176 



IRISH GARDENING 



The Kitchex Gaeden. 



Lettuces IN Frames. — ^Plants which are well 

 advanced in growth should be afforded an 

 abundance of air : on fine days the lights shovild 

 be removed. Diunng.wet weather place bricks 

 at top and bottom to allow a free circulation of 

 air. Keep the soil stirred between the plants, 

 and apply a little soot between the rows to 

 protect from slugs. 



Mushrooms. — The materials for the hot bed 

 should be now collected and placed in an open 

 shed and turned frequently. The proper fer- 

 mentation of the material is an important matter, 

 for if this is neglected the crop will be a failure. 

 When enough manure has been collected make 

 into a heap and allow it to ferment; when the 

 htjap is hot tbrough it must be tvirned. putting 

 all the outside portions into the inside with the 

 object of insuring equal fermentation, it mvist 

 be turned several times until the manure is 

 thoroughly sweetened. The manure should now 

 be removed to the Mushroom house and beaten 

 together tightly to a deptli of about 14 inches ; 

 as soon as the temperature has declined to 80° 

 the spawn may be inserted. Place the spawn 

 about 2 inches under the surface of the bed, 

 and afterwards make the latter tight again by 

 ramming. The surface of the bed should be 

 covered with fine loam to the dei^th of 1 inch : 

 keep the material damp, but guard against the 

 too frequent use of the watering can. 



Winter Spinach. — Decaying leaves should be 

 removed from the plants and the soil between the 

 rows stirred whenever it is dry enough to allow 

 of the hoe being used. The j^lants grow better 

 in soil that is broken up and allowed to remain 

 rough, than in ground that has become trodden. 



Late Celery. — If the earthing-uj) of the 

 latest plants is still unfinished, take advantage 

 of the first dry weather to place sufficient soil 

 about the stems to blanch them and afford pro- 

 tection from severe frost. 



Stored Vegetables. — -Onions that have been 

 stored should be overhauled during wet Aveather 

 and decayed bulbs removed. Spread the re- 

 mainder as thinly as possible over the floor or 

 shelves and allow them to have plenty of air. 

 Potatoes should be overhauled, and this will 

 allow of the sets being picked for next year's 

 planting. The sets should be placed in single 

 layers, so that the shoots may develop stout 

 and sturdy. Carrots should be lifted and stored, 

 lacing some sand among them. 



Manuring and Tilling.— At the time of 

 writing the weather is favourable for most kinds 

 of kitchen garden work. Therefore push forward 

 any alterations contemplated in the garden, and 

 wheel manure on to tbe ground. If help permits 

 the trenching of light lands should be pushed 

 forward. Do not make the surface of the soil 

 smooth, but leave it in a rough condition, that 

 as large a. quantity of soiKas possible is exposed 

 to the influence; of the weathef; ' ' ' 



The Utilisation of Cider Fruit 

 Food Production. 



in 



For Culinary Purposes.— The sour or sharp 

 clatjs of cider apples presents no difficulty in this 

 respect, and has always been more or less drawn 

 upon when ordinary niarket varieties have 

 cropped poorly ; but the sweet and bitter-sweet 

 classes have always hitherto been regarded as 

 comparatively worthless for the purpose, since 

 the fruit would not cook properly, always re- 

 maining hard of only irregularly softened. The 

 work on apple pectins has shown that this was 

 due solely to deficiency of acid, the greater pai't 

 of the " pectin " in these apples being in a form 

 more or less insoluble in water — even after pro- 

 longed cooking at boiling point under ordinary 

 atmospheric pressure — but readily soluble in 

 dilute acid solutions. The addition of the juice 

 of any sour fruits or of any convenient and non- 

 injurious kind of a^cid to the iruit during the 

 course of cooking easily and quickly reduces the 

 apples to a perfectly cooked state of pulp, and 

 by this means any sweet or bitter-sweet variety 

 can be used with complete success as a substitute 

 for recognised culina.ry sorts. 



For Jam-making. — By the same means apple 

 X>ulp suitable for use as a basis for jams can 

 easily be prepared from the sweet and bitter- 

 sweet kinds. A thoroughly palatable jam can 

 be made from this pulp alone without the addition 

 of any flavouring material. The method affords 

 a new use for pressed apple pomace. Jam can 

 be made from the latter as readily as from the 

 whole fruit. 



For jELLY-MAKiNCi. — It was possible t(j 

 arrange to cai'ry out on a commercial scale during 

 the cider-making season of 1917 a trial of making 

 jelly from cider apple juice according to the 

 method which has been worked out at the Station 

 since the outbreak of war. Two centres were to 

 be equipped for the purpose, one at the Research 

 Station at Long Ashton and the other at Wed- 

 more, near Cheddar. Two forms of evaporator 

 were to be tested — viz., a Kestner evaporator, 

 such as is used for the concentration of sugar 

 syrups, at the former place, and an American 

 type of fruit juice evaporator at the latter. It 

 will be possible to test not only the suitability 

 of these kinds of evaporating machines, but also 

 the financial side of making this article, and to 

 deal with the practical problems involved in 

 working under commercial conditions. The 

 schemes are being organised and financed by the 

 Horticultural Division of the Food Production 

 Department of the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries.— -rJoi/rHfli of the Board of Agriculfurc, 

 Jjiflie, 1918.. 



