64 



IRISH GARDKNING 



ATRll. 



plant when til. Mosi .i;;irdi'iu-rs sow the seed in pots 

 and place in a mild hoi-lu-d till up ; harden off carofiill> , 

 and plant out before the plants );et pot-bound. On 

 trenches prepared as above, cardoons require plenty ol 

 water in warm, dry weather, and every week or ton 

 days jrive a tfood watering with liquid manure, or apply 

 one of the many i^ood fertilisers advertised in this paper 

 and water in. 



Carrots.— A warm ami sandy soil is best for this crop. 

 but few g-rowers h.ivc this n.itural advantage, so that in 

 many gardens the carrot crop is little better than a 

 failure, canker, maggot and wire-worm being the 

 great enemies. Deep digging or trenching does much 

 to prevent attacks, especially if the ground has been 

 dressed in the autumn with gas-lime, or this spring with 

 apherite or vapourite. Freshly-slacked lime and soot 

 can also be used with much advantage when preparing 

 the ground, and at the time of sowing strong clay soils 

 are much benefited by a good dressing of burnt garden 

 refuse and wood ashes. Make a couple of sowings by 

 the middle and end of month. 



Seakale.— The earlier in the month the planting o( 

 seakale is done the better, so that the roots will have 

 as long a season of growth as possible to get 

 strong. The roots, being prepared as advised in a 

 former issue, should be planted in lines li feet apart and 

 9 inches from plant to plant, in a good open position in 



groinul deeply trenched and well manured. If plants 

 are to be raised from .seed sow early in the month in 

 ground prepared as recommended for cuttings, in lines 

 1^ feel apart, and cover the seed 2 inches deep ; thin 

 the plants when fit to i foot apart. 



I'AKSi.KV, — In many gardens parsley is difficult to 

 raise, it dying away through the ravages of grub. .Soot 

 and burnt refuse are good applied to the soil, which 

 should be well prepared, and before sowing the seed 

 make the ground firm by walking, as parsley likes a 

 firm root run. Where the convenience is at hand plants 

 may be raised under glass in the spring same as onions. 

 cVc, and planted out this month, giving the plants nearly 

 a foot of room every way. 



Beans.— About the end of the month a small sowing 

 of French beans can be made on a well-sheltered border 

 facing south in lines 2 to 3 feet apart, planting in a 

 double line 6 inches apart in good rich soil Tuanured 

 early in the year. 



POT.VTOES.— Finish planting potatoes as early in the 

 month as possible. For early varieties make the soil 

 as light and warm as possible, and in earthing-up do 

 not draw more soil to the haulm than is required to keep 

 steady, and some sorts, as Early Puritan, from being 

 greened, as much soil put up in earthing keeps the crop 

 late and excludes sun. light and air, and this often 

 causes inferior quality. 



A Calendar for Amateurs. 



FRL IT.— The conservation of soil moisture is vital 

 in the case of fruit (and other) trees. Mulching 

 with littery manure, therefore, should not be 

 neglected this month. The same principle applies to 

 strawberries. A firm soil (personally we think it can 

 hardly be made too firm) is essential to this crop. If you 

 fear a coming attack of sawfly caterpillars on goose- 

 berries, lightly dig into the soil a mixture of soot and lime, 

 and spray the bushes with a weak emulsion of liver of sul- 

 phur (potassium sulphide) and soap (proportions sulphide, 

 three or four ounces ; water, three gallons ; soft soap, 

 five or six ounces). This spray is also good for mil- 

 dews. If apple-sucker, red spider, or aphis threatens, 

 spray with an emulsion of nicotine (one pound 

 tobacco to two and a half gallons of water, using the 

 relatively inexpensive " denatured " tobacco sold as 

 " hop powder." 



The Flower Garden. — Sow annuals. Chinese 

 asters may be sown under protection of a frame at 

 beginning of month, and in the open border by end of 

 month. The following should be sown during April 

 (they are all of easy culture and suitable even for town 

 gardens) : — Marigold (both French and African sorts), 

 everlastings (Acroclinium or Helichrysum), the flowers 

 of which may be cut and used for the decoration of 

 rooms in winter; candytuft, clarkia, coreopsis (good 

 for cutting), godetia (very showy), sunflower, larkspur, 

 red flax. lupin, mignonette (sow thinly), nasturtium 

 (Tom Thumb variety or Ruby King for covering trellis) — 

 they flower best on poor soil ; Love-in-a-mist, nigella 

 (select the Miss Jekyll variety), phacelia, blue, very 

 showy; P/tlox Drum inondi (mva.\ua.h\e), Shirley poppies, 

 salpiglossis, Virginian stocks (good while they last) ; 



plant out sweet peas and any perennials raised under 

 glass. Repot chrysanthemums into larger pots. For 

 pot plants such as chyrsanthemums. cinerarias, pelar- 

 goniums, fuchsias, roses, &c., the following food 

 mixture may be added to the soil with advantage : — 

 Basic slag, bone meal, and sulphate of potash, equal 

 parts, using 8 oz. of the mixture for each bushel of soil. 

 When the flower buds appear water with a solution of 

 quarter of an ounce of nitrate of soda in each two 

 gallons of water. Make and insert cuttings of abutilon, 

 petunias, heliotrope, and fuchsias. Shift autumn-struck 

 zonal pelargoniums into larger pots. Repot begonias. 

 Top-dress with fresh soil hanging baskets. Prepare 

 ground for dahlias by digging and manuring. Plant 

 corms of hybrid gladiolus in a warm, sumiy aspect. 

 Divide and rearrange plants in herbaceous border (if not 

 already done). Sow seeds of wallflowers. Look over 

 rock garden, remove weeds, and mulch any plants 

 requiring such treatment. Mulch roses, this will 

 encourage development of flowers. Keep the hoe 

 going, it will save trouble with weeds and aerate 

 the soil. 



The Vegetable Garden.— All potato planting should 

 be finished this month. Sow peas every ten days or so 

 for succession. Prick out seedling cauliflowers and 

 Brussels sprouts. Sow beet, broccoli, carrot, lettuce, 

 mustard and cress, radishes (once a fortnight), spinach 

 and turnips. Plant out frame-raised French beans if 

 weather is fine. Sow ridge cucumbers and vegetable 

 marrow under glass or in gentle heat for planting out 

 later. Prepare trenches for celery. Try the effect of 

 an application of lime to the soil (14 lbs. of slaked lime 

 to each square pole). 



