92 



IRISH GARDENING. 



from boxes. This year it has already made its 

 appearance on Potato Onions planted very 

 early in the year, and as these are very gener- 

 ally grown on allotments in close proximity to 

 the spring sown crop there is great danger of an 

 epidemic. Badly infected plants should be 

 ]) idled up and burned at once. The disease is 

 recognised by the leaves of the Onions having 

 a mould}' appearance, as if covered by dust. 

 When the attack has not progressed too far 

 the easiest remedy is to dust over the plants 

 with a mixture of lime and sulphur when the 

 leaves are moist with dew in the evening or 

 early morning. Use two parts of lime to one 

 of sulphur. This adheres to the moist leaves 

 and smothers the fungus. 



As Onions are a most important crop Plot- 

 liolders should not neglect this simple pi''e- 

 caution. Ctkowkh. 



The Pea Weevil. 



Complaints have reached us of young Pea 

 plants being stunted, the leaves showing signs 

 of being eaten by some insect. This is not un- 

 common when the weather conditions are lui- 

 favourable to quick groM'th, and the insect 

 which adds to the struggle of the Pea against 

 adversit_y is the Pea Weevil. It begins by 

 nibbling the edge of the leaf and gradually 

 ■eats into the centre. The weevils are difficult 

 to detect, as they drop to the ground when 

 disturbed in the least, and may easily be 

 missed. Every effort should be made to en- 

 courage rapid growth by applying liquid 

 manure, or a light dusting of some quick-acting 

 fertiliser, as Sidphate of Ammonia, alongside 

 the rows. Dust the plants over with soot or 

 lime wlien inoist after rain or when wet with 

 dew. As with all other vegetable crops, keep 

 the hoe going between the rows and as close 

 to the plants as possible without injiuing them. 

 This has a twofold effect in preventing egg- 

 laying near the plants and in maintaining a 

 loose surface, thereby conserving the moisture 

 in the soil and stimulating growth. 



Green Fly on Roses. 



The season has started rather disastrously for 

 Roses as already the young shoots and flower 

 buds are suffering from the ravages of the 

 dreaded fly. There is only one course, and 

 that is to initiate an attack as soon as the 

 enemy can be seen. If taken in hand early 

 there is not much difficulty in getting rid of 

 green fly, and the first attack is generally the 

 worst. Syringing with a solution of Quassia 

 Extract is the qiu"ckest and best means of rid- 



ding the bushes of this pest; but those who 

 cannot afford to purchase Quassia may use 

 soap suds instead. In country districts it is 

 a common practice to throw the soapy water 

 over the Rose bushes on washing day, and 

 healthy Eoses are a feature of many a cottage 

 garden. Failing the ordinary product of wash- 

 ing, dissolve soft soap in water ar.d apply 

 forcibly through a syringe ; about two ounces 

 of soap to a gallon of water should be sufficient. 

 Dissolve in a little hot water first, and make 

 up to the required quantity with cold water. 

 If the first ai)plieation is not sufficient applj' 

 a second wliich will have the desired effect. 



Rosa. 



The Prevention of Potato 

 Disease. 



The common Potato disease known as " blight " 

 is caused by a minute form of vegetable life — the 

 parasitic fungus Phyiophihora injeslans. It was 

 first noticed in Europe and America about 1840, 

 and caused the almost complete failure of the 

 Irish Potato crop in 1845 and 1846. From that 

 date it has always been present in the British 

 Isles, varying in intensity. In a wet summer 

 losses of more than half the crop may be caused 

 where precavitions are not taken to prevent it. 

 Fortunately, methods are now available by which 

 the crop may be practically insured against loss 

 from this scourge. 



The first visible sign of disease to the'naked'eye 

 is the appearance on the leaves of dark brown or 

 blackish spots of irregular size and shape on the 

 underside of which a delicate white niould may 

 be seen, especially round the margin of the 

 diseased areas, and ultimately the whole of the 

 foliage and sometimes the stems may become 

 blackened. 



Xo variety of Potato has yet proved absolutely 

 disease resisting, though the foliage of some 

 varieties is less favourable to its development than 

 others, and amongst the varieties at present in 

 field cultivation the Evergood, Royal Kidney, and 

 Queen ^Nfary are the best resisters, but even these 

 varieties prove most profitable when sprayed. 



The Value of Spraying. — The solution of 

 copper sulphate as used for destroying charlock 

 would destroy the blight fungus, bvit would also 

 injure the Potato foliage. When, however, 

 copper sulphate is combined with lime or washing 

 soda a fungicide is obtained which is both harniless 

 to the Potato foliage and destructive to the 

 fungus, and it has been proved in numberless 

 fields in this country since 1890 that the more 

 effectively the foliage is covered with either of 

 these mixtures the more thoroughly is an out- 

 break of blight prevented, and many of the largest 

 and wealthiest growers of Potatoes in the United 

 Kingdom attribute their prosperity to the early 

 adoption and thorough application of the principle 

 of machine-spraying to the Potato crop. 



The cost of spraying in an average season is 

 amply repaid by the greater yield of sound tubers. 

 It is generally estimated that taking all years 



