IRISH GARDENING 



The Vegetable Garden. 



I'y \\'\i. TvNh.M.I, llorlK-iiUiiral Iiistrm-lor, 

 C"o. KiklaiL'. 



Tl ! !■: yoar Just past has not been a jfood oik- for llu- 

 Liillivatioii of first-class veg-etables, the sprim,-- 

 boinjj wet and cold, while the .summer was too tlrv 

 and hot. Never were the benefits of deep cultivation and 

 plenty of manure more seen, for where the soil was onlv 

 stirred to the depth of a few inches, as is so often done. 

 the crops were in many places almost burnt up. In 

 order to be successful in growinjf vejjetables the ground 

 should be deeply dug-, or. better still, if .it least part oi' 

 the vegetable ground be bastard-trenched each year, 

 so that in a few years all the garden will be gone over, 

 and then ordinary- trenching may- be done. When at 

 the first trenching you bring up the bollom soil and put 

 down the good top soil you will find your crops do not 

 thrive for a year or two. unless you have a good amoirnt 

 of compost as a surface-dressing and plenty of artificial 

 manure. Therefore I advise bastard trenching, therein- 

 keeping the good soil still on the top. Proceed thus-- 

 Mark off your plot into beds of equal size, of about 4 

 feet wide, and take the soil 12 inches deep out of bed 

 No. I and place on the far side of the last bed for 

 finishing it, and then put a good dressing of h.-ilf-dccayed 

 manure over the first bed and dig it in, working the soil 

 another 12 inches deep if possible, but not burying the 

 manure deeply. Next put 6 inches of soil from bed No. 2 

 over same, and then a good dressing of well-decayed 

 manure, and over this the next 6 inches of soil from bed 

 No 2, so that the soil is taken out of this bed 12 inches 

 deep. Manure and dig as for No. i, and continue until 

 plot is finished, leaving the ground rough, to beaded on 

 by frost, &c. Give a dressing of lime, half pound per 

 square yard, over the surface after trenching, this being 

 the way to secure the soil conditions which suit the 

 plants, so that I would strongly advise all who want to 

 grow good vegetables to trench a part of their gardens 

 each year. 



Consiilcring the very wet time we have had for the 

 past few weeks I think it well to remind all who have 

 allowed digging, trenching, and other garden work to 

 get into arrears to get it done as quickly as the weather 

 will permit, as from this month onward each week will 

 bring as much work as can be efficiently- done. 



Seeds. — The seed is important, for from inferior 

 sti-ains good results cannot be produced. The whole 

 secret of good vegetable cultivation is in working and 

 manuring the soil, keeping it free from weeds, and 

 sowing good seed of the best strains procurable at the 

 right time, and then giving carefid attention to cultural 

 tietail tluring growth. Seed catalogues are now arriv- 

 ing, and the seed order should receive e.-\rly- attention, 

 and my advice to kitchen gardeners is to clear out most 

 of the seeds left over from last year, with the exception 

 of cucumber, melon, tomato, and vegetable m.arrow. I 

 admit old seed may- germinate all right, but very seldom 

 does it produce a plant as good as new- seed, and it is 

 better not to run the risk of failure. 



i\Iany kinds of vegetable seeds may be sown in 

 boxes or pots in heat in January- onions, leeks, 

 tomatoes, cucumbers, caidiflowers, and lettuce. Use- 

 ful-sized boxes for raising the above seedlings would 



be 2 feet long, 15 inches wide, and 4 or 5 inches deep. 

 If the boards in bottom of boxes arc close logclher. 

 bore four or six holes in each box 1 /^ inches in diameter, 

 put in some broken bricks or cinders for drainage, and 

 cover with leaves or moss. Kill with soil composed of 

 loam two parts, one part leaf-mould, and one part well- 

 decayed horse maiune, as that fiom a spent mushroom 

 bed. and enough sand to keep the whole porous ; when 

 well mixed put il through a quarter inch riddle, and 

 make fairly firm in the boxes, .Sow the seed thinly, and 

 press down with a smooth piece of board. Cover 

 lightly and give a good watering, unless the compost 

 is very damp. l-"or above kinds of seeds give a tem- 

 perature of at least 60 degrees. After sowing, and 

 when the seeds are up, give air on all favourable 

 occasions whefi the weather is mild. Cucumbers should 

 be sown in pots thinly, and plunged in bottom heat of 

 70 to 80 degrees, and if the soil when sowing is moist 

 little water will be required till the plants are up. Ills 

 necessary early in the year to avoid giving the plants a 

 chill by exposing them to a draught or applying cold 

 water to the roots or leaves. 



Peas should now be sown in boxes and placed in a 

 cool house or frame. Long, narrow boxes are best, 

 while carrots and radishes may be sown in frames on 

 well prepared hotbeds, using rich light soil. 



Potatoes.— New potatoes are much appreciated by 

 all, and various are the methods adopted to get an 

 early dish, even when little convenience exists fcr 

 such w-ork. Some grow a few pots about lo-inch 

 size, others grow- on hotbeds, and some have heated 

 pits with hot water pipes. No matter which of the above 

 methods are adopted the seed potatoes should have 

 been placed close to the glass in a warm greenhouse in 

 December and occasionally- syringed. These should 

 now have strong sprouts st.-irted, and all but one should 

 he rubbed out. In planting use light soil, such as one 

 part loam, one part leaf mould, and one part of well- 

 decayed stable manure well mixed, and two sets can be 

 placed in 10 or i i-inch pots if used, only half filling the 

 pots with soil when planting, and earlhing-up when the 

 potatoes grow. Always have the soil made warm before 

 using. When the young tubers are forming weak liquid 

 manure is of much assistance. To have potatoes fit for 

 use in April and May, they can be grown in frames on 

 hotbeds, the beds being made up|of leaves two parts and 

 fresh stable manure one part. Make the bed about 4 feet 

 deep and very firm, having it at least one fool larger 

 all round than the frame to be placed on it. Put about 

 12 inches of soil in the frame, the same as used for pot 

 culture will do, and have it at least 1 foot from the 

 glass. Sow the potatoes in lines i '^ feet apart and i 

 foot from each seed in the line, and cover 3 or 4 inches 

 deep. Topdress when the haulm is 6 or 8 inches higli, 

 and keep free frcim injury by frost or sun during growth ; 

 for this reason ventilation requires constant care. 

 Radishes can be grown between the lines of potatoes. 



Leaves should be collected. If not already done, for 

 mixing with manure for hotbeds and to be put into 

 large heaps to decay. Never spread manure on the 

 plots till you are ready to dig it in, as much of the 

 nitrogen of the manure is lost in the air if left exposed 

 oit the surface ; this is an everyday occurrence and a 

 ver}- bad practice. 



