IRISH GARDENING. 



^-5 



i-ouudi.sh leaves in whorls of three on branches 

 ab<nit a foot long. The branches lie somewhat 

 Hat on the pot or hang lightly round it ; the 

 leaves are green and white, and in a cool atmos- 

 phere the branches fall of? in winter, but new ones 

 are plentifully produced in spring again. 



Of Palms thei'e are many kinds grown by 

 market men, but the most generally useful for 

 rooms are the Kentias and Seaforthias — these 

 being the names by which they are most gener- 

 ally, though not correctly, known. They are 

 graceful plants, with divided leaves, and when 

 properly grown and jirepared make good plants 

 for rooms. 



Of flowering plants, the trailing Campanula 

 iso])hylla, with both blue and white flowers, is 

 very chai'ming in a window, and may be ke]jt for 

 years. The ubifjuitous Scarlet Gei'anivim is ex- 

 tremely use- 

 ful, and en- 

 dures a great 

 deal of wrona 

 treatment. 

 ^I a n y of 

 these " Ger- 

 aniums" have 

 been kept 

 in windows 

 for years 

 flowering for 

 long periods. 

 The si'ented- 

 leaved" Ger- 

 aniums" are 

 ali-o extreme- 

 ly interest- 

 ing and use- 

 fulforrooms. 

 There are 

 scores o f 

 kinds, but 

 only a few 

 are grown in 

 any quantity 

 for the n:ar- 

 ket. 



The Scar- 

 borough Lily 

 Valotta ])ur- 

 purea is a 

 mag nillcent 



plant, which is very often better managed in 

 a cottage window than in the best equipjied 

 garden. It is a bulbous plant, and does best 

 when left in the same pot for years till the 

 I M )t is full of roots ; then it flowers freely, throwing 

 up flower stems perhaps 2 feet high, bearing 

 several red funnel-shaped flow^ers. As the leaves 

 die off it should receive less water, or practically 

 none till signs of growth appear again. 



Notes for Novices, 



Sow another box of cabba-r s( i (Is. or if a cool 

 frame is at hand sow a fi w si i ds within on fine 

 light soil. Cover the seeds liylitly and keep the 

 franu- closed until the seedlings a])pear, after- 

 wards admitting plenty of air on all favourable 

 occasions. For an early supply of cauliflower and 

 Brussels sprouts, equally the same treatment in 

 the method of seed-sowing and jn'eparation of 



^f 1st 



Vhoio h)j] 



Pin.MULA Lister 



the soil as advised for cabbage applies to these. 

 Tlie first sowing of broad beans can now be made 

 in an open, but somewhat sheltered, part of the 

 garden. The ground should first be prepared 

 and brought into good workable condition. 

 Draw out lines with a draw-hoe 2 feet a]jart and 

 3 inches deep ; set a double line of beans at 

 6 inches apart in each line, and cover in with the 

 finest soil. Beck's Dwarf Green is a suitable 

 early variety, and grows to a height of 2 feet. 

 Early peas are so much appreciated that a choice 

 site should always be selected for the first sowing. 

 A well trenched soil of a rich nature will give the 

 best results. Allow a space of 3 feet between 

 each row ; draw out lines 2 inches deep, sow the 

 seeds moderately thick therein, and cover with 

 2 inches of fine soil. One pint will sow al)out 

 13 yai'ds. It will be well to keep a sharp look 



out for rats 

 and mice, as 

 they are of- 

 ten trouble- 

 some in a 

 garden at 

 this time of 

 year. Sea- 

 kale in the 

 o 1 1 e n may 

 now have 

 coal ashes 

 laid over 

 their crowns 

 to the depth 

 of !J inches. 

 It is essen- 

 tial that the 

 de velo ping 

 heads be 

 kept in dark- 

 ness to en- 

 sure a perfect 

 blanch. The 

 lieads of sea- 

 kale produc- 

 t d under this 

 system of 

 forcing are 

 mueli superior 

 in equality to 

 those that 

 have been 

 indoors to be 



[77. C. EMoii. 



lifted and brought 



previ(uisl> 



forced for very early use. The best results 

 attained in forcing asparagus is by means of a 

 frame ]jlaced on a hot-bed, made up of stable 

 manure and leaves. When the heat of the bed 

 has begvin to decline, the asparagus plants from 

 the open ground should be lifted with a strong 

 fork and set inside the frame close together on 

 a 2-inch layer of soil. Cover the roots and crowns 

 with a mixture of leaf-mould and fine soil, so 

 that when the work of covering is finished each 

 crown wUl be surfaced with a coviple of inches of 

 soil. Water in the bed thoroughly with a rose 

 can, using tejjid water for the purpose. Air mu.st 

 be admitted whenever the thermometer rises to 

 70^ with sun-heat. As soon as the new heads 

 begin to push up through the soil, ventilate daily, 

 more or less according to the weather con- 

 ditions. 



Sow parsnip seeds during this month, as they 

 require a long season of growth. Being a deep- 

 I'ooting vegetable, the ground should be weU- 

 trenched in the autumn 3 feet in depth, but no 



