IRISH GARDENING 



79 



Southern and Western Counties. 



By T. E. ToMALiN, Gardener to the Eight Hod. 

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

 borough, County Kilkenny. 



The Flower Garden. 



Biennials. — Early in the month Wallflowers may 

 be sown, also Sweet Williams, Canterbury Bells, 

 Verbaseums and Foxgloves. It is best to sow in 

 shallow drills at least one foot apart to facilitate 

 hoeing between. This is al.so the best time to sow 

 Aquilegias, Delphiniums, Lychnis clialceclonicum, 

 Gaillardias, and St. Brigid Anemones for autumn 

 planting. 



Incarvillea Delavayii. — This lovely plant suc- 

 ceeds well if sown outdoor.s now in a partially 

 shaded position. In autunm carefully take up the 

 young tubers, which will have formed by then, 

 and store them in moist sand in a frost-proof 

 structure. The following April these may be 

 planted in their permanent position in good soil, 

 to which some peat has been added, burying the 

 tuber.j to a depth of about four inches. A few of 

 them usually flower the first year, but they will bv 

 in full beauty the second year. As the plants are 

 apt to die out after a few years it is advisal)le. 

 and quite easy, to save a pinch of seed annually 

 and grow on in the manner described above. 



Annuals. — Attend well to the thinning of 

 annuals sown m April, and dust regularly witli 

 •ioot to ward off slugs. Any gaps may be made 

 good with the thinnings, which should be care- 

 fully transplanted, and well watered in. 



After the middle of the month a start may be 

 made with the planting of the less tender bedding 

 plants, such as Calceolarias, Asters, Marguerites, 

 Antirrhinums, &c. 



During showery weather, when other work i.i 

 impracticable, Box edgings may be clipped, grass 

 verges trinnned, and Violet runners prepared for 

 planting, which should be done as early in May 

 as possible. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



The earliest border of Potatoes should have 

 constant attention. Keep the soil drawn up over 

 the shoots until they are earthed up to the fullest 

 extent. After that it is advisable to have some 

 light, strawy litter availal)le, with which they 

 may be covered in the event of a late frost. 



The Garden Swede is a useful vegetable to 

 supplement the winter supply. They may now be 

 sown in drills drawn at 18 inche.5 apart. A very 

 little nitrate of soda sown in the drills at the 

 same time will hasten the young seedlings past the 

 Turnip Fly stage. Early in the month sow also. 

 Beet, Salsafy, Savoys, Colewort, and the latest 

 Broccolis. After the middle of the month it will 

 be safe to sow Runner and Dwarf Beans in the 

 open. 



New Zealand Spin.\ch may also be sown now in 

 shallow drills five feet apart. This is indispen- 

 sable where a constant supply of Spinach is re- 

 quired. It revels in the hottest weather when 

 other Spinach is rushing to seed, and one sowing 

 made now will provide a constant supply of young 

 tips from July until frost destroys the plants. 



Trenches ..-should now be made for Celery. If 

 single rows are preferred the trenches should be 

 1 foot wide, 9 inches deep, and 3 feet apart. For 

 double rows they should be 18 inches wide and 



four feet apart. The ridges may be cropped with 

 Lettuces and Dwarf Beans, which will be finished 

 before the soil is required for earthing up the 

 Celery. 



Marrow and Tom.\to Plants mu-st be gradually 

 hardened off to have them ready for planting out 

 in June. 



The earliest Leeks may now be planted in deep 

 drills drawn with a hoe, or in trenches, if the latter 

 method is preferred. The rows should be 18 

 inches apart, and the plant one foot apart in the 

 rows. 



Sow Autocrat Peas now for August picking. 

 This variety under proper conditions keeps free 

 from Mildew, and is a continuous cropper. 



The Fruit Garden. 



Mulching should now be attended to, especially 

 in the case of trees planted late in the season. It 

 is a good plan also to mulch all wall fruit trees, 

 as the mulching renders the soil less liable to 

 crack in hot dry weather, and also makes it 

 possible to attend to the trees during wet 

 weather, by ol^viating the injurious effects of 

 treading on wet and sticky ground. In these days 

 of manure scarcity it is not possible to nuilch all 

 the trees with stable litter, neither is it desirable 

 for the health of the trees. My practice is to 

 mulch part of the trees with manure, and the rest 

 with lawn grass mowings, alternating the treat- 

 ment each year. 



Grafts. — Freshly grafted trees should be ex- 

 amined at intervals. In dry weather the clay 

 sometimes cracks, and when this occurs some damp 

 moss should be bound around it. Provide sup- 

 ports for the young shoots growing from the 

 scions, and let the supports extend beyond the 

 growing tips so as to prevent birds alighting on 

 these and breaking them off. Many j^romising 

 grafts are ruined by the neglect of this precau- 

 tion. 



Autumn Fruiting Raspberries should be 

 thinned to the required number of shoots, so that 

 these may develop to the best advantage, in dry 

 weather keep the hoe going amongst fruit trees 

 and bushes, and remove all suckers from the base 

 of trees as they appear. 



PlUMUI.A DENTICUiATA CASH.MEUIA.VA. 



