44 



IRISH GARDENING 



wire or wooden peg is inserted just bcliind the 

 point wliere the cut was made and carefully 

 pressed down until it grips the shoot, but too much 

 pressure must be avoided or the shoot will 

 snap. A little fine soil placed over the layered 

 portion and around the shoot completes the 

 operation. 



When finished layering, if the weather be dry, 

 give a good soaking of water, and attend to this 

 subsequently should a dry spell ensue. Layers 

 put down in July and early August will he rooted 

 and ready for lifting in September and October. 

 In some circumstances it is more convenient to 

 let them remain till spring and then transfer to 

 flowering quarters; but if a cold frame is avail- 

 able, and the necessary materials, the layers may 

 be potted up and kept in the frame during winter, 

 thereafter treating as advised above. 



Quite a large number of varieties are grown now- 

 adays, including self colours, fancies, and picotees 



For garden effect the writer ]n'efers the sells, 

 but tastes differ on this as on other points. 



A few good varieties are : — Bookham Clove, fine 

 dark, crimson, purple, and strongly clove scented; 

 Bookham \Yhite, Cecilia, a fine, large yellow; 

 Crimson Gem, Elizabeth Shiffner, good rich 

 orange; Dublin Pink, Miss Wilmott, coral pink; 

 Mrs. Nicholson, rosy pink; Purity White, Childe 

 Harold, yellow petals margined rose; Daisy 

 Walker, white, marked with rose; Linkman, 

 yellow grovmd, marked with scarlet; Richness, 

 yellow ground, edged and striped scarlet; Togo, a 

 good yellow-edged red. 



There arc many other beautiful varieties, but 

 intending growers may make their own selections 

 fioiu the catalogues of specialists, C.\rvophyi.uts. 



Potatoes. 



William Power & Co., Waterford, 



T.\ >])ile (jf paper test rict ious .Messrs. Power 

 ha\e got togetlier in their abridged Seed Cata- 

 logue, an admirable selection of all that is 

 ))est for the kitchen and flower gardens. 

 Powers' seeds have an excellent reputation, and 

 the firm has many selected strains of its own. 

 In addition to the general list there are collec- 

 tions offered from 2s. fid. up to one guinea, all of 

 which seem of excellent value. Allotment holders 

 would do well to study these collections as they 

 offer a ready means of furnishing that part of tlie 

 plot not occupied with Potatoes. The 5s. collec- 

 tion should be suitable for an average ])lot. 



Mr. Richard C. Smyth. 



Readers will notice in otir advertisement pages 

 that Mr. Smyth is again prepared to undertake 

 landscape work, the making and renovating of 

 rock gardens, herl)aceous borders, bog gardens. 

 We had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Smyth the 

 other day and foiuid hiui well and as enthusiastic 

 as ever after nearly three years' hard work in the 

 Navy. He was stationed at a north sea base and 

 has had many exciting experiences, btit returns 

 to the more yx'aceful paths of horticulture with 

 his love of x'laiits and beautiful gardens as strong 

 as ever. Fortunately, many people who liad re- 

 luctantly to give up alterations and additions to 

 (heir gardens while war la.sted are now con- 

 templating a renewal of their plans as far as 

 means allow, and we are confident that Mr. 

 Smyth will soon be as busy as ever carrying out 

 long delayed extensions and improvements, and, 

 as opportunity allows, restoring his own interest 

 ing garden at Dalkey. 



PnEp.miNG Ground. — Provided the ground in- 

 tended for Potatoes has been manured and dug in 

 two or three spit ridges during the winter months, 

 the soil in favourable weather should now be 

 levelled down; if the soil is poor, a little artificial 

 Potato mamu'e will be found beneficial, and may 

 be spread over the ground during the levelling 

 down process previous to drawing tiie drills. The 

 clrills should be drawn 30 inches apart, 5 inches 

 deep, and the sets 12 inches asunder in the rows 

 for early varieties, and 36 inches ai^art, 3 inches 

 deep, and the sets 18 inches asunder in the rows 

 for later varieties. Some growers prefer to draw 

 the drills deeper and apply well-decomposed 

 manure in the drills at planting time, \ising a 

 sprinkling of superphosphate as well. The idea of 

 api)lying the manure and leaving it in the ridges 

 cluring the winter months is — the soil is in a nuich 

 clrier and better condition at planting time, and 

 where there is a lot of planting to be done it is 

 surprising how quickly it can be done. (The writer 

 had an acre to plant last year for early market, 

 and this is the plan he used — all spade work.) 



The ,Sets should be about the size of a hen's egg; 

 if nuich larger than this they should be cut from 

 top to bottom so as to be sure of having good eyes 

 on each portion. 



New Potatoes may be had from a week to a fort- 

 niglit earlier by sprouting the seed. 



The object of sproutiiKj the seed or tuber before 

 planting is to induce growth to start from two or 

 three of the best eyes; any more than this should 

 be rub))ed off. If the " seed " is exposed to the 

 light, but protected from frost, the sprouts will be 

 slow in growth and sturdy, and much better for 

 planting than if they were in the dark; there they 

 would become pale and long and would be brittle 

 and easily broken off. Another advantage of 

 sprouting is that planting may be deferred for a 

 month or more beyond the usual time. 



Earfh\ng-up. — This is a very important opera- 

 tion. A few days previous to earthing-up the 

 groimd should be well hoed to destroy weeds and 

 to bring the soil in a better condition for drawing 



UJ). 



Time of J'hip.fiin). — The earliest may l)e planted 

 in the ))egiiniing of March, but a warm, sheltered 

 ))order should be chosen. The main crop may l)e 

 jjlanted during the months of March and April. 



Points to be remembered for successful Potato 

 growing : — 



1. Have youv drills rniuiing. if possible, north 

 and south. 



2. The addition of fresh, wet manure in the 

 drills for Potatoes is an error, as it encourages a 

 hixin-iant growth, which is very liable to take the 

 disease. 



3. If the soil is rich in humus, use a dressing of 

 lime forked into the soil a week or so previous to 

 ])lan(ing instead of numure. 



4. Keep the Potatoes well earthed-up, and do 

 not ])lant too thickly to try and get a big croj). 

 or failure will be the result. 



5. Spray your Potatoes at least twice — not lU'ces- 

 sary for early varieties — unless grown for seed. 



A selection of varieties : — 



Early Varieties: — Duke of York. Early Puritan. 

 Llewellyn. 



Second Early. — British Queen. The • Colleen. 

 Main Crop— Arran Chief, Up-to-Date, Shamrock. 



Angus Slater. 

 IGth Feb., 1919. 



