ruary 



The Month's Work. 



Southern and Western Counties. 



By T. E. TojiALix, Gardener to the Eight Hon. 

 The Earl of Bessborough, K.P., Bess- 

 borough, County Kilkenny. 



The Flower Garden. 



Herbaceous Borders. — Where no replanting ii 

 to be done, the borders may now be forked over and 

 a dressing of short manure worked in. Mont- 

 bretias soon deteriorate if left too long undis- 

 turbed. They should be lifted every second year 

 and the best corms replanted at four or five 

 inches apart, in a fresh situation in the border if 

 130-sible. The present month is a suitaljle time for 

 doing this, and also for overhauling the Michael- 

 ma? Daisy Border. With the latter it is best to 

 replant quite small pieces detached from the out- 

 side of the clumps, subsequently restricting each 

 plant to about 6 growth-;, which should be staked 

 out separately. In this way they will bear flowers 

 up their entire length instead of only a few on top 

 as is so often seen. 



Border Carn.\tions. — If these have been wintered 

 in small pot? in frames they should be planted out 

 in their flowering quarters at the first opportunity, 

 when the ground is dry enough to tread firmly. A 

 good dusting of soot well raked in before plant- 

 ing will be beneficial to the plants. Carnations 

 should be planted firmly at one foot apart each 

 way. 



Box Edgings.- — Where these need attention this 

 is a suitable time for replanting, and, as all the 

 work can be done on the path, it will provide work 

 for a showery period. The old edgings may be 

 taken up, and after cutting a straight edge with 

 a spade, pull the old plants to pieces and lay the 

 shortest and best pieces thickly in a single row 

 along the ■imall trench thus provided, afterwards 

 drawing in the soil on the inside, and treading 

 firmly. 



Lawns should now be well brushed and after- 

 wards rolled. The edges should then be neatly cut 

 with a sharp edging tool. Owing to the mild 

 winter patches of the grass will have grown too 

 long for the lawn mower, and these should be cut 

 over with a .^cythe before the lawns are swept. 



Sweet Peas may now be sown in pots or boxes 

 of good soil, placing the seeds about an inch apart 

 and covering lightly with fine soil. Water in care- 

 fully with a fine rose and put the boxes in a close 

 house to germinate. As soon a; the seedlings are 

 up remove them to a cooler structure, and gradu- 

 ally, as the plants become stronger, harden them 

 off in readiness for planting out in April. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



January has been so wet that ground work is 

 very backward. No digging has been possible 

 here up till now (Jan. 22), but rough forking be- 

 tween trees and similar work has been cleared up, 

 so that all available strength can be put to the 

 digging as soon as suitable weather occurs. 



Another row of Peas may be sown as early in the 

 month as possil)le; for this sowing the Pilot is a 

 good variety. Shallots, too, may be planted in 

 well-manured ground made firm by treading. The 

 bull)S should be Iniried to half their depth and 

 made firm in the ground, so that 'the roots push- 

 ing from the base will not force them out of the 

 soil. 



The Herb Border.— New plantations of mint 

 and other perennial herbs may now be made. The 

 border should be well manured and the various 

 herbs arranged in neat beds of a suitable size, 

 having regard to the quanti'ty of each kind that 

 is usually called for. 



A little Parsley seed should be sown under glass 

 towards the end of the month, afterwards pricking 

 out the seedlings in a cold frame to be eventually 

 planted outside in April. A small bed of Parsley 

 grown in this way will provide an enormous 

 suj)ply, besides being an attractve feature of the 

 Kitchen Garden. Other vegetables that repay 

 similar treatment include Brussels Sprouts, Cauli- 

 flower and Onions, but in the case of the last 

 named the second pricking out may be dispensed 

 with. 



Pot.4toes. — If the main crop Potato " seed " has 

 not yet been selected, no time should be lost before 

 doing this, and eitlier " boxing " it or laying it 

 out in a light, airy shed. Boxes for this pur- 

 pose are strongly recommended, as they can be 

 packed up one above the other around the shed or 

 loft. Moreover their use leads to much saving of 

 labour at planting time, as they are simply carted 

 to the field, and the seed plan'ted straight from 

 them into the drills. 



The Fruit Garden. 



The winter spraying of fruit trees should, if pos- 

 sible, be completed by the middle of the month. The 

 alleys and liorders can then be dug and, where it is 

 necessary, manure can be -applied at the same 

 time. The surest guide as to when manure is 

 needed is in the amount of new growth a tree is 

 making. It is most important, besides encourag- 

 ing fruitfulness. to keep the trees growing 

 healthily, otherwise the size and quality of the 

 crop will soon deteriorate. On the other hand, if 

 too much growth is being made, manure should be 

 withhelcl, and in some cases root priming may be 

 necessary. When the pruning of bush fruits is 

 finished ' the plantation^ should be forked over. 



