 

 autumn sown plants still stand in seed-bed. nuike 

 fresh plantings aiul lill gajts. 



Lettuce.s. — Sow a i)inch on an early border 

 and iilant out the early sowings on a. h(d-bed or 

 frame, (iolden Ball is an excellent variety for 

 this work, making compact little heads in a very 

 slK.rt time. 



('ELEiiY, Leeks and Onions, if desired early 

 and large, may be sown in boxes or pans in heat, 

 ])ricking off when ready and growing indoors 

 until hardening time arrives. 



Parsley, of a good strain, grown similarly and 

 given liberal room when ]danted in its cpiarters. 

 will give much i)leasure and jn-ove a thing of 

 beauty all summer. Those who once grow il 

 tliis way will never return to the old rigidly 

 ])acked lines of thick sowings. 



Potatoes for early use are jilanted l)y many 

 this month. We jjrefer to si)rout them in boxes, 

 in a shed or cool house, and plant out in March. 

 The advantages of s])routing early or maiiuro]) 

 varieties are many — for examide, the m()nths of 

 February and March. 1911, wei-e very wet, 

 having here 2<5 and 29 wet days, with a tcdal 

 rainfalls of ().7() and 5.21 inches, resi)ectively. 

 Our ])otatoes were therefore not planted until 

 Ai)ril (5th. On Whit Monday, .Tune 1st, or .j(» 

 days after ])lanting, we dug Midlothian Earli<'s lit 

 for the table, the average yield being twelve 

 potatoes to the stalk. They were grown on a 

 south border on a south-eastern aspect, 250 feet 

 above sea level, and having little, if any, natural 

 shelter from the southerly gales. I merely 

 mention this S])ecific instance in favour of doing 

 early potat^^es this way, Init may add that main- 

 crops in the Held are equally bendited by 

 s])routing. iiroducing a greater yield of uniform 

 quality, and paying for boxes and extra labour 

 very quickly. 



Rhub.vhb for fresh idantations may be made 

 by cutting old roots into single (irowns and 

 planting in well trenched and manured ground. 

 l)lanting '•'> feet a]».'iil. Dr<ssings of l)one meal 

 hdi)S rhubarb growth considerably. 



Seakale now ])ushing naturally will require a 

 dressing of ashes over t.he crowns. 



