IRISH GARDENING 



lo; 



I Onmto ("iihiiic lor Pk';isure- 

 ami Proht. 



Hy \V. A. Maxw Ki 1., I'l.uileiuM- lo t ;ipi.iiii A. II. Hunliii. 

 (.'ooltin, Haii.ti^luT. Kiiij^'s Coiiiil}'. 



Fl 1 I \ yiMi> .iiio toiiiiiloos wiTo pniolually iiii- 

 kiunvii, to-day llie varieties in ciillivatioii rim into 

 three lijjiires ; seareely any plant of our day has 

 y^rowM so rapidh' in public fa\onr ov added so nuu'h 

 value to the eiops of the ijarilen as this plant has done. 

 The plants are easily };ro\vn inider glass ; with a little 

 extra care they ean also be jjrown in a frame, and some 

 varieties do really well in llu' open air plaiUed on a 

 a siintiy bordi-r. 

 To aiiiatenrs 

 and small icrou 

 ers the soil liitll 

 culty is often 

 a serious one. 

 as not ever\ 

 one wishiiij^ ti> 

 grow this fruil 

 can procure 

 If o o tl I n r f > 

 loam, which is 

 almost I'sseii 

 tial. 



Seed should 

 be sown acconl- 

 ing to llu' limr 

 plants ail.' r<' 

 i| u i r e tl t'o i 

 plantintc out. 

 Sow the seeiK 

 thinly in shallow 

 boxes or pans 

 in a compost of 

 sifted loam ami 

 leaf- mc>uld in 

 etptal propor- 

 tions ; c o \ e r 



slightly, pressing the soil ifOTitlv ovei- the seed. 

 The seedlings show through in eight or ten days 

 if kept in a temperature of from 55'-' to Go"-', .\fter 

 the seedlinjjs are about an inch high plant into 

 boxes (compo.sed of similar soil) two inches or so 

 apart, and place on a shelf near to the glass so as 

 to ensure sturdy growth. In about three weeks or 

 a month they will be ready to plant, either into the 

 border or pots in which they are to fruit: if grown in 

 pots, use eight to ten-inch pots, and make up the 

 following compost : — To one barrowful of loam add half 

 a gallon of bone meal, three gallons of old lime rubble, 

 adding some well-rotted manure, mixing the whole well 

 together : fill the pots three parts full only to leave room 

 for future top-dressings. Press the soil firmly round 

 and over the roots in potting ; stake the plants and 

 place in position where they are to fruit. When grown 

 in borders they should be planted at least eighteen 

 inches apart, and the same distance between the rows. 

 The tomato cannot be successfully grown withotit fresh 



air, which can be .idmilled c.irefnily into the green- 

 housi', so th:tt the temperature m;Ly not be lowereil 

 unduly, .is tomatoes greatly dislike chills or loo cold an 

 .'It imwpheri'. 



W.'itering shoiiUl hi' given plentifully when once the 

 plants .'ire growing ; pinch oil' all side shoots which 

 show. .\(ler the pl:inls bi-gin tt> set their fruil, occa- 

 sion.'il w.aterings of liquid manure may be given, in- 

 creasing in stiength as the fruit ificre;ises in size. After 

 the plants carr)* a goodly number of fruits top-dressing 

 may be done whether in pots or in a border, pressing 

 the soil firmly round the neck of the plant, using the 

 s.-ime compost as when pl.inting. During summer 

 no great ditlicully need be experienced in setting 

 the fruil providing the house is kept fairly warm and 



a free circii- 

 l.ition of air 

 secured when 

 the plants are 

 in bloom ; in 

 w i n t e r ;i n il 

 s p r i ng t h e 

 flowers shoiiUI 

 be fertilised by 

 hand. 



The names of 

 varieties for 

 different as- 

 pects can be 

 obtain e d b y 

 appU'ing to the 

 Kditor, staling 

 whether to be 

 grown in pots 

 or borders, anil 

 aspect of house. 



.,< 



^^ 



.\ wi,i.i.i;ko\\ N ri,.\Nr cf 



K.M.i.'s St pi-,t;i,.\iivi-: T'im.xti 



■■ Vhf. Twenty- 

 Second .Annual 

 Report of the 

 Missouri Botani- 

 cal Ciarilen" is a substantial anil well-illustrated volume, 

 points which seem to indicate that expense and care 

 are not spared in .America on the oflicial work. David 

 Griftiths describes many new species of Opuntias in 

 his paper on " Illustrated .Studies in the genus 

 Opuntia " : papers on ■• Crataegus in Missouri," by 

 I'rof .\. S. Sargent ; and on " A'uccas and the .Agaves 

 of Lower California," by Win. Trelease, comprise an 

 interesting botanical volume. In the notes upon .Agave 

 Couesii, Mr. Treleise says : — " This interesting 

 species, long overlooked, should prove to be one of 

 the hardiest in cultivation, since it withstands a winter 

 temperature often below o" F." Popularly known 

 as the "Century Plant," .Agave is essentially a desert 

 genus of plants centering on the dry tableland 

 of Mexico. Some forms occur through the entire 

 chain of the West Indian Islands, and outlying re- 

 presentatives are found as far south as the .Andean 

 region, and as far north as I'lah in the I'nited 

 States. 



