IRISH GARDENING. 



95 



The Month^s Work. 

 Southern and Western Counties. 



By \V. Campbell, Head Gardener to Lord 

 Castletown, Doneraile Court, Co. Cork. 

 The Vegetable Garden. 

 The welcome showers of rain we had during the 

 earlier part of May, with fairly warm weather 

 afterwards, has greatly benefited all vegetable 

 crops, especially young seedlings, newly planted 

 Cabbage, Cauliflow^ers and Onions. 



Peas. — About the middle and end of the month, 

 sow as many rows as possible of different varieties 

 of Peas : by the time those are podding growth 

 will be slow, and by carefvdly going over the 

 different rows and pulling only the full pods nice 

 dishes of Peas will be had until the frost destroys 

 them. Give frequent waterings of liquid manure 

 to those now^ sw^elling their pods. 



French Beans. — Sow freely now Canadian 

 Wonder, Negro Long-pod or any other favourite 

 variety. Draw the soil up to early sown sorts. 

 It will keep the plants from getting blown about. 

 Keep the Beans constantly pulled off when they 

 come to the required size, even though they are 

 not required for inimediate use. If they are 

 allowed to ripen their seed the plants will stop 

 bearing. 



Potatoes. — The earlier sorts will now be ready 

 for lifting : as the ground is cleared fork it over 

 and plant wdth Cabbage, Broccoli or any other 

 vegetable the ground may be required for. 

 Leave a row or two in the ground to mature for 

 seed. 



Leeks. — Plant Leeks on deeply dug, well 

 manured ground in rows 12 inches apart and 

 6 to 8 inches between the plants. Use a long 

 thick dibber, and make the hole about 12 inches 

 deep ; drop the plant in, but put no earth in ; 

 leave the hole quite open. Go over theni after- 

 wards, and with a watering-can pour a little water 

 into eacli hole ; this wdll wash sufficient earth 

 about the roots to give them a start. 



Celery. — Plant out the main crop of Celery in 

 trenches 18 inches wide with a space of 3 feet 

 between the trenches. Plant two lines in each 

 trench, leaving the plants 1 foot apart. It is 

 necessary that Celery, should have a good supply 

 of manure; at least three or four inches deep of 

 manure should be placed in the bottom of the 

 trench, then put back some of the best soil ta.ken 

 out of the trench and mix w^ell with the manure. 

 Give a good watering after p' anting. Celery at 

 no stage of its growth shou'd be allowed to want 

 for water. 



Asparagus. — About the middle of the month 

 cutting should cease ; if sufficient growths are not 

 left the crowns will not properly mature for next 

 season's crop. Clean all weeds off the beds and 

 give a soaking of liquid manure or dust with 

 artificial manure during showery weather. 



Plant out spring-sown Cabbages as they become 

 ready, also late Cauliflowers and autumn Broccoli. 

 In fact a start can be made to plant out all 

 Brassicas as soon as ground can be got ready for 

 them. Continue to sow such seeds as Turnip, 

 Lettuce, Radish and Shorthorn Carrot. Re- 

 urove frames or other protection from ^'egetable 

 Marrows ; plant out Tomatoes against a south 

 wall, keep all side growths rubbed out, and water 

 carefully. 



The Fruit Garden. 



The principal work in the fruit garden this 

 month will be tying in shoots on wall trees. Stop 

 young growth wiiere necessary by pinching out 

 the points. Destroy aphis wherever it makes its 

 appearance. 



Strawberries. — If time will permit, a good 

 soaking of clear water will greatly benefit the crop 

 if the ground is dry. 



Tie back young shoots on Cherry trees and 

 securely net them. Syringe Peach trees on walls 

 at least once each day ; pick off all curled leaves 

 and burn them. There is great diversity of 

 opinion amongst gardeners as to the merits or 

 otherwise of summer pruning fruit trees. Some 

 go so far as to say there is no advantage to be 

 gained by it: others do not prune until the end of 

 July. When pruning is deferred to so late a date, 

 I cannot see there is much use in doing it at all, 

 as growth is completed by that time and the wood 

 is getting hard. In my opinion, if sunimer 

 pruning is done by the end of June both the tree 

 and the crop of fruit it is bearing will greatly 

 benefit by it, as well as laying the foundation for 

 a good crop next season. It is a mistake to cut 

 the shoots oft' with a secateur, simply place the 

 blade of your knife above the fourth or fifth buds 

 from the base, and with your thumb press the 

 shoot against it, when it will break clean off. 

 The two foremost buds wdll break again, but the 

 others will only plump up a little. The fruit on 

 the trees will have more air and light, and also 

 give the trees a tidy appearance. May has been 

 unusvially free from frosts and hail showers, and 

 fruit is setting well. 



The Flower Garden. 



June is a busy month in the flower garden; 

 bedding-out will occupy a good deal of time. In 

 most gardens very little summer bedding will be 

 done this year, vegetables taking the place of 

 flowers, and rightly so, as every extra pound of 

 vegetables nrean more food for the people ; but 

 every one who has a garden will grow at least a 

 few of their favourite flowers. 



Stocks and Antirrhinums wdll be already in 

 their flowering quarters. Begonias, Heliotropes 

 and the more tender subjects can now be planted 

 out. Attend to staking and tying up of tall- 

 growing plants in herbaceous borders; do not tie 

 them up in bundles, stake them out loosely, using 

 stakes a little shorter than the plants are ex- 

 pected to grow. Dahlias require only one stout 

 stake driven well into the ground and each 

 growth tied separately to it ; thin out the growths 

 to avoid overcrowding. Roses and other climbing 

 plants on w-alls and pillars will require tying in to 

 prevent the young gi'owths getting broken. 

 Disbud Hybrid Perpetual and Hybrid Tea Roses, 

 pull off any suckers as soon as they make their 

 appearance. Stake Border Carnations and keep 

 them free from weeds. 



Midland and Northern Counties. 



By E. RurHEitroHD, Late Gardener to C. W. 



Dunbar Buller, Esq., D.L., Woburu, 



Donaghadee. 



The Kitchen Garden. 

 Celery.— The planting of Celery, for the mam 

 crop, should be completed as soon as possible. 

 If the soil is dry, soak the trenches previous to 



