MAY 



IRISH GARDENING, 



67 



same treatment as P. Forbesii. A distinct Grape 

 hyacinth was shown called Muscaria paradoxum 

 virescens, like a larg^e form of the type. Among- the 

 mossy saxifrag-es the crimson Gloria was in flower. 

 Throug-hout the 

 exhibit fritill- 

 arias were used 

 as dot plants. 



The 

 Soy Bean 



The soy bean 

 as a source of oil 

 for soap-makingf 

 and as a food for 

 farm stock is 

 making- g-reat 

 advances in 

 Europe. The 

 plant has been 

 for long- cultiva- 

 ted in China and 

 Japan, but since 

 the Russo-Japa- 

 nese war, when 

 its seeds were 

 extensivel}- used 

 for f e e d i n g 

 horses while 

 troops occupied 

 Manchuria, i t s 

 utility as a food 

 of extreme rich- 

 ness, both in oil 

 and albumen, 

 has been more 

 widely known 

 and utilised. 

 .Although of so 

 recent introduc- 

 tion, it is said 

 that Japan ex- 

 ported to Europe 

 during the past 

 year about 

 800,000 tons of 

 the bean, and 

 that the trade is 

 rapidly increas- 

 ing. Soy bean 

 is a leguminous 

 plant, and re- 

 quires for its suc- 

 cessful culture 

 the presence of 



the right species of nodule bacterium, which of 

 course is not found naturally in our soils. The 

 writer of this note remembers seeing about ten 

 years ago in the experimental gardens attached to 

 the Guelph Agricultural College, Ontario, plots of soy 

 bean grown in untreated soil and in soil inoculated with 

 a scattering of soil imported from Japan. .As the 

 Japanese soil contained the right sort of germ to produce 



large, healthy nodules on the roots of the plants, the 

 comparative results were very striking and instructive. 

 While the untreated plots produced only puny, starved 

 plants, the plants on the other plots were tall and 



vigorous, and 

 the whole crop 

 apparently nor- 

 mal. The plant 

 is now exten- 

 sively used for 

 purposes of 

 green manuring 

 in Canada and 

 the .States. As 

 to the value of 

 soy bean as a 

 crop, we may 

 note that the 

 London price 

 per ton for these 

 seeds is from £^ 

 to £.6, while the 

 oil extracted 

 from the beans 

 fetches about 

 £22 per ton, and 

 the feeding cake 

 made from the 

 "refuse" after 

 extraction from 



£6 to £: 



per 



ton 



A Groi p 



HKALTIFfL N.\RCISSI P 

 (For descriptions see 



V' I O L E T S . — 



Lovers of these 

 charming flow- 

 ers desirous or 

 having blooms 

 during the 

 winter months 

 ought to prepare 

 bods for planting 

 forthwith. The 

 best situation is 

 one under the 

 shadow of a 

 north wall, 

 where they will 

 be p r o te c t e d 

 from direct sun- 

 light. The beds 

 should be well 

 dug and liberally 

 supplied with 

 well - rotted 

 manure. Before 

 planting the soil should be made firm and the 

 surface fine-grained by means of a rake. Divided 

 crowns of old plants are used as the new sets, and 

 after planting, syringing morning and evening for a 

 few days will help the plants to settle down comfortably 

 in their new quarters. Princess of Wales and La 

 France are two popular single varieties, and Marie 

 Louise an extensively used " double." 



HOTOGRAPHEI) AT THE SPRING SHOW 



" Current Topics." I 



