IRISH GARDENING. 



Allotments. 



Allotments in Public Parks. — We understand 

 the London County Council have given notice to 

 the holders of allotments in their parks that the 

 land may again he required l)y the Council early 

 in 1920. The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries 

 do not propose to interfere with the decision 

 arrived at hy the Council, pointing out at the 

 same time that the cultivation of allotments in 

 parks was purely a war measure, and that the 

 Council have to consider the purposes for which 

 the land was originally acquired. This will no 

 douht inflict a hardship on many who worked 

 hard at a time when the foodstuffs of the nation 

 were anything hut plentiful. Many of the nien 

 responded to a personal appeal from the Prime 

 Minister. May we recall those words uttered in 

 the spring of 1917 : — " It is essential, therefore, 

 for the safety of the nation — for the life of the 

 nation — that we should put forth every effort to 

 increase production for this year'o harvest and 

 the next, and that we should do it innnediately." 

 Tlie part allotments played in helping to increase 

 the food supply has received testimony from the 

 highest ((uarters, and surely it is not unrcason- 

 alilf to hnjic that wiiere it is neces-ary to remove 

 allotments from parks, that other land should he 

 provided, so far as is possihle within the reach 

 of the workers' homes. If the public authorities 

 provide means of recreation such ai< liowling 

 greens and golf courses, facilities can also quite 

 easily he given to meet what is now an earnest 

 demand for allotments. 



Club-root. — Allotment holders freciuently visit 

 the markets at this period of the year to jjurcha-se 

 young plants of Cabbage and Cauliflower. A 

 word of advice is necessary. Before Imying the 

 plants should be examined very carefully, and if 

 the roots appear swollen and fleshy they should 

 be left alone, it )>eing highly probable such 

 plants are infected with club-root. It is po>^sible, 

 of course, that the swellings may have l)een pro- 

 duced by the gall weevil or the Cabbage root-fly. 

 and cases sometimes occur when the same ])lant 

 is attacked by all three. To the i)lotholder it is 

 all " grul)."" Although Cabbage root-fly and 

 club-root are often on the same plant, there is 

 nothin" of the grul) aljout club-root, which i.^ a 

 fungoid disease, and a most pernicious one. It 

 is quite capable of remaining at rest in the soil 

 when there are no Cabbages or turnips to attack, 

 and tlien ri-sume o])erHtions when any of the 

 Cabbage family are planted. Diseased plants 

 should always i)e burnt or buried deeply. IMants 

 left to decay in the ground infect the soil for a 

 number of years. Unless lime is applie(l where 



the disease is found sooner or later it will be 

 impossible to grow Cabbages. 



luKNii'S OK Greens. — A standard plot, 30 feet 

 by 90 feet, would require to get a good dressing 

 for club-root from three to five cwts. of lime. 

 Allotments which have been under cultivation a 

 few years are, owing to neglect in destroying dis- 

 eased plants, hot-beds of disease. 



PoT.\TOES. — The whole of the crop should now be 

 planted, although good crops can ije procured 

 from ;sprouted sets planted early in May. In the 

 case of early Potatoes which have appeared 

 through the soil, the tops should have finely 

 broken soil drawn to them if any danger is 

 -uspected from frost. 



Transplanting crops; if this work could 

 be done in showery weather so nnich the better. 

 Early grown Cauliflowers, Lettuce and a few 

 greens Avill want planting. Some of the crops will 

 also require thinning out, and this also should be 

 done in showery weather if possible. If Carrots 

 and Parsnips are thinned out to half their re- 

 quired distance, when the final thinning is done 

 juany of the plants will have grown large enough 

 for use. It ii a good plan directly seedlings 

 appear through the ground to conunence hoeing. 

 Besides checking weeds this will benefit the 

 seedlings. If the Dutch hoe were used more on 

 plots less watering would be required. Kidney 

 Beans will require sowing; we find the most con- 

 venient way 1.5 to sow a double line. Sow the 

 seeds about two inches deep and si.x inches apart. 

 The seedling plants are particularly .susceptible 

 to cold, damp weather. Rianier Beans should 

 also be sown. A good many odd corners can be 

 used for Bean<, especially where there are fences. 

 Cheap method of staking is to grow the plants 

 by a wall facing south, using string for them to 

 run. Quite a good crop can be obtained by 

 nipping off the shoots and making the i)lants 

 form a small bush. 



Beet should now be sown. When the seed io 

 sown too early the roots become coarse and the 

 plants are apt to go to seed. Sow in drills one 

 foot apart, covering the seed one inch deep. 



Vegetable Marrow. — Marrows grow very well 

 on the heaps usiudly seen on plots. They will, 

 however, grow equally well on the surface of the 

 ground. On new plots a raised moiuid can 

 readily i)e nuide with turves, and the centre fillcHl 

 with decayed refuse and loam. On these mounds 

 sow several seeds together about one inch deep, 

 and cover them with a small pot— a jam pot will 

 do. Remove the weaker plants, leaving only the 

 strongest. All that is then reciuired is occasional 

 watering and thinning of the shoots. Some pro- 

 tection may be necessary at night for young 

 plants when sown early. A favourite way is to 

 raise young plants on a shelf in the house, and 

 transi)lant outside when one new leaf is made. 



Onion Fly.— The maggot of the Onion Fly 

 chiefly attack.; the spring-sown plants. It is not 

 nearly so prevalent on autunni-sown plants. 

 Therefore the best advice that can be given is to 

 sow Onions in the autunni. Failing this, raise 

 young i)lants inside and transplant during April 

 and May. If preventive means are to be 

 any use it mu>t be done Ixiorc ihe fly deposits 

 eggs on the Onions. Egg laying begins in Ai)r)l 

 or May according to the weather. One T)art soot 

 to two parts of lime is useful, also jjaraffin mixed 

 with sand. If it is noticed that the leaves turn 

 yellow in the early stages of growth, and some of 

 the plant.; droop, remove these, as several genera- 

 tions are i)roduced in one season. G. H. B. 



