H 



IRISH GARDENING. 



<iiiiiii(jiiia, and organic iiiliogen— and tlial only 

 I he former is available as plant food. The ot her 

 t wo have first to be converted into a nitrate. 

 This is brought about by the agency of germs, 

 or bacteria in the soil. IBefore those germs can 

 perform their work, they must have fresh air 

 moisture, a siutable temperature, and lime. We 

 can now understand why it is desirable to have 

 lime in the soil, and why it is we often see such 

 marked effects after its ajiplication. When we 

 apply lime to soils containing old dung and the 

 roots and refuse of former vegetation, we are 

 simply starting a manufacture for the production 

 of this costly ingredient, nitrate. Some soils 

 contain as much nitrogen jjer acre as 100 tons 

 nitrate of soda, and yet if we apply 1 cwt. nitrate 

 we see the results in a few days. What is the 

 I'eason for this if we have so much nitrogen 

 already present ? The reason is that the nitrogen 

 being in the organic state is of no service to the 

 crop. 



Nitrification is at a standstill, very likely 

 owing to a want of lime. We may notice in this 

 connection that sulphate of ammonia has to 

 undergo the same change, so that where sulphate 

 of ammonia is applied, sufficient lime must be 

 ])resent if we are to derive full benefit. 



We have so far looked at one side of the ques- 

 tion, and noticed the benefits to be derived from 

 the judicious aijplication of lime. Let us now 

 turn to the other, and see the effects of applying 

 lime without giving sufficient manure along with 

 it. If we were asked the question, does lime 

 improve or exhaust the soil, we would be very apt 

 to answer in the affirmative^ but on due considera- 

 tion the answer should be, that unless the land 

 contains an almost inexhaustible supply of 

 material for the lime to work upon, or unless 

 ])lenty of manure is applied along with the lime 

 it may not effect an improvement ? Nitrate of 

 soda has been said to act as a " whip," or a 

 scourge on the land. The same may be said 

 about lime when injudiciously used. If you apply 

 the whip to your horse you must give plenty of 

 oats along with it. Tlie whip alone will not bring 

 him to his journey's end Neitlier will lime alone 

 ])roduce a good crop, and keep the land in condi- 

 tion. It may stimulaf t- it for a year or two, but 

 the final result will be poorer crops, and an 

 exhausted soil. This may sound like false 

 doctrine, but it is no new theory ; our forefathers 

 were perfectly well aware of this fact, as is 

 evidenced by some of the old sayings which they 

 have handed down to us, such as " Lime makes 

 a rich father, but a poor son," and also 



" Lime and marl without manure 

 Will make both farm and farmer poor." 



Club Root. 



The disease known as club root or finger-and-toe 

 (see Leaflet No. 77) appears to be becoming more 

 general. It is caused by a minute living organism 

 which occurs in infected soil and gains entrance 

 to the seedling plarxts through delicate hairs on 

 t heir roots. If protection is given to the seedlings 

 and to the young transplanted plants, the attack 

 of the disease may oe warded oft. To give this 

 protection it is essential that the seedlings should 

 be grown in soil which is known to be free from 

 club root ; and in those cases where soil is known 



to be infected the seed-bed must be stci-ilised. 

 This should be done either by heating the soil, or 

 if that is impracticable, by a very thorough 

 liming of the soil with quicklime. 



This should be added in powdered form to 

 the soil at the rate of from f tij. to 1 tt». to the 

 square yard, and dug in. This should be done 

 in the autumn, well in advance of the sowing 

 period, though so long as the lime is applied two 

 or thi*ee weeks before planting, no harm will 

 result when the ])lants are i^ut in. Similarly, 

 liming of the soil in which the crop is to be grown 

 will, if it is done thoroughly, eradicate the pest. 

 Unless free from the pest, land should not be 

 used for growing plants of the Cabbage tribe. 



Where gas lime is obtainable, this material may 

 be employed for the same purpose as ciuicklime, 

 but in that case the soil must not be planted for 

 two months afterwai'ds. It is most important 

 that growers should understand that seedlings, 

 although they may not show much (or any) sign 

 of the disease may, if they have been raised on 

 infected ground, be already attacked by the 

 disease ; and, if such seedlings are planted on 

 uninfected land, they will of a certainty cause 

 that land to be infected with club root. It is, 

 therefore, desirable that those who intend to pur- 

 chase seedling plants of the Cabbage tribe for 

 transplanting shoidd not do so unless they are 

 sure that the seedlings are from uninfected land. 

 The presence of small nodules on roots shows 

 the infection in an early stage ; and under no 

 circumstances should diseased plants be either 

 planted or allowed to lie on cultivated ground, 

 but should be burnt forthwith. Besides Cabbages, 

 TurniiJS, Swedes. Mangolds, Kohl Eabi, Lettuce, 

 Cauliflower, Broccoli and Savoy are all liable to 

 attack. Those who use qiiicklime for the purpose 

 of freeing the soil fi'om club root must remember 

 that this substance is caustic and will burn hands 

 or clothes unless proper precautions are taken. The 

 lime should be spread on a still day and du ^ iu at 

 once. Tile quicklime should be ijurcliased as quick- 

 lime, and must be finely ground. If lumpy, it is 

 of no use ; and it must be kept in a dry place. 



Growing Broad Beans with Potatoes- 



TiiK old system of growing broad beans among 

 Potatoes is worthy of consideration at the present 

 time. During the past season there have been 

 numerous cases of successful crops with this 

 association. 



The important points to observe are as follow : 



(1) The variety of Potato should be a " first 



early," or at least an early or '" second 

 early," and not a variety producing 

 i-ank haulm. 



(2) The Broad Beans should be placed 



between the Potato sets at the time the 

 Potatoes are planted. 



(3) The tops should be pinched out of the 



beans as soon as pods are set at five 

 nodes. 



When the Beans are planted in the same row 

 as the Potatoes they may be put in every row, 

 and in the case of early Potatoes closely planted — - 

 two Beans between each plant. 



This season ]Mr. Gardiner, of Croydon, grew a 

 good crop of Beans amongst early Potatoes, the 

 latter producing a crop of about 10 tons per acre. 



