IRISH GARDENING. 



73 



presses more hardly won tlieiii. Boys who have, 

 worked in a school garden for one or two years can 

 be of great use in helping their parents to cultivate 

 allotments, and in some csaes such boj'S have 

 managed a small allotment for themselves. 



How TO Bp:gix. 



Those who want allotments should interest 

 their fellow workmen in the movement, and 

 secure their pi'omise to take plots for cultivation 

 when suitable land is found. The cost to each 

 allotment holder can be ascertained by reckoning 

 that one acre will provide eight allotments. Thus 

 a field of 4 acres rented at £3 per acre could be 

 let to 32 holders at 7/6 per plot, plus a proportion 

 of the cost of the necessary fencing, and the rates, 

 if these are charged. Local councils are usually 

 w illing to i-emit the rates on land used as allot- 

 nients for workmen, in wartime. 



When a sutYicient number of workers are found 

 willing to rent plots, the local councils and other 

 owners of property should be approached, with 

 a view to obtaining land from them on favourable 

 tei'ms. 



When it becomes known in the locality that 

 a number of workmen are anxious to cvdtivate 

 allotments it frequently happens that land is 

 offered for the purpose by a local property owner. 

 Failing other means of getting their wants known, 

 a deputation of men wishing to obtain allotments 

 might wait on the local covincil to ask the members 

 to use their influence in securing land. Employers 

 have found their work people obtain great 

 benefit from the cultivation of allotments in their 

 spare time, and many of them have made arrange- 

 ments for hiring the land and sub-letting it to 

 their employees for this purpose. 



Workers whose employment is of a seasonal or 

 casual nature should be provided with allotments 

 wherever possible, at the lowest possible rent. 

 The Vacant Land Cultivation Society invites 

 owners of unused land to lend it for casual 

 workers free of cost. 



Instruction and Advice. 



Frequently nien will be found willing to take 

 allotments who lack the necessary knowledge for 

 cultivating the plots. To help such people some 

 Technical Instruction Committees have appointed 

 instructors to give advice to allotment holders. 

 In one of two towns the instructor planned and 

 laid out the plots and now assists in their manage- 

 ment. 



In order to arouse interest in the cultivation of 

 allotments public meetings could be held ; as a 

 rule local speakers can be found to explain the 

 advantages of such cultivation, and the Vacant 

 Land Cultivation Society is ready to send experts 

 to advise and speak at meeting;; in districts where 

 there is a prospect of a scheme being started. As 

 a preliminary to such meetings a local committee 

 should ))(■ formed to make arrangements for the 

 holding of a meeting to ascertain the probable 

 demand for allotments and the pi-ospect of 

 obtaining suitable laud. 



Information rcgaiding allotments, the cultiva- 

 tion of vacant land, the organization of societies, 

 and copies of rules for 1 lie letting of plots, can b(^ 

 obtained from the Hon. Secretary. N'acant Land 

 Cultivation Society, 20 Kildare Street, Dublin. 



Reviews. 

 Plants in Health and Disease.* 



This excellent little l)ook is really a summary of 

 a course of lectures given by Messrs. F. E. Weiss, 

 D.Sc, A. D. Imms, M.A., D.Sc, and Wilfrid 

 Robinson, M.Sc, all of the University of Man- 

 chester. Two are botanists and one is an entomo- 

 logist, and all are well known scientists. 



The object of the course w^as to aid amateurs 

 and small holders to get the most out of their 

 gardens at the present time, when it is acknow- 

 ledged by all that it is essential that every scrap 

 of land should be made to produce its utmost. 



The lectures were frankly designed for those 

 who had no previous experience of cultivation 

 and who knew nothing of the methods employed 

 by professionals to combat the diseases and pests 

 with which most cultivated plants are afflicted. 



In the first seven chapters F. E. Weiss deals 

 with the general features of plant life, including 

 nutrition, propagation, roots, stems, and leaves, 

 methods of I'eproduction, flowers and their 

 formation, tV:c. Chapters 8 to 13 are by Wilfrid 

 Robinson, and treat of fungoid diseases of plants 

 and their remedial treatment, the diseases of 

 many of our commoner plants being taken as 

 types. Injurious animals other than insects are 

 dealt with by the same lecturer. 



Chapters 14 to 17, by A. I). Imms, deal with 

 injurious insects and means to be taken to get rid 

 of them. 



It is impossible to speak too highly of this most 

 excellent publication, which at the low price of 

 Is. (3d. should be in the hands of all who are 

 interested in the proper cultivation of plants, 

 whether for use or ornament, and who wish to 

 get the maximum out of their gardens. 



There is nothing of the highly technical and 

 dry nature which frightens many from opening 

 any book bearing on scientific matters ; on the 

 contrary, every page is readable, and a useful 

 work of reference is always at the command of 

 all who are wise enough to become possessors of a 

 copy. 



The Suburban Garden.f 



Mr. F. M. Wells has done a great service in 

 writing a new edition of " The Subm-ban (Jarden 

 and What to Grow in It." 



In describing liow the book came to be wi-itten, 

 Mr. Wells relates how he told a friend of his 

 intention, and the friend in approving said : — 

 " A good many people would take more interest 

 in their gardens if they had something definitt- to 

 start on. Tell these what to put into their strips 

 of garden — that's the main point — and give them 

 some idea as to arrangement." We agree with 

 the friend and believe that Mr. Wells has " hit 

 the nail on the head." Being an amateur himself 

 and having succeeded in making what must be a 

 beautiful garden in a small space, he is the better 

 (qualified to tell others how to do it. 



The border of perennial plants receives due 



* '"Plants in Health and Disease." Longmans, 

 (ireen & Co., 3!» Paternoster Row. London, E.C. 

 Price, Is. (5d. net. 



t " The Suburban Garden," by F. M. Wells. 

 Published by Sampson Low, Marston <S: C'o., Ltd. 

 Price, 2s. net. ' 



