6 + 



IRISH GARDENING 



strawberries should be ripe. From the time the 

 fruits begin to colour, gradually inure the plants to 

 a more airy atmosphere, and allow them to receive 

 the lull advantage of the sun. This will improve 

 the quality and flavour of tli" fruit, which I may 

 add is often lacking in early forced strawberries. 



Ottt-dooe Strawberries. —If these plants 

 have not already received attention this neglect 

 should be rectified at once. Cut away all dead 

 and decaying leaves, and pull out or hoe up any 

 weeds that are growing among the plants. II' t be 

 plants are in a weak condition, give each one a 

 supply of farmyard liquid manure. Allow the 

 soil to dry for a few days, alter which time the 

 ground between the rows should be lightly 

 forked over, breaking it up fine as the work 

 proceeds. Towards the end of the month mulch 

 all bare spaces around the plants with half-rot t en 

 farmyard manure. The rains which follow will 

 wash in the feeding properties contained in the 

 manure, leaving the strawy matter nice and clean 

 for the reception of the strawberries when develop- 

 ing. 



Hardy Fruit. — All bush and pyramid trees 

 should have the surface soil regularly stirred. If 

 the ground has got too hard, owing to treading 

 upon il in wet weather during pruning time, il 

 will be better in the first place to have it lightly 

 forked over. There is nothing that tends to 

 encourage root-action more rapidly than regular 

 surface cultivation. .Many pears and plums on 

 walls will be in flower. Spare no effort to obtain 

 a good set, which can easily he ensured by paying 

 close attention to fertilization of the flowers. 

 Attend to the watering of trees situated in dry 

 positions. If allowed to get dry they will 

 assuredly suffer from the evil effects of various 

 insects, which, to no small degree, weakens the 

 constitution of the t Tee for the current and also 

 future years. 



The Vegetable Garden. 

 By J. G. Toner, County Instructor in Horti- 

 culture. Co. Monaghan. 



White Turnips. The turnip is not a very 

 nourishing vegetable, hut il stands in constanl 

 favour for all that. It is no easy matter to get 

 the early crop forward unless the weather be kind 

 and mild, and very often it is not. Gardeners of 

 all kinds know that to their cost. To grow 

 turnips with success at anv season an extremely 

 light and rich soil is required. It is all the more 

 important as regards the firs! sowing. When the 

 growl h of turnips Lags on ii ^ way a st ringiness and 



toughness results : there is little of the " melt in 



your mouth" order ahoui them, consequently 

 temper, taste and digestion are sorely tried. k.s 



w i ■ cannot ma ke t he w eat her. let all possible pains 

 he taken with the soil. Shallow drills nearly 



Tilled with well-decayed manure suit perfectlj ; 

 or slightly raised beds half soil and manure will 

 he found to answer. It a little superphosphate 

 is shaken over the manure before covering with 

 soil they will do better still. Early Milan ami 

 Snowball are suitable varieties to sow now. 



Successional Peas. According to demand, 

 these must he sowd at intervals of three or four 



weeks, so that, as far as possible, there may he 



an unbroken supply. The second early and main 



Crop varieties are heavier bearers than those we 



depend on to lill our dish first. The double 

 digging of the soil will enable the roots to pene- 

 trate very deeply, and they will therefore he le>s 

 affected by hot weather, should such a phenome- 

 non be seen, and further, will have a wider and 



deeper range for gathering food. The largest pea 

 known is Quite Content, the pods are immense. 

 and it is a goodly grower too. getting up to five 

 or six feet. Indeed last season it far exceeded the 

 height given, hut that was probably due to the 

 excessive rain. A grand dwarf variety to sow now 

 is Daisy. For small gardens it. verily, is the pea. 



Hotbeds. — Many will require these for the 

 culture of melons and cucumbers. Good fresh 

 stable manure, together with leaves, are the 

 proper materials to use. Usually the stable 

 refuse must be used alone. At any rate it should 

 be heaped together to ferment, and several 

 turnings will he required before it reaches a lit 

 -.tate for use. When hotbeds are made up with- 

 out this preparation the heat generated is very 

 excessive at first, but it soon cools off. A well 

 made bed will retain its heat for quite three 

 months. 



French Beans. — These make a very appetising 

 and lender dish, hut they are even more tender 

 in another sense. Frost quickly brings their 

 career to an end. Master Jack can he outwitted, 

 however, no matter how many degrees he can 

 claim. Seeds can he SOWD in pots or boxes 

 placed in the greenhouse or frame and duly trans- 

 planted when the season permits to the warmest 

 position in the open. Xo attempt should he 

 made to hurry on the growth, the idea being to 

 have stout plants ready to put out when some 

 warmth comes along. There are. perhaps, sunny, 

 warm gardens, where a line or two may be sown 

 in the open : should it prove a failure the loss 

 will be slight. The drills may he eighteen inches 

 apart, and the seeds put in a couple of inches 

 deep and the same apart. Should germination 

 be good the thinning can easily he done. Ne 

 Plus Ultra and the Canadian Wonder are two good 

 ones. 



Caui.ifi.owers. There is a huge difference in 

 the flavour of well-grown cauliflowers and t ln- 

 coarser but very necessary broccoli. Karl\ 

 Erfurt and Early London cauliflowers are the 

 kinds for planting this month. It will not he 

 wise in plant many, for 1 hey become lit for use 

 almost simultaneously— -that is, each variety 

 does. Veitch's Autumn Giant can he made use 

 of later on to prolong the supply. At eighteen 

 inches apart they grow to a nice table size. Rich 



soil, well tilled, they must have, otherwise they 

 will "button" or form premature Mowers that 



Will he I oo Small for Use. 



Carrots. -Fairly rich mound made as line as 

 possible by repeated diggings, hut not containing 



freshly-added manure, are the conditions suited 

 for cultivating carrots. Some soils are naturallj 



very poor, and in such case feeding material must 

 be added. If placed a spit down tolerable 

 root- can he produced. Altrincham is a large 

 root and a good standard variety suitable for 



deep *,oils. James's Intermediate migh1 prove 

 more generally successful, for while fairly thick 



il does not grow very long. What are called 



Horn carrots are extremely short, hut of line 

 flavour, and might be selected for very shallow 

 -oils. Sow ahoui the middle of the month in 

 drills fifteen inches aparl and ahout I lire. '-quart ers 

 of an inch deep. Half the distance aparl will do 

 for t he small variel y. 



Beet, for mixing with salads this is indis- 

 pensable. The soil may he in the same condition 

 as for carrots. H will be better, however, not 

 to manure. The roots will grow large enough 

 without it. Sow a few seeds at intervals of 

 eighl inches along raised drills covering ahout 



one ami a half inches deep. 



