78 



IRISH GARDENING. 



MAY 



with a small wooden mallet. If the pots ring clear and 

 hollow the plant is dry. If" the sound is dull and heavy 

 no water is required. Manure water should be applied, 

 little and often, weak and clear, and only when the 

 plant is in vig-orous growth. 



V.ASES. — Where vases are used for the embellishment 

 of the garden see that the plants are not dumpy and 

 stiff in outline. Elegant and suitable things are hardy 

 palms, yuccas, dracfenas, fuchsias, &c., and round the 

 edges plant lobelias, ivy-leaved pelargoniums, and P. 

 Mangles variegata, petunias. Phlox Dnimmimdii, ver- 

 benas, and the dwarf-growing tropa-olums. 



Cineraria Stellata. — Few plants are capable of 

 producing such an effective display as this charming 

 greenhouse annual. A recent visit to The Elms, Black- 

 rock, was made to see a useful lot that Mr. Longmuir 

 had grown, and which made a capital display arranged 

 in a mass in one of the greenhouses. They were sown 

 on the 13th May last year, and grown and flowered in 

 seven and eight inch pots. Cinerarias like a cool, 

 shaded position all summer, and are impatient of heat 

 at any time. Sufficient to keep out frost is all that is 

 required, and a mixture of three-parts good loam, with 

 the addition of leaf-mould and sharp sand, will grow 

 them to perfection. Manure water should not be given 

 till the flower spikes begin to appear, except an occa- 

 sional watering of soot water. 



Hoeing. — During the recent shower}- weather weeds 

 have quickly made their appearance, and plants soon 

 lose a healthy colour where the ground is caked and 

 hard. Use every available opportunity to run the hoe 

 over the ground to break up the surface, and this also 

 serves to keep the weeds in check. May is one of the 

 busiest months, and time is very precious to the gar- 

 dener, but time spent with the hoe in May will be 

 abundantly saved in much laborous work in the latter 

 months of the year. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



By James Br.\cken, Horticultural Instructor, Co. Cork. 



IT must be remembered that, rapidly as crops all 

 this season grow, the growth of weeds is more 

 vigorous still. Slugs also become more numerous 

 and troublesome. In moist weather now they claim 

 special attention. Hunting them by lamp or candle- 

 light is not too troublesome, considering how effective 

 it is. Weeds must not be allowed to compete at all 

 with garden crops, but ought to be duly prevented. 

 Onions, carrots, parsnips, &c. , will be advanced 

 enough to have the hoe lightly run between the lines. 

 The rapid growth will also accelerate the struggle for 

 existence between seedling plants, therefore undue 

 delay in thinning must be avoided. Round spinach, 

 onions, parsnips, salsify and beet may be partly thinned 

 when big enough to handle. It is risky to thin to the 

 final distances at once, as the accidents from the 

 attacks of vermin, as slugs, turnip beetle, onion fly, &c., 

 cannot be calculated for. In thinning, choose a time 

 when the soil is moist. Misses of onions, beet and 

 salsify may be made good in showery weather. Even 

 when safe over the attacks of turnip "fly." early-sown 



turnips are uncertain as regards root-formation, many 

 often run to seed. On this account thin sparingly until 

 starters show. Carrots can be used while quite young, 

 and may be left at the first thinning about two inches 

 apart. 



General Work. — Sow Yellow Malta and Snowball 

 turnips for an early autumn supply. .-Xttend to potatoes 

 by reducing the soil to a fine state. To prevent the 

 effect of frost earth over the tops as they rise. If dry 

 weather prevails the ra\'ages of "fly" on turnips and 

 all the seedlings of the Brassica tribe must be looked 

 for. Dust over beds of these with a mixture of soot 

 and lime in the early mornings. This will also prove 

 disappointing to slugs. About the middle of the month 

 make a sowing of spring broccoli, cabbage, colewort, 

 kales and dwarf savoy. Plant forward celery In 

 trenches, about one foot apart for ordinary-sized heads. 

 Lift the plants carefully with balls of soil attached to 

 the roots, make firm in planting, and water immediatel}'. 

 Continue to prick off celery for late crops. If necessary 

 attend to the watering of first early peas, lettuce and 

 cauliflower. In watering, let it be thoroughl)' done, 

 as sprinkling is worse than useless, only caking the 

 ground and encouraging the action of surface-roots, 

 to be soon destroyed again, thus checking, more 

 than assisting, growth. Towards the end of the month 

 plant out early Brussels sprouts and leeks, and also 

 cauliflowers, and make a sowing of horn-carrots to 

 keep up a supply of tender roots. Sow lettuce in drills 

 where they are intended to remain, as transplanting 

 these is troublesome in dry, warm weather. If the soil 

 is dr\' at sowing time water before sowing. For lettuce 

 the ground must now be well enriched with decomposed 

 farmyard manure, and slugs vigilantly guarded against. 

 Continue to sow turnips, radish, mustard and cress, 

 and make a small first sowing of endive. Remove the 

 coverings of ashes from seakale, and where these plants 

 have become elevated above the level of the surface of 

 the ground— from neglecting to remove the coverings — 

 cut the roots at the level of the ground and plant the 

 portions cut off to increase stock. -As the plants grow, 

 thin the buds on each. Prick off into nursery beds 

 broccoli, savoy, cabbage, &c. , as they become fit to 

 handle, so as to make sturdy plants for later planting. 

 Prepare all vacant ground for these by trenching and 

 .ifterwards digging in a dressing of heavy dung. 

 Make a sowing of broad beans. Plant out vegetable 

 marrows and ridge cucumbers from the middle to the 

 end of month, according to the strength of the plants 

 and the temporarj' shelter that can be afforded to them. 

 .\ barrowload or two of fermenting material sunk in the 

 ground will soon start either plants or seeds sown where 

 they are to remain. It is well w-orth while making some 

 effort to have these started early enough. 



Beet. — If not yet done sow at once. Beet is best 

 suited in deeply-dug, friable soil, moderately rich from 

 the manure applied for a previous crop. Globe beet is 

 much earlier and can be grown in closer order than the 

 long kinds. Lines twelve inches asunder with six 

 inches between the plants will be found ample. The 

 long varieties will be better with about eighteen inches 

 between the lines and eight inches from plant to plant. 

 A good, long variety is Cheltenham Green Top. Thin 

 the crop early, and keep free from weeds. 



