IRISH GARDENING. 



63 



of this class that have been partially sheltered during 

 winter may all be safely planted out now where they 

 are required to flower. 



The Spring Garden. — Where beds are filled with spring 

 flowers, tulips and hyacinths are making headwav, and 

 the latter will require attention with stakes. Blanks in 

 the wall-flower or any other of the spring bedding plants 

 should be made good from the reserve garden. 



.A neat and tidy appearance in the garden must now 

 be maintained, and the edges and verges on the side of 

 walks and flower beds should have the turf cut neatlv. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



By J.\MES Br.ACKEN, Horticultural Instructor, Co. Cork. 



THIS is another busy month m the vegetable 

 department. With the increasing elevation of 

 the sun and the lengthening of the day 

 evaporation usually becomes greater. This may 

 necessitate the watering of plants recently transplanted. 

 It also increases the importance of hoeing. At this 

 season of alternate showers and sunshine a surface- 

 crust is quickly formed on the soil. To counteract the 

 evil of this no tool is more valuable than the scuffle or 

 Dutch hoe. As well as preventing the growth of weeds, 

 which in itself means a great saving of time and an aid 

 to the growth of crops, its regular use keeps the soil in 

 healthy cultivation and prevents evaporation. .After 

 hoeing, treading on the surface should be avoided. 



General Work. — Stimulate crops of cabbage with a 

 pinch of nitrate of soda to each plant. Clear away the 

 crops of exhausted Brussels sprouts, broccoli, &c. , and 

 prepare land for successional sowings of peas and early 

 celery. Make successional sowings of cos and cabbage 

 lettuce. If roots are not available, in rich, friable soil 

 sow seakale and rhubarb. If not already done sow 

 parsnips as soon as possible. A broad sowing of Snow- 

 ball turnip should also be made. Prick off Brussels 

 sprouts, cauliflowers, &c. , sown earlier to make them 

 sturdy for planting out. Brussels sprouts doubly repay 

 for care in nursing and early planting. Make a full 

 sowing of such kinds of cabbage as Enfield Market, 

 Improved Nonpareil, and Early Etampes. The last is a 

 small variety, and of good form and flavour. 

 Full sowings of broccoli to form a succession must also 

 be made. Use good selections of such varieties as 

 Veitch's Self-Protecting Autumn, Snow's Winter, White 

 Sprouting, Knight's Protecting, Leamington, April 

 Queen, Sutton's Late Queen, and Mackey's Champion 

 Late White. Sow also full sowings of Drumhead Savoy 

 and some of the smaller kinds of Savoy — which are 

 more appreciated at table — and of kales in variety. 

 These sowings ought to be got in about the middle of 

 the month, according to the weather, and by no means 

 made too thickly. (For method see calendar of last 

 month.) 



Successional sowings of peas and broad beans should 

 have attention, and advancing crops due care. Some 

 suitable varieties of peas for these sowings are Veitch's 

 Perfection and Ne Plus LUtra. The ground between 

 rows of peas may be utilised by sowing summer spinach 

 and turnip radishes. In the open spinach beet and sea- 



kale beet can also be sown. These are useful crops, 

 and often turn in when other vegetables become scanty. 

 Harden off' cauliflower and lettuce plants in frames by 

 full exposure for some days, and plant out. 



Globe .Artichokes.— Plant suckers on well-prepared 

 and manured land. -Allow four feet between the rows 

 and three feet from plant to plant. To prevent any 

 failure put two sets in each space. These, if well 

 attended to, give a supply in autumn. Old stools should 

 be well thinned to about four of the strongest suckers. 

 Globe artichokes best like a rather moist situation. 



Carrots anu Salsify. — The main crop of these vege- 

 tables must be got out so soon as a suitable chance 

 off'ers. The soil for these should be deep, fine, and 

 friable. The use of partly decayed manure at the time 

 ot sowing is not recommended. Land that has been 

 manured for a previous crop, and left dug in a rough 

 state through winter, is suitable. Being friable and dry 

 it is easily reduced to a fine seed-bed. .A good form of 

 intermediate carrot, as James' Intermediate, is generally 

 best for main crop. The distance between the lines 

 may be one foot, and the crop finally thinned to about 

 six inches apart. The same distances suit salsify. 

 Where soil is unsuitable for carrot cultivation, special 

 preparation should be given to it by making a surface of 

 light soil, containing wood-ashes, leaf-mould, &c., and 

 sowing Scarlet Horn in lines eight inches apart. 



Vegetable Marrows and Ridge Clclmbers. — 

 These should be sown in heat about the first week of 

 the month, and kept to the full light, so that they may be 

 short and stout for planting under hand-lights in mid- 

 May. Sow a couple of seeds in each pot, three inches 

 in diameter. LIse a compost of leaf-mould and loam. 

 When the seedlings are strong enough one can be 

 pulled out. In parts of County Cork vegetable marrows 

 were successfully grown last season by sowing seeds 

 in the open fields about the beginning of Maj-. Ridge 

 cucumbers, too, were good without special treatment. 

 Plants set out at the end of May in manured soil yielded 

 well, but the season was favourably warm. 



French Beans.— About the end of the month a 

 sowing of Ne Plus Ultra should be made in a dry, 

 sunny border, well sheltered by a wall or fence to ward 

 off" frost and cutting winds. At the same time a sowing 

 might be made in pots or boxes in a frame in case of 

 the loss of those outside. If a light compost containing 

 more than half of partly-rotted leaf-mould be used it 

 induces the development of a strong root system. This 

 will stand well to the plants when put out. For this 

 purpose a small space can be utilised to grow a large 

 number of plants. 



Onions. — When onions that have been sown under 

 glass are strong enough for planting— that is, when six 

 or seven inches high — they should be planted out. The 

 situation ought to be quite open and the bed thoroughly 

 well prepared and enriched. The plants must be care- 

 fully lifted and planted with a trowel. To grow the 

 largest bulbs the distance between the lines may be 

 eighteen inches, with fifteen inches from plant to 

 plant. The ground should have been trenched over 

 winter. When farmyard manure is added in early 

 spring it must be thoroughly decomposed. It 

 should also be added liberally. There is In existence 

 much farmyard manure of poor quality. To grow 



