IRISH GARDENING. 



125 



be sown earlier. Seeds may be sown broadcast or 

 in drills. If the weather is hot and dry dig the 

 soil over and make it firm. It is often an advan- 

 tage to place a few leafy branches over the seed 

 bed. As a precaution against club-root apply 

 lime to the soil before sowing. Cauliflowers may 

 also be sown ; in cold districts young plants require 

 the protection of a frame in winter. Onions sown 

 in autumn usually escape the attacks of the Onion 

 grub. The chief sowing, however, of the silver- 

 skinned varieties is always made in Avigust. The 

 seeds should be sow'n in drills, then the plants can 

 be thinned out in spring or the whole crop used. 

 The seeds may be sown one inch deep; the extra 

 depth will prevent frost forcing the young plants 

 out of the ground. Make the seed bed firm. We 

 make a special sowing of i.,ettuce in the autimm 

 and find that the variety " Winter Pearl " is 

 nuignificent for standing the winter, and produces 

 firm heads for cutting at the end of April and 

 during May. 



Transplanting. — Finish transplanting Broccoli, 

 Sprouts, &c., as soon as possible. The late crop 

 of Leeks should also be planted (see last month's 

 Notes for directions on planting). 



General Work. — As soon as the foliage of early 

 Potatoes and also that of the second early 

 varieties dies down, lift the crop. If disease is 

 present all doubtful tubers should be used for 

 cooking before decay sets in. Celery should be 

 earthed up as growth continues. Before earthing 

 remove all suckers and side shoots. When placing 

 the soil hold the plants firmly, or better still, tie 

 them up loosely with raffia to prevent soil from 

 reaching the centre of the plant. When crops are 

 removed dig the soil deeply. Wet weather and 

 short days may prevent this later, and good 

 digging now may save a lot of trouble later. The 

 tops of Onions should l)e t)erit over as the foliage 

 begins to wither. This causes the bulbs to swell. 

 A slight twist at the neck is sufficient. 



Flower Border. — Cuttings of Geraniums when 

 put in early have a nuich better chance of keep- 

 ing through the winter than those put in later. 

 Choose firm short-jointed shoots and insert them 

 in sandy soil. Cuttings of Violas, Pinks and some 

 of the herbaceous plants should also be taken. 

 The seed of Sweet Peas is so cheap that it is not 

 worth time saving seed, so the seed pods should 

 be picked off and the plants will continue longer 

 in flow^er. Dahlias and other tall growing plants 

 will require staking. Occasional applications of 

 liquid manure will be l)eneficial. Seedling plants 

 of Wallflowers and other seeds sown in Jinie may 

 be transplanted as soon as they are large enough 

 and before they become overcrowded in the seed 

 beds. Seeds may be sown this month of Myosotis, 

 Limnanthes, Nemophila and Alyssum, if re- 

 quired. The flower border is often neglected on 

 the allotment but it should now have attention, 

 giving water where necessary. Cut off dead 

 flower stalks and hoe between the plants to keep 

 weeds down. Hoeing also gives the border a 

 fresh appearance and adds to its attractiveness, 

 and if the plot is edged with grass keep the edges 

 trimmed. G. H. O. 



Onion Stirling Exhibition. 

 This is one of the very liest of the large-bulbed 

 varieties and is yearly becoming more popular. 

 To obtain handsome specimens for exhibition in 

 August and September seeds should be sown in a 

 frame in .January or early Feln-uary, planting out 

 in well cultivated grouncl in April. 



The Month^s Work. 



Southern and Western Counties. 



By T. E. Tom.\lin, Gardener to the Eight Hon. 

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

 borough, County Kilkenny. 



The Flower Garden. 



Flower beds and herbaceous borders will now be 

 at their best, and nothing should be allowed to de- 

 tract from their appearance. All dead flower 

 spikes and leaves should be removed at frequent 

 intervals, and the soil between the plants should 

 be frequently hoed to keep down weeds, and to 

 keep the plants growing. 



Dahlias will now be growing strongly, and will 

 require adequate support. Three stakes will be 

 necessary for old plants, but for young plants of 

 the present season one good stick should suffice. 

 Michaelmas Daisies also will now need further 

 attention. The growths of these should be staked 

 out separately so that they will look natural and 

 graceful when in flower, but at the same time 

 they must be made secure against autumnal 

 storms. 



Plants in tubs and vases will now require plenti- 

 ful supplies of water. They should be fed 

 occiasionally wdth liquid manure, or a sprinkling 

 of Clay's Fertiliser well watered in. 



Pentstemons give a glorious display at this 

 season, and they are very little trouble to grow. 

 Cuttings taken at the end of this month will root 

 readily in a cold frame, where they will pass the 

 winter quite safely. To get the best results they 

 should be planted out in well manured ground in 

 April, and kept well watered and frequently hoed 

 during the growing season. Rambler Roses that 

 have finished flowering may now be partially 

 pruned, removing all dead flower heads and the 

 older growths, and training in loosely the long 

 growths of the current season, w^hich will furnish 

 next season's display of flowers. 



Wallflowers and Forget-me-Nots should now be 

 transplanted from the seed-beds into rather poor 

 ground, where they will make sturdy plants lor 

 planting out in the autumn. Bulbs for autumn 

 planting should be ordered now to ensure h-tving 

 them to hand when planting time arrives. 



The Fruit Garden. 



Early varieties of Apples and Pears should ) e 

 closely watched and gathered as soon a*' leady. 

 Amongst Apples, Mr. Gladstone. Irish Peach, 

 Beauty of Bath, and the newer Langley Pippin, 

 will be ripening. These are best gather3d a few 

 at a time as they ripen, as they do not improve by 

 storing. Peaches and Apricots on walls must also 

 be looked over at frequent intervals and gathered 

 as they ripen. Cooking Plums, such as'Riner's 

 Early, Early Orleans, and Czar should be picked 

 when ripe and used or otherwise disposed of. 

 Dessert Plums for August include Oullin's Golden 

 —a large, handsome variety — Denniston's Superb 

 —of delicious flavour — and Early Transparent 

 Gage. All fruit should be perfectly dry when 

 picked, and great care should be taken in handling 

 the more delicate kinds. 



Continue the summer pruning of Apples and 

 Pears, and, if possible, complete this operation 

 during August. The trees will then get the full 



