q6 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Cucumbers may now be planted in tbe cold 

 frames from which annuals have been cleared. 

 It is best to plant in a small mound of good soil, 

 just enough to plant in, consisting of three parts 

 good loam to one part of manure, with a sprinkling 

 of bone meal. Afford air to the frames with care, 

 and close early in the afternoon after syringing 

 the plants and surroundings. When five or six 

 leaves have been formed take out the point of 

 the shoot, to encourage the production of fruit- 

 ing lateral growths, which should be stopped at 

 one leaf beyond the fruit. When roots appear on 

 the surface of the soil give a topdressing of 

 similar compost. This will require doing every 

 Aveek, and it is well to thoroughly soak the plants 

 with water before applying the soil. 



Thk Fruit G.\rden. 



Melons may be grown in cold frames in much 

 the same manner as that just described for Cucum- 

 bers, except that no manure except bone meal 

 should be given until a crop of fruit has been 

 set. Wlien this has been secured a rich top- 

 dressing may l)e applied, and plenty of water 

 afforded until the fruits approach nuiturity, when 

 (Irier conditions must prevail to encourage the 

 ripening process. 



W.\LL Trees. — Tie in the leading shoots on young 

 Phun trees now and stop all other growths at the 

 fourth leaf. Older trees that have covered their 

 allotted space should have their shoots stopped 

 in tlie same way, doing the top half of the tree 

 first, and letting a week elapse before the growths 

 on the lower half are pinched. In this way the 

 balance of vigour will be maintained, and any 

 check in the flow of sap to the fruits will be 

 avoided. If heavy crops have set, a little thin- 

 ning may be done at this stage, but do not re- 

 move too many, because some always drop during 

 the stoning period, and the same applies to the 

 fruits of Apricots and Peaches. Wall trees bear- 

 ing good crops require frequent and copious 

 waterings with well diluted liquid uiainire. after- 

 wards nuilching them with strawy manure or 

 short grass from the lawns. Strawberries should 

 1)0 netted before they connnence to colour. The 

 nets are best hung on wires supported by poles 

 five feet high. A roll of three feet wire netting 

 should be placed around the bed next the ground 

 and nailed to the i)osts, and the Strawberry net 

 fastened to the top of the wire netting. This 

 metliod preserves the net from rotting on the 

 groinid. besides enabling the fruit to be picked 

 in couifort. 



Midland and Northern Counties. 



By W. Roberts, Gardener to Lady Emily Bury 

 Charleville Forest, Tullamore, King's County. 



Kitchen Garden. 



Do no cut Asparagus too late. Givt> mauure 

 water if possible, and a dressing of salt will be 

 very beneficial. A few Peas and Beans nuiy still 

 be sown for late crops. The early varieties of 

 round-seeded Peas generally give the l)est results 

 from the.se late sowings. Continue to plant out 

 Jiroccoli, Cauliflower. &c., and give water plenti- 

 fully until started into growth. Transplant uiain 



crop Celery witli unusual care; sow Chicory and 

 plant out Lettuce; also make another small sow- 

 ing of the latter. Attend to the thinning of all 

 crops, such as Onions, Parsley, Turnips, &c., 

 choosing showery weather for the operation. 

 Ridge Cucumbers may be put out where required 

 for pickling. Earth up main crop Potatoes, and 

 where spraying is adopted have everything in 

 readiness. Sow Endive and full crop Turnips, 

 and keep the hoe going on all and every occasion 

 auiongst growing crops with a view to keeping 

 clean and preventing too much evaporation during 

 dry and hot weather. This is a good time to pre- 

 pare Mushroom beds where these are appreci- 

 ated; they can be made either inside or out with 

 equal success providing the correct material is 

 obtainai)le — viz., good sweet horse manure, failing 

 which my experience is that you are only courting 

 failure. 



Flower Garden. 



Conqjlete all bedding out as soon as possible so 

 as to obtain the maxinnun amount of flower as 

 early as possible. Thin all annuals sown outdoors, 

 and sow^ the various biennials and perennials for 

 transplanting in autumn, and there is still time 

 to sow Calceolaria, Cineraria, Primula. &c., where 

 not already sown. Put Chrysanthenunns into 

 flowering pots, and attend to the staking of any- 

 thing requiring same in time, as it entails double 

 labour if things are allowed to fall over. 



Fruit Garden and Houses. 



A sluirp look out will have to be kept for pests 

 of all sorts on wall trees such as Plums, Pears, &e., 

 and either pick off and destroy, as in the 

 case of the various caterpillars, or wash with 

 some safe insecticide in the case of ajjliis, &c. 

 Also pay attention to thinning the fruits; this is 

 an operation tliat pays from every point of view, 

 and should be carried out wherever possible. Keep 

 the soil stirred al)out the. roots of all wall fruits, 

 and water if required, and nudch with any 

 sort of old hotbed material, leaf soil; short grass 

 from lawns will greatly assist. Strawberries, 

 which seem to me to be considerably later than 

 last year, will require to have nets ready for 

 ])rotection against birds, as they generally attack 

 the early fruits most, esfjecially if the weather 

 is dry and hot. Where a conveniently sized plot 

 is kept for dessert purposes it is a good plan to 

 raise the net on wires or strings so as to enable 

 one to gather in couifort. but for general purposes 

 I find it suffices to stretch the nets along or across 

 the rows, the foliage ])eing sufficient to keep the 

 nets clear of the fruit. Anywhere that forcing is 

 still carried on, the end of the month is a good 

 time to layer the early batch of runners, and it 

 always pays to select the best runners, it being a 

 waste of time to take them ha])hazardly wlien 

 layering for this purpose. Work in the vineries 

 and ])eaeh-houses will consist of stopping, tying, 

 thinning, .syringing and damping, as well as water- 

 ing. Vines in the early houses showing colour 

 will require a constant circulation of air. Some 

 growers recommend(>d a little left on at night, 

 but I would only advise this wliere artificial heat 

 is employed, at least for the ])resent montli. Those 

 iilreacly thiinied and swelling will be benefited l)y 

 an iijjplication of some reliable aitific'ial or weak 

 liquid' manure, and a good dressing of lime 

 watered in is of great help at this period, 



