44 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Rose La Trancce. 

 A ITylM'id Tea — Colour, silvery rose. 



Seed Sowing 



During the next few weeks we shall be passing 

 through the most interesting and anxious period 

 of the year — seed sowing time — with its renewal 

 of hope and promise of harvest. All nature, 

 feeling the impulse of this season, spends boldly 

 of its gathered force. They who have not felt 

 that pleasure, which free germination brings to the 

 sower, have missed one of those subtle pleasures 

 which are the reward of the successful cultivator. 

 No hard and fast rules for seed sowing, applic- 

 able to every kind of seed and season, can be laid 

 down, as seeds and seasons vary so much : but 

 failures can generally be attributed to one or 

 more of the following causes : — 



1. Bad Seed. — This is usually avoided by 

 purchasing from a reputable firm. 



2. PooRTA' Prepared Seed Bed. — Success 

 can only be assured if the surface soil is broken 

 into fine particles, the smaller the seed the finer 

 the soil particles must be. 



3. Faulty Sowinci. — Sowing should be done 

 when the soil is dry and the smaller the seeds the 

 nearer the surface they should lie. Beginners 

 are inclined to bury their seeds too deeply, with 

 the result that many seeds have exhausted the 

 store of food that they carry before reaching the 

 light ; or if they emerge they are nearly exhausted. 

 and cannot exist longer should the weather prove 

 unfavourable, at that time. Small seeds, like 

 Parsnip, Carrot, Leek, etc., sho\ild not lie more 

 than i inch below the surface. As a general rule, 

 sow seeds at a depth equal to twice their own sizi'. 



4. Animal Foes (Birds, ]Mice, Slugs, etc.). — 

 The depredations of the first two are easily 

 observed and stop]3ed, but tlie slug, less evident 

 in its mischief, may destroy much before he is 

 observed. A. INPL. May. 



Dundoon. Colei'aine, 19/7< Feh.. lOlS. 



Lectures for Plotholders. 



TTnder the auspices of the Corporation Land 

 Cultivation Committee, Dublin, ^Ir. P. McGrath, 

 Horticultuial Instructor, Marino School of 

 (iai'dening, delivered a very interesting and 

 practical lecture at the Charleville Library, North 

 Strand, on the 5th February. 



The Rev. 1< r. Moriarty, who presided, referred 

 in very approjii-iate terms to the huge yield of 

 crops per acre in some countries as compared 

 with others, though the best crops did not 

 necessarily follow on good soil. This he attributed 

 to science and to proper and systematic cropping 

 and manuring of the land. He felt assured that 

 the lecturer, who had both a sound practical and 

 technical training, would lay before the large 

 number of plotholders who were present many 

 points which would help in producing the maxi- 

 mum yield of crops on each plot. 



Mr. McGrath, whose capabilities were already 

 known to many of the Marino plotholders, dealt 

 very clearly with the various soils, the necessity 

 of good cultivation in winter, and the results 

 f»btained by exposing the greatest possible area 

 to weathei'ing agencies. He gave a very interest- 

 ing account of how plants take in their food, how 

 it is manufactured and stored for use. In this he 

 clearly showed how necessary it was to cultivate 

 tlie ground thoroughly, thereby enabling the roots 

 to travel in search of the necessary plant-food. 



The portion of his lecture on Manures was most 

 interesting. He described the maniires suitable 

 for various crops and soils, the quantities to be 

 applied and when to apply them. He pointed 

 out the necessity of storing farmyard manure 

 properly, and explained how loss is caused by 

 allowing it to lie loosely. 



He is a strong advocate of liming, and explained 

 its effects on soils. A very interesting discus.sion 



