February 



IRISH GARDENING. 



!i 



ground quite fine. The land sliould have been well 

 manured and trenched for some time. The lines ought 

 to be drawn about a foot apart and half an inch deep. 

 A greater distance may be allowed between the lines 

 when there is no scarcity of space, as it facilitates til- 

 lage. Tread in the lines, making sure that the soil is 

 made uniformly firm on the seeds. The stroke of the 

 back of a spade will ensure this. James Keeping and 

 Bedfordshire Champion are favourite main crop varieties. 

 Tripoli onions should be transplanted into richly- 

 manured ground, leaving enough undisturbed in rows or 

 seed beds to form a first supply. Plant in lines a foot 

 apart, covering only the roots of the plants, and making 

 firm. If frost follows planting, when past, go over the 

 lines and firm the plants again. 



Garlic and shallots might be considerably more 

 grown. Garlic is profitable to grow for sale as a 

 medicinal product. Shallots are excellent for pickling, 

 and both are otherwise of value in the kitchen. Plant 

 the cloves (divisions of the bulb) of garlic separately, in 

 light soil six inches apart and two inches deep, in beds 

 or borders. The same distance will accommodiite 

 shallots, but where space permits it is better to allow a 

 greater distance. Shallots like rich soil well manured, 

 and may be planted like potato onions — that is, the bulb 

 hardly covered. Towards the end of the month, if a 

 sowing of round spinach can be got in, it will be found 

 verj' helpful to fill the gap that occurs w-hen the winter 

 spinach and seakale are over, and before peas and 

 cauliflowers come in. Choose a friable border in a sunny 

 place, and sow the seed thicker than in later sowings, as 

 less may germinate, but thin out in time. 



Sweet, juicy white turnips will be well appreciated, too, 

 early in the season ; some stratagem must be made to 

 meet this demand. Deep and wide trenches filled with 

 stable dung and covered with light, rich soil are some- 

 limes prepared. On these trenches Early Milan variety 

 is sown. The heating material promotes quick growth, 

 which is essential for sweetness and tenderness. Open, 

 mild hot-beds are also a means to this end. 



Sowing the same Variety. — Early in the season we 

 must be wary of the turnip fly, and have soot and lime in 

 readiness. i\Iake sowings of broad beans. Early Maza- 

 gan and Long Pods ; a little parsley might be sown in 

 some early spot. Cultivate cabbage plots, and where 

 asparagus beds have not been mulched, see to this with- 

 out delay. On heavy land this is best left till this month. 

 Plant Jerusalem artichokes, choosing the roundest and 

 best tubers for seed. Allow thirty inches between the 

 rows. These plants can be made useful as wind screens 

 for other crops. Plant horse raddish, choose clean 

 pieces of root, and remove the crown of each with a 

 knife before planting. 



Peas. — Make sowings every fortnight in sunny, 

 sheltered situations, and in well worked land. Unless 

 a dwarf variety of pea is desired, Gradus is recom- 

 mended for these sowings. If stakes cannot be obtained 

 very dwarf kinds, as W'illiam Hurst or Chelsea Gem, 

 must be grown. A covering of light, dry soil, contain- 

 ing wood ashes, leaf-mould, &c. , from the potting 

 shed is a good preventative of these marrow fat peas 

 rotting before germinating, which often occurs in very 

 wet weather. A coating of red lead on pea seeds helps 

 to protect them from birds. Put seed in bowl, sprinkle 



with water, and dust over with red lead, stirring till each 

 seed is evenly coated. In the event of a mild time 

 towards the end of the month, peas that have been 

 sown in frames may be transplanted into the open. A 

 nice, warm border should be selected for them. Earth 

 up with soil as plants admit, and stake the rows at 

 once, using pieces of spruce or other evergreens here 

 and there to shelter them from wind and frost. If the 

 soil is in wet condition, or if no suitable site be available, 

 defer this work till next month. Have enough pea-stakes 

 dressed and trimmed and in every readiness. 



Potatoes. — Potatoes growing in pits must be earthed 

 up as they require it, and given plenty of air whenever 

 the weather permits to prevent them from being drawn. 

 Be in no hurry to plant out sprouted tubers in quantity. 

 If the buds of some are getting too forward, and if the 

 condition of the soil suits, a limited plantation may be 

 made in a sheltered south aspect. But do not forget that 

 the very early planted potato often catches the worm — 

 that is, the wire-worm — or the wire-worm catches the 

 potato, and so does our old friend the slug, and rot 

 may overtake the seed in the ground if hard weather 

 checks their growth, and late frosts may have to be 

 specially guarded against in the matter of nightly 

 covering later on, which is plaguey troublesome. 

 Give attention to the sprouting tubers, retarding and 

 hardening the buds by exposing to full light and by 

 ventilating when safe to do so. In light lands in the 

 County Cork the early variety Duke of York cropped 

 well, and the quality of potatoes was first class. 



Seakale. — This most excellent and highly prized 

 vegetable is rarely plentiful enough anywhere. Whether 

 for sale or as a home luxury (for such it certainly is) it 

 ought to be much more grown. When I he blanched 

 crowns are first cut from plants in the open ground it is 

 a good time to propagate an adequate stock. After 

 the first cutting lift the roots to be propagated from. 

 Cut into lengths averaging about five inches long, and 

 with a sloping cut at the bottom of each piece to 

 distinguish it. Class these pieces of roots into sizes. 

 Plant out into trenched and well-manured ground, 

 allowing two feet between the lines and about one foot 

 between the roots, or in stools of three feet every way. 

 The thick pieces or settings w'ill bear forcing the follow- 

 ing year. Their growth is greatly assisted by watering 

 or by feeding with liquid manure in dry spells during 

 summer. Salt used judiciously as a manure will 

 encourage fine growth. Before this date stools or lines 

 of seakale in the open should have a good covering of 

 screened ashes piled on them to blanch the heads as 

 they grow. Amateurs sometimes wrongly neglect this 

 till growth is started. 



Rhubarb. — It is a pity that more rhubarb is not forced 

 in this country for marketing. The great amount that 

 is supplied from .icross channel to Dublin markets, and 

 the big prices obtained for it early in the season, are 

 proof of the profit arising from its cultivation. This is a 

 good month to propagate it. Choose strong crowns 

 from early, good stools ; cut through roots with a spade, 

 and plant out in fresh land that has been liberally 

 manured and deeply trenched. Four feet every way 

 between the plants is ample space for the early varieties. 

 Plant firmly, and let the crowns down to the level. 

 When planted, a light covering of littery dung should be 



