112 



IRISH GARDENING. 



ally it also improves the current year's crop in 

 both appearance and flavour by exposing it to the 

 air and sunshine 



Strawberries should be layered as soon as 

 possible to have strong plants for planting in 

 August. It is usual to trench the ground for 

 these the previous winter, and then crop it with 

 mid-seascin Potatoes. When these -are lifted it 

 is only necessary to rake the ground level before 

 pla,nting the Strawberries at two feet apart each 

 way. 



G.^THERiNG Fruit.— The first Plums will be ready 

 to pick at the end of the month. They should be 

 gathered when perfectly dry and used or marketed 

 at once. Apples, such as Early Harvest and Mr. 

 Gladstone, will also be ripening, and are best 

 gathered a few at a time as they become fit. as 

 they do not imi)rove with keeping. Pears, such 

 as Jargonelle and Williams are best picked just 

 before they are quite ripe, and allowed to mature 

 in a cool fruit room. They must be closely 

 watched and used directly they become mellow, 

 as they only last about two days in good condition 

 wlicn fully ripe. 



Midland and Northern Counties. 



By W. Roberts, Gardener to l.ady Emily Bury 

 Charleville Forest, Tullamore, King's County. 



Kitchen G.\rden. 



Plant out Broccoli. The position should, if 

 possible, be an open one, bearing in mind that the 

 crop does not follow well upon Cabbage, Turnip 

 or Cauliflower. The soil for autumn or early 

 winter supplies should be of good quality, deeply 

 cultivated and well manured, but for those in- 

 tended for spring and summer use ground not too 

 freely enriched is more suitable and the firmei 

 the better. The distances may range from two to 

 two and a half feet each way, although some of the 

 medium sized sorts that have to stand through 

 the winter may be put a little closer together; 

 plant firmly and, if possible, during showery 

 weather. The sprouting varieties, both white and 

 purple, are invaluable for winter and spring use, 

 a consideration where space is limited. 



Celery may be got in where circumstances pre- 

 vented it being done last month, and for a succes- 

 sion, also Leeks; these require good ground if larg(^ 

 roots are required, but they do very well following 

 early Potatoes. The general plan is to use a good 

 long dibber and simply drop the plant into the 

 hole, the subsequent rain or watering being suffi- 

 cient to give them a hold; it is usiuil to shorten 

 the leaves a little at time of planting. On very 

 light soils it is better treated as for Celery. Sow 

 a few Dwarf and Runner Beans aud Early Peas 

 as a catch-crop. 



Take up Garlic and Shallots when ripe, also 

 Potatoes as they become ready. Sow Parsley in a 

 sheltered sjx)! to stand the winter or to trans- 

 I)lant to frame later, also Turnips in quantity. 

 Prickly Spinach and Spinach Beet. A sowing of 

 Cabliage sliould b(> made early in the month to 

 have fit for planting out in September, selecting 

 varieties suitable, Sutton's Harbinger, April and 

 Flower of Sj)ring l)eing the best I know and 

 nuiture in the order named. I have grown 

 thousands of these varieties and seen them grow 

 ing elsewhere without being able to find a single 

 wrong one. Select a perfectly open position for 

 seed-bed if possil)le, and either plant out or 

 transplant before they become drawn or crowded. 

 Keep the ground constantly stirred and, where 

 necessary, nnilch vegetables as nuich as possible. 



Fruit G.\rdeN aNd Houses. 

 Layer Strawberries for planting next month. 

 Where pots are not available square pieces of 

 sods of loam answer well. Squares about four 

 inches by four inches are best, and the runner 

 simply pinned down on the clay side and kept 

 watered soon takes root, and if kept close together 

 when taken off the foliage prevents the roots round 

 edges from suffering until ready for planting. 

 Many prefer three inch pots, but they must be 

 planted out before becoming pot-bound or they 

 do not give best results. The recent heavy rains 

 have greatly benefited the crop round here aiul 

 further north, and which, I believe, on the whole, 

 above the average, and those dabbling in sales 

 satisfied with prices. Wall fruits, especially Pears 

 and Apples, and also orchard and bush trees, have 

 been very badly infested with caterpillars, moths, 

 &c., and shows the necessity of winter work in 

 this direction — sj^raying, grease bcJnds^ &c. — as 

 where any considerable number are infected it is 

 a very trou))lesome operation washing the trees 

 now when so many other things require constant 

 attentic(n. Peaches in unheated houses that have 

 been tied in, and approaching or arrived at 

 stoning period, will benefit from a good dressing 

 of ground or slaked lime applied and watered in 

 at a time when the borders are nothing like 

 dry. The same remark applies to Vine borders 

 in or out of cold houses. In the case of the Vines 

 a little extra care in ventilating and not shutting 

 up too early will prevent scalding at this period, 

 iiJnd where foliage is scanty a little temporary 

 shading, such as thin whiting syringed on during 

 a dry day, will be a help, and if it is washed off 

 after a time by rain no harm will accrue, and, as 

 I liave already stated in a previous article, do not 

 be stingy witli tlie supply of water, weak liquid 

 nmlnure, and approved artificials where the other 

 conditions are right, and where such conditions 

 do not obtain it is only a matter of ingenuity. 

 Melons ripening will require a free circulation of 

 air and not too much moisture at the roots or 

 otherwise. Those in frames and hotbeds will re- 

 quire to have the temperature maintained some- 

 how; if in wooden movable structures the manure 

 round the outside cain be renewed, and if not you 

 can only trust to luck and careful manipulation of 

 the lights. Tomatoes in unheated structures 

 planted, say, early in May, should have at 

 least five or six trusses of fruit and flower, at 

 wliich period T would advise stopping, thereby 

 enablijng the i)lant to ripen the gn-ater part of its 

 fruit. If left to grow more than this the result 

 will be a lot of green fruits in October and 

 November that will be more of a nuisance than any- 

 thing else, except where Chutney is a])preciated. 



Flower Garden. IjAwns, &c. 

 Work in this department during this month will 

 consist chiefly of kee])ing things in order gener- 

 ally; staking, pinching, and thinning the different 

 subjects as they require it, and attention to mow- 

 ing edging of grass plots, tennis courts and 

 croquet grounds. It is a good time to layer prin- 

 cif)al l)atch of out-door Carnations and Picotees; 

 these appear to me to have gone rather out of 

 fashion of late years, for which the American 

 " trees " are largely responsible I suppose, and as 

 if they resented the slight they have practically 

 refused to grow in many places I know of when 

 a few years ago they jrrew like a weed. Roses in 

 beds and otherwise will require a lot of attention 

 to have and mai/ntain them at their best for as long 

 a period as ])ossible; watering where necessary, 

 nndching. iind a close watch kept for Anhis and 

 Mildew, being amongst the princii)al reciuirements. 



