IJfelSH GARDENING. 



11 



two fxtreine types of soil, iiHiiifly, heavy or badly 

 drained clays (and peaty soils) and on the light or 

 extremely sandy soils. Jn the former ease the soil 

 gets water-logged, badly aerated and sour, usually 

 Jacking in lime, and in the latter any lime which 

 may have been present originally has been washed 

 down to the lower layers. It is seldom recognised 

 by cultivators that lime when put on to the ground 

 soon filters down to where it is of little use to most 

 plants. 



This disease which is brought about by what is 

 known as a slime I'UMgus. an organism lower down 

 in the scale than the ordinary l^ungi, is somewhat 

 difficult to get rid of where it has been on the 

 plot for some years. The best method of treatment 

 is thorough cultivation by means of trenching, 

 and draining where this is necessary, backed up 

 by the free use of lime. The disease is practically 

 unknown where there is a sufficiency of lime iii 

 the soil. Quick or burnt lime is usually the most 

 effective form of lime to use for this purpose; it 

 should be spread over the grovmd at the rate of 

 li cwt per -iV 'it-re plot (10 perches) and slightly 

 jK)inted or forked into the surface soil some few 

 weeks before sowing or planting. Acid fertilisers 

 such as sulphate of annnonia and superj^hosphate 

 should give place to others such as nitrate of soda 

 and basic slag, where the' disease has been pre- 

 valent, and all diseased material should be care- 

 fully burned W. H. J. 



Reviews. 



The Irish Allotment Book.* 



By LEOK.\r>D J. Humphhey. 



This excellent little book is designed entirely to 

 assist the thousands of beginners who are for the 

 first time endeavouring to reap a harvest from the 

 soil. That it will be a very considerable help we 

 have no doubt at all, and at the low price of seven 

 Ijenee it should be in the hands of every allotment 

 holder during his leisure moments when he is not 

 using the spade or fork, the hoe or the rake. 



Simplicity and thoroughness is the keynote 

 throughout, and by not atlempting too nuich the 

 author has avoided the confusion which results 

 from scraps of information on many diverse sub- 

 jects. 

 Beginning with advice on how to obtain an allot- 

 ment the author proceeds to deal with soil 

 and aspect, preparing the soil, explaining clearly 

 how to carry out double digging and trenching, 

 and at the same time pointing out their difference. 

 C)rdinary digging is explained, and thence he 

 goes on to deal with lazy beds, or as they are 

 often called, ridges. It is satisfactory to note that 

 the author has not much to say in favour of lazy 

 beds except that they offer a quick and ready 

 method of pre])aring grass land for Potatoes wheia 

 possession is obtained late in the spring. Unless 

 in wet situations this anticpiated method should 

 certaiidy be discarded after the first year. Crops 

 to grow forms the subject of the next chapter, 

 followed by manuring and the use of lime. 

 Methods of cultivation includes preparation of 



* Dublin : The Kenny Press, 65 Middle Abbey 

 Street. Price 7d. Post Free, 8d. 



the soil for different crops, depth to sow, and dis- 

 tance apart of the rows — succession crops, &c. We 

 are glad to note that as a rule only the most use- 

 ful crops are reconmiended, and not too much 

 space is devoted to luxury crops, which have little 

 food value. Potatoes are very fully dealt with from 

 plantnig to lifting the crop. The concluding chap- 

 ter deals very briefly with flowers for the allotment, 

 a feature which in happier days we hope to see 

 very much in evidence in all allotment areas. 

 Ihere is no reason why the main roads through 

 allotment fields should not be furnished on either 

 side with a few feet of a flower border A few 

 easily grown flowers at the end of each allotment 

 "^ext the road would result in a lovely display 

 We shall hope to enlarge on this after the war 

 Meanwhile Mr. Humphrey's book will be of the 

 greatest assistance to allotment holders in Ire- 

 land, and Ave advise our readers to inquire for it 

 at their newsagents. 



Estate Economics,* 



This is a comprehensive work dealing primarily 

 with the general management of large estates, 

 but equally valuable to all who are charged with 

 administration of public parks and gardens, farms, 

 forests or any form of land development. The 

 author, Mr. Andrew Slater, is a man of wide ex- 

 perience and writes in a practical way suggest- 

 ing that all the operations described have 

 frequently l)een carried out under his personal 

 supervision. 



Appropriately the opening chapters are devoted 

 to the origin of soils, their drainage, &c. ; roads, 

 their construction and maintenance, forms the 

 subject of another chapter, and likewise the em- 

 banking of rivers is dealt with in detail. Fences 

 and gates, hedges, walls, &c., all important ad- 

 juncts of large estates, parks and gardens, are 

 reviewed and illustrated together with clear direc- 

 tions for their erection and upkeep. Buildings, 

 many and various, adapted to the requirements of 

 rural industries are fully dealt with; numerous 

 plans and sections, showing clearly the author's 

 grasp of the subjeci. The construction of stables, 

 cow-sheds, piggerie.^, &c., are carefully described 

 and illustrated down to the smallest details con- 

 cerning ventilation, drainage, formation of gullies, 

 cliannels, &c., and the provision of sanitary per- 

 manent feeding troughs, &c. 



The importance of an efficient water supply is 

 of primary importance, and much helpful advice 

 and instruction are set forth. 



At the present time the proper and economical 

 utilization of waste land is of paramount import- 

 ance, and useful hints are given^on the i)relimiiiary 

 treatment of such, together with the manuring 

 and subsequent cultivation necessary to render 

 it productive; hay meadows and water meadows 

 are dealt with in the same chapter. Orchards 

 are recommended in certain instances, and a use- 

 ful list of varieties of apples is recommended. 

 Motor traction comes in for discussion, and various 

 types of tractors are illustrated. 



The concluding chapter on Forestry is con- 

 tributed by Mr. A. D. Richardson, a well-known 

 authority, and deals thoroughly with the subject 



* Constable & Co. Ltd.. 10 Orange Street, 

 London, W.C. Price 10s, nett. 



