48 



1RLSH GARDENING 



Another important item in connection with the 

 blossoming is protection from frost and heavy 

 rains. Removable glass copings are best, if 

 provided, and should be fixed in their places just 

 before the expansion of the flower-. If there are 

 none of the above, canvas or thick net should be 

 spread over the trees. This material should be 

 lixed to the t op of the wall and hung to the 

 ground, stakes being placed six feel apart, lying 

 against the wall at the top, to keep the canvas 

 or net from being blown against the trees. This 

 protection must be drawn up every morning and 

 let down every evening until the fruits have set, 

 when it can be removed. 



Pot Fruit Trees.— All pot trees should now 

 be brought in under glass and set in position. 

 Ventilate the house freely for the first fortnight, 

 hut do not allow the minimum temperature to 

 fall under 38 . If the outside conditions are cold 

 and sunless, it will be found a necessity to employ 

 a little lire heat in the pipes to maintain the 

 desired temperature with an abundant circulation 

 of fresh air. Break up the surface soil in the pots 

 with a strong blunt-pointed label, so that the 

 watering and feeding can readily enter the hall 

 of soil. Trees thai have still to reach the flowering 

 sta^e should he lightly syringed overhead and 

 between the pots mornings and afternoons. 



Pot Strawberries. — The hatch that was 

 broughl inside during the first week of February 

 and put on shelves will he in flower early this 

 month. Should dull, .-unless weather prevail, 

 take every precaution to ensure a good set. 

 Fertilise !he Mowers daily when the conditions 

 inside are dry ami airy. Maintain a night anil 

 day temperature of 55 and (35 respectively 

 until the fruits are set. when a more close and 

 moist atmosphere, with a temperature 5 higher 

 than the above figures should prevail. Whenever 

 it can he seen which are I he best and most shapely 

 fruits to the number of eight or nine, cut off with 

 a pair of -rape scissors, at intervals of two or 

 three days, what surplus there may he left. As 



t he fruits com nee to swell, apply to the plants 



f I'M mill applications of soot water ami liquid 

 manure. Syringing of the plants must he con- 

 tinued until the fruits show signs of colouring, 

 when it must then he discontinued. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



B> J. < ; - TONER, Count) Instructor in llorti- 

 cult me. ( 'o. Xlonaghan. 



Kaki.y Potatoes. One must be guided by the 

 conditions of weather and the nature of the soil 

 as to the exact time of planting these in the open. 



It is now almost the universal practice to make 

 use of tubers thai have been sprouted, at any 

 rate when the earliness is of more importance 

 than the weight of crop. Being so tender there 

 is always an element of luck in succeeding with 

 lie- verj lirst hatch, a- one sharp frost after the\ 

 have appeared over ground upsets all calculal ions. 

 Sprouted sets lose little time in pushing up their 

 growths, so make use of every available means of 

 protecting them. It i- not a had plan to sow 

 rows of peas between every fourth or fifth drill, 

 for when rodded the} afford a good shelter 

 sufficient often to save them from frost, even the 

 rods serve this purpose. Little, if any, manure 

 will be required, for this early lot is seldom 

 allowed to mature, everyone being anxious to lift 

 the early tubers. Should i he ,,,i| not he in good 



heart a moderate dressing of light crumblj 

 manure will be helpful, hut heavy wet material 

 is out of the question. 



Peas. — It will be a good stroke of business if 

 early peas are to accompany t he not atoes to table. 

 .\n extremely hardy and prolific kind for present 

 sowing is The Pilot ; it -rows to about four feet 

 in height. The good digger will have better peas 

 than the man with much manure. Trenching of 

 the ground, however, is not of so much import ance 

 for the first lot as for those to continue the supply 

 during summer. Most gardeners — at all events 

 most amateurs — sow far too thickly. See what 

 the Sweet Pea people have achieved, partly 

 through thin sowing or planting. At the same 

 time allowance may he made at this season for 

 various accidents, including the depredations of 

 hungry slugs, by sowing thickly, hut if this is 

 done due attention to thinning later should he 

 given. 



CABBAGES. —Though by no means an aristocrat 

 of the garden, cabbage, in the spring more especi- 

 ally, is welcomed by all. It is questionable indeed 

 if a more healthy and appetising dish could he 

 served than a half white and green cabbage 

 properly cooked. Tenderness and flavour too 

 usually follow a quick growth. Therefore it will 

 be good to help towards this by giving a top- 

 dressing of a stimulative nature when growth 

 becomes active. Nitrate of soda made quite fine 

 scattered lightly between the rows will work 

 wonders in this respect, an opportunity being 

 afterw aids t aken to fork t he soil over to 1 he depth 

 of a few inches. The nitrate must not he allowed 



to fall on the plants. Soot. too. ha- a good effect. 

 Plants that stood over from autumn can now he 

 planted out for succession. 



Ci:i.i i:v. -Mam who have no appliances pur- 

 chase their celery plant-, and in this they are 

 wise, for unless some heat is at command strong 

 plants cannot he raised in time for carl\ crop.-. 

 In a warm greenhouse or hotbed seeds may lie 

 sown at once if plants arc to he raised at home. 

 A light rich soil, thin sowing, heat, moisture and 



absence of Light until germination has taken 

 place are in short the proper conditions. But 

 after the seedlings appear light must be given in 

 the greatest degree, keeping them quite near the 

 -lass, for otherwise they soon become weak and 

 spindly. 



Spinach. The summer variety is considered 

 much superior to others. Where a constant 

 supply is demanded, however, much care is 

 necessary as regards successional sowings, for it 

 ha- the fault of soon bolting or producing flower 

 spikes. <) n poor soil it is hardly worth attempting 

 so quickly does this occur, especially in spells of 



hot weather. Seeds call he put ill HOW oil Hie 



richest plot available in rows one fool apart. 

 Early thinning will <<> a large degree defer the 

 date of bolting, hut monthly sowings at least are 

 made where spinach is regarded with much 

 fa \ our. 



Onions, (in verj firm rich ground at the 



lirst opportunity sow seed- of onion<. They 



require a longtime for germination. The medium 

 sized varieties will serve best those who have not 

 had much experience. James's Keeping is a good 

 all round kind for spring sowing, its keeping 

 qualities, as the name indicate-, being excellent. 

 Another, not large, bul a useful, onion is Blood 

 Red; it is highly coloured and has a stronger 

 flavour. Tripoli onion plants raised in autumn 

 will do well if planted during this month. 



