8o 



IRISH GARDENING 



The Orchard Hurst. — Many of the young 

 shoots on trees will be noticed in advance of 

 others. These shoots, when they have grown 

 six inches, should have their points taken out. 

 As the shoots start again after the operation, 

 when they have grown another six inches they 

 should be pinched again, and so on as often as 

 necessary. Sometimes the mistake is made of 

 allowing the shoots to reach the length of nearly 

 a foot and then cutting them back six inches. 

 If possible, this should always be avoided, as it 

 will only excite the buds into growth, and (ill 

 the tree with laterals. Watering of the trees 

 should be well attended to. for, at this season of 

 the year, it will be quite safe to give a liberal 

 supply when required. Should the soil be part- 

 ing from the pots, iill up the empty spaces with 

 fine rich soil. This will prevent the water from 

 finding a quick outlet. Watering and syringing 

 should be done in the morning, and a slight 

 sprinkle be given the borders and paths when 

 closing in the evening. Look over the trees again 

 as to a further thinning of the fruit, but do not 

 thin too severely. The final thinning should 

 not take place until after the stoning. 



Pigs. —Whether in pots or planted out. the 

 fig is one of the best of fruit trees. The trees 

 grow freely and give abundant crops of fruit, 

 especially where artificial heat is used. They 

 require copious supplies of moisture at the roots 

 throughout their period of growth. Pinch the 

 young growths when they have reached the 

 length of six inches. Pinching tends to harden 

 the wood and induces the shoots to produce an 

 abundance of fruits. 



Plums and Gages. — If due attention was 

 given the trees when in flower, there will now be 

 a good set. A sharp look out must be kept in 

 case of an appearance of tireen fly. This pest, 

 if nol checked in time, almost ruins the young 

 shoots, and the crop is lost for the season, there- 

 fore, as soon as the fruits are set. it is well to 

 thoroughly spray the trees with an insecticide. 

 Quassia Extract is a good remedy, if applied to 

 the trees in the late afternoon or evening. Should 

 a spell of dry weather set in. give the borders a 

 soaking of clear water, and afterwards mulch 

 with three inches of half-rot ten farmyard manure. 



Cordon Pears. These trees have shown a fine 

 display of blossom this year. We have had a 

 fair amount of sunshine, and if the pollination of 

 the flowers was seen to on dull days a good set 

 must have been secured. The cultivator must 

 now be on the watch for the pear grub, which is 

 generally found between two leaves or in the eye 

 of the fruits. These grubs cause no end of 

 damage, and if nol dealt with in time would soon 

 ruin the crop. An early start should he made 

 to thin the fruits at intervals of a few days until 

 one fruit only remains on each spur. Pinch the 

 young shoots when they have made six or eighl 

 leaves. Prick over the surface soil, and if the 

 borders are dry give a soaking of water. 



The Vegetable Garden. 

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

 culture, Co. Monaghan. 



Parsley. — At all seasons there is a constant 

 demand for parsley. In late districts the end of 

 this month is an excellent time to ma be a sowings 

 and in June for the more favoured portions. 

 Plants raised early in the year an- almost certain 

 to push up flower stems just at the time when 

 plenty of leaves are required. It is not so, how- 

 ever, with those grown from a mid-year sowing. 



Peas. — Being such a favourite vegetable these 

 are rarely over done. The Gladstone is one of the 

 very finest kinds to sow this month. It does not 

 grow quite so tall as the giant mentioned in the 

 last notes, but is exceedingly robust. The diffi- 

 culty in small gardens is to find room for the 

 successional rows. As far as possible they must 

 he kept well apart, divided well over the garden 

 space, with dwarf crops cultivated between. A 

 trench nine inches wide and about two and a 

 half inches dee]) should be opened for these, and 

 where room is scarce only two lines of seeds sown, 

 these to be six inches apart and the seeds three 

 inches from each other. How many readers will 

 be courageous enough to sow so thinly 'i No 

 allowance has been made here for the depreda- 

 tions of slugs. 



Parsnips. — Early thinning is a matter of the 

 first importance with this crop. When the plants 

 are a couple of inches high only one should be 

 left at each station, if they were sown in clumps, 

 as they ought to have been. A pinch of nitrate 

 of soda shaken on the surface soil afterwards 

 will help them along. 



Climbing Kidney Beans. — Late in the month 

 a single row of these may be sown. This variet y 

 is a cross between the scarlet runner and the 

 dwarf French bean. A long succession of pods 

 will be given. Rich ground is, of course, de- 

 manded, and supports five or six feet in height. 

 The seeds may be sown about two and a half 

 inches deep and three or four inches apart. 



Tomatoes. — Small greenhouses and frames can 

 he utilised for the culture of this popular crop, 

 even though a variety of other plants be, for a 

 large portion of the time, grown therein. Pots 

 of ten or twelve inches in diameter, or handy 

 boxes such as butter firkins, will suit admirably. 

 They should only he half filled with soil at first, 

 and this made very linn after planting. 1!' thej 

 are kept near the glass and plenty of air given, 

 little difficulty will he experienced in getting a 

 good return. At all times the side growths are 

 pinched out and the plants kept to a single stem. 

 There is quite a host of varieties, two of the best 

 red ones for amateurs being Sunrise and Supreme. 



Spinach Beet.— Unlike the ordinary spinach, 

 this variety lasts for quite a year if the seeds 

 are sown presently. They are large, and are 

 put in an inch deep in threes or fours at 

 intervals of one fool apart on a well-manured 

 drill. hater the plants are reduced to one at 

 each space. Thereafter all that is necessary is 

 to keep weeds down and pull the leaves con- 

 stantly. A line vegetable indeed for winter and 

 spring. It will be ready for use a couple of 

 iiiiint hs or so aft er sowing. 



Cabbages. — A little seed might be sown now. 



Any of the dwarf kinds would suit. .Most people 

 do not get the final planting done at the light 

 time. When plants are left in the seed-bed until 

 they are starved and leggy they take quite a 

 long time to recover when removed, and so much 

 growing time is lost. When they have reached 

 a height of lour or live inches they should be 

 placed in t heir final posit ions. 



Vegetable Marrows. Where these are 



favoured, the mound intended for them nun- 

 have a dressing of manure and be thoroughly 

 dug. It is by no means necessary to build up 

 a mound for them, nor indeed is it quite desirable 

 to do so. The supply of moisture is one of their 

 most important requirements. At the same time 

 t bey are of! en utilised t o cover a heap of decaying 

 rubbish, in such a case there can be no objection 

 to their elevation. 



