172 



IRISH GARDENING. 



NOVEMBER 



highly commended for non-returnable fruit boxes and 

 crates. 



Mr. Watson, chemist, South Great George's Street, 

 Dublin, had a very fine stand of spraying compounds 

 and insecticides. 



Lady Nutting exhibited a very fine basket of fruits of 

 Ecklinville Seedling apple. 



Hon. Mrs. Pery was commended for plant protectors. 

 Thej' have many points in their favour, but I fear they 

 are not so good as the cloches in use in the Evesham 

 district. 



Mr. Jones, Gowran, was awarded the Council's 

 Certificate of Merit for a new seedling dessert apple of 

 medium size, good shape and colour, and of very good 

 flavour. 



The following acted as judges : —Classes i to 15, 

 chrysanthemums and cut flowers ; 16 to 28, apples ; 76 

 to 78, grapes —Messrs. Logan and Baker. Classes 29 to 

 52, apples — Messrs. Tyndal and Spencer. Classes 53 

 to 64, pears — Messrs. Moore and Bedford. Classes 

 65 to 71, and 93, collections of apples — Messrs. Lynas 

 and Sayers. Classes 72 to 75, fruit packages — Mr. 

 Fletcher. Classes 79 to 92, vegetables — Messrs. 

 Scrimgeour and Carroll. 



Messrs. Moore, Ross, Bewlev, Ir\ing, and Bedford 

 made the awards in the trade exhibits. 



W. S. IRVINO. 



The Sowing of Seeds. 



By William Johnston, County Instructor, Longford. 



PERH.4PS a few hints on the above subject, 

 although out of season, might be advantageous 

 to the farmers and labourers for whom it is 

 penned. I find in some cases that came under ni\' 

 notice the people in sowing seeds either sow them too 

 deep or else too shalloiv. One instance to note. A 

 lady gardener obtained some early peas— the Pilot — 

 and got ground ready for same, taking good care to 

 put in plenty of half-decayed dung in the bottom of a 

 trench which her labouring man had prepared. After 

 levelling the dung she broadcasted the seed as evenly 

 as possible, and covered all to the depth of six inches. 

 Only a few of the seeds germinated, and, of course, the 

 merchant from whom the seed was procured had all the 

 blame left c^n him for sending out old seed ; no blame 

 or fault either to the preparation of the ground, includ- 

 ing the manuring of same, or else to the final covering 

 of the seeds. 



Prep.\ring Ground for Sowing. — It is not only 

 necessary to enrich the soil, the principal aim o^ cul- 

 tural preparation is to get as fine and as firm seed-bed 

 as possible. This is the chief essential of success in 

 the future cultivation of the crop. Not only should the 

 seed-bed be brought to a fine tilth, and at the same 

 time firm and level, but it also ought to be quite dry to 

 admit of whatever tools required to bring the soil to 

 above state without clogging or adhering to the tools 

 used. Sowing of any seeds in a sticky, wet soil means 

 not on lyunnecessary trouble, but also failure of the crop. 



Depth of Sowing thf. Seed. — The depth neces- 

 sary depends on the porosity ^{ the soil and the 



size of the seed, as the larger the seed the more 

 deeply should it be covered. Above all too deep sow- 

 ing ought to be avoided, as it not only retar.l the 

 growth, but also assists in making whatever plants that 

 grow become weakly and stunted. Enough soil should 

 be placed over the seeds so as to keep them moist, as 

 the finer and moister the soil is the shallower the seeds 

 rtiay be covered. 



Te.mperatire Reqitred for GERMIN.'VTION. — The 

 seeds of all hardy plants germinate readily in a tem- 

 perature of from 50° to 60°, while it is necessary to 

 have from 60° to 70*, and even above, for half-hardy 

 \'arieties. 



Time for Sowing. — The greatest craze at the pre- 

 sent time is to get early crops from the soil, and to 

 succeed \\ e must sow the seeds early. This early sow- 

 ing is responsible for a great many of the losses we 

 hear of from time to time, because the seeds are not 

 able to germinate until the ground can be brought to a 

 good tilth or condition, and also till there is sufiicient 

 temperature. If too early sowing is practised the 

 seeds either decay or at the most produce only weak 

 sickly plants. 



MoiSTlRE ReoiirED FOR GERMINATION. — It is neces- 

 sary to have a sufficient supply of moisture during ger- 

 mination if the crop is to be a success. When the soil 

 is brought to a fine condition and made firm either 

 with a small roller or else beating it with the 

 hack of a spade or shovel the seed will germinate 

 more quickly, because the compressing of the 

 soil enables water to rise freely from the sub-soil. 

 Water cannot rise to the seeds so well if the soil is 

 loose and in a lumpy state. As soon as the seedlings 

 appear it is important to make the surface loose, for 

 the longer the surface remains compressed the eva- 

 poration of the soil moisture will continue. A good 

 plan to hasten on the slower germinating varieties of 

 vegetables is to sow a few seeds of quickly-growing 

 kinds, such as turnips, cabbage, radish, &c., to mark 

 the rows, which will admit of earlier tillage between the 

 lines so as to economise the soil-moisture. 



Oi'.\NTiTy OF Seed. — It would be better in some of 

 the slower germinating kinds of vegetables, such as 

 parsley, celery, parsnip, &c. , to sow the seed more 

 thickly so as to ensure the seedlings having sufficient 

 lifting power to break the crust of soil that forms on 

 surface from the time the seed is sown. The cost of 

 a few extra seeds is trifling in comparison to the labour, 

 rent, &c. This thick sowing also prevents risk of 

 failure, and besides gives greater selection at thinning 

 season when only the best plants should be left. 



Drilling versus Broadcasting.— Sowing the seeds 

 either in rows or drills saves time and labour during the 

 after cultivation, as by admitting use of hoe the weeds 

 can be easily kept in bounds, and also the surface til- 

 lage acts as a mulch to prevent the rapid evaporation 

 of the soil-moisture ; whereas in broadcasting the seed 

 the weed must be hand-pulled, and during the growing 

 period of the crop the surface of the soil becomes 

 baked quite hard owing to no place being left for the 

 after-cultivation. This state of things retards the 

 growth of the crop and also hastens the evaporation of 

 the moisture of the soil. 



