no 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Allotments. 



Competitions. — Tlie luoiitli of July is pro1)al)ly the 

 most satisfactory time to carry out tlie jud<;inj: 

 of allotnieuts. Wlien the adjudication is done 

 later many of the best cultivated plots are not 

 looking their best owing to the early crops having 

 bi'f<n removed and their places taken by newly 

 jilanted crops. The Royal Horticultural Society 

 [jublish a set of rules for judging cottage and 

 allotment gardens, and a companion judges' sheet 

 is also issued. We have found these rvdes useful 

 and have adopted them with slight revision to 

 suit our own local conditions. We have not found 

 it necessary to advise plotholders that their section 

 will be judged on any particular day. This gives 

 Jess opportiuiity to the man wlio makes a special 

 effort to clear up for the day of judging, and als > 

 eliminates the possil)ility of transplanting from 

 outside sources, and other minor species of fraud 

 which seem inseparable from competitions and 

 shows of every description. Desj)ite these draw- 

 backs the competitions have proved a healthy 

 stimulus. Apart from the fact that a man may 

 not desire to enter for the competition, he usually 

 cannot help but observe and adopt the methods 

 by which otlier men's crops have been brouglit to 

 a higlier perfection than his own. 



Gener.^l Work. — If the Celery crop has not been 

 planted this should be done at once. For details 

 of planting see the Notes for June. A few seeds 

 of ("abbage nuiy be sown at the end of tlie month 

 to give early sujiplies next year, but the main 

 sowing should not be made until the first week in 

 August. In any case a variety that is not suscej)- 

 tible to " bolting " should be chosen, such as 

 Flower of Spring or Ellam's Early. A few more 

 seeds of Lettuce may be sown for succession. If 

 Parsley is .soiwn now it will be useful in the 

 spring and early summer. Stake Peas as may be 

 required. Carrots, Parsnips, Beet and Turnips 

 should not be allowed to become overcrowded for 

 want of thinning. Where crops have failed quite 

 a szood deal can be done l)y sowing seeds of vege- 

 tables that mature quickly. Among these may 

 be mentioned Early White Turnips, Beet of the 

 Globe varieties and Early Horn Carrots. Even if 

 sown in July and August useful crops can be 

 obtained before the winter. It is essential, of 

 course, that the plants should receive no check in 

 their growtli and should be thinned out early. 

 .Again, should the weather be very dry a goorl 

 plan would be to make the drills and water well 

 i)efore sowing. The above remarks apply, of 

 course, more to vacant ground than wliere crops 

 luive failed. All the ground that can be spared 



is now easily planted up with autumn antl winter 

 crops. 



l.EEKS. — As the ground becomes available Leeks 

 should be transplanted. The objective to be kept 

 in mind when growing this crop is to get a good 

 firm, wliite neck. This is achieved by blanching. 

 There are many ways of planting Leeks; in special 

 cases they may be planted in trenches and treated 

 the same as Celery, or the plants may be grown 

 on tlie surface and the stems wrapped in hrown 

 paper. The method we usually adopt is to ])lam 

 in rows about twelve inches apart and about nine 

 inches between the plants. With a flat dibber 

 iioles are made about 8 inches deep and the plants 

 dropped, with just sufficient soil to cover the roots. 

 The holes eventually become filled up and by this 

 method good useful i^eeks are obtained without 

 unnecessary labour. 



Onions. — Potato Onions and Shallots will be 

 showing signs, by the leaves turning yellow, that 

 their growth is complete. Lift the plants ajnd 

 turn the base of the bidbs towards the sun. 

 Occasionally when this is done a co^isiderable 

 amoinit of rain may fall and the ])lants will be 

 liable to form new roots. This should be pre- 

 vented by turning the crop or removing it to a 

 shed. When properly dried tie them on ropes and 

 store away for use as required. 



Winter Greens. — One of the advantages of 

 cropping an allotment in a systematic manner 

 is the lengthened period that vegetables nuiy be 

 obtained from the plot, and allotment holders 

 should now be keen directly potatoes are being 

 lifted to get the ground planted with winter 

 greens. In fact, with Potatoes of a dwarf habit 

 as soon as this crop is finally earthed uy). 

 Sprouts, Broccoli, Savoys and Curled Greens may 

 be planted between the rows. Where vacant 

 ground is available we plant in rows two feet 

 apart and allow 25 plants across the plot ("thirty 

 feet). 



PoT.^TOEs. — As th(> growth of Potatoes pr^.-ee^ds 

 earth the plants up. This simi>le operat.'on is too 

 often improperly done. Sufficient soil is not 

 drawn to the plants. Ruiuiers, high jp the stejns 

 of the plant, which will produce tubers, are nr>, 

 covered. Some kinds of Potatoes have a tendency 

 to throw the tubers high, and if they are not 

 covered with soil the tubers become green vith 

 liglit and unfit for use, or else they are diseased 

 quic-kly, being exposed on the surface. Again, en 

 dry soils, or in a dry season, it is a bad practice- 

 to earth the sides of the furrow like the roof of a 

 liouse, as the rain is east off. A farmer wJ.'O 

 plants with a good width between the dnils and 

 earths uj) with a ])lough does the operation better 

 as a rule, because he automatically leases a flat 

 top lietween the plants 



PoT.\To Spr.wing. — To get the best resu'ts from 

 spraying at least two applications .should be given. 

 We have been using the 1 per revt livr'jvr.d]! 

 mi.ifurr, i.e.. 1 lli. of sidpltdjr of copper iind Ij lln. 

 of irjisli'nii) soda fo 10 (itillons of inifcr. This being 

 only half the strength we usually applied means 

 a considerable saving in the cost of materials. 



The Flower Boroer. — Border Carnations may 

 be layered this month and cuttings of Pinks in- 

 serted in sandy soil; also cutting of Violas and 

 Pansies may be taken. Seedlings of Wallflowers 

 should be thinned out early, otherwise one does 

 not get the l)ushy habit in this plant, and the 

 plants become long and seldom make good speci- 

 mens. 



G. H. O. 



