IRISH GARDENING 



29 



dressing of soot. Make a sowing in boxes for 

 planting later. 



iSi'iN.\c'H. — li a frame can he spared, a sowing of 

 Vietoria or Roiuid Spinaeli will more than pay 

 for itself. Spinach sown outside during this month 

 is most imcertain, and I do not advise the risk. 



Mushrooms. — Continue to eolleet manure daily, 

 and place in a dry, open shed, protected from 

 birds; turn frequently to allow the rankness to 

 pass away, and also to dry, as the bed must be 

 in good condition to expect good results. Take 

 into the house on a mild day. In making the 

 beds, thoroughly ram the manure, making it as 

 solid as possible; in a few days the heat will 

 rapidly rise; as soon as the heat drops to about 

 SfV spawn the bed. Break the spawn into pieces 

 aI)out 2 inches square, and insert evenly over the 

 bed ; then cover the whole surface with about an 

 inch of fresh cut loam of good quality, smooth 

 over, and cover with hay; keep the floors damped 

 once a day, and use as little lire-heat as possilile. 

 The Muslirooms, generally, should appear from 

 8 to 1(1 weeks from spawning. 



Tomatoes. — Make a sowing to provide plants for 

 the main supply, also for planting outside when 

 safe from frost. Endeavour to have the plants 

 with the first truss of fruit set when planting 

 outside; grow on a single stem, and allow four 

 trusses to set, then stop the plants; often they 

 are allowed to set a good many more, witn the 

 result that the crop hardly ripens a single fruit. 

 All varieties advertised have some good qualities, 

 but one or two varieties are generally sufficient. 

 I'eiirli Jihtir is undoubtedly the finest flavoured of 

 any, and Golden Perfection is perfect where one 

 requires a very delicate flavour. 



The following seeds should be sown in small 

 quantities on a hotbed near the glass : — Cabbage, 

 liCttuce, Radish, Horn Carrots, Kohl Ral)i, Early 

 Cabbage, Early Giant Cauliflower, Brussels 

 Sprouts, Red Cabbages, and Early Milan Turnips. 



Hardy Fruit Garden. 



Autumn Fruiting Raspberries. — These may now 

 be planted on a piece of thoroughly trenched and 

 heavily maniu'ed ground in an open position, 

 exposed to full sun. The reason for this is that 

 the crop, being so late in coming to maturity, 

 requires all the assistance obtainable. The young 

 canes should be cut right down to the ground, 

 and treated liberally. Queen Alcrdiuha is a well- 

 tried variety. 



Wall Trees. — Proceed with nailing and pruning 

 all wall trees. Try to cover the whole wall with 

 good fruiting wood, and keep all spurs close to 

 the wall. Should the trees have been neglected 

 and the spurs got out of hand — weak and thin — 

 do not hesitate to cut a fair percentage out. and 

 train in young branches to take the place of worn- 

 out ones. As each portion of the walls become 

 finished, clean all prunings, shreds and ties from 

 the borders, and lightly fork in a good dressing 

 of bone meal and lime. Should Cherries be 

 suffe'i'ing from gumming, give a dressing of salt 

 every 28 days for a season. On the slightest sign of 

 silver leaf, the tree should be taken very care- 

 fully to the boilers and burned, making sure 

 every piece is destroyed. Take the whole of the 

 soil away, and renew the border with good, fresh 

 soil, using plenty of fresh lime; plant another 

 class of fruit tree in its place if possible. Allow 

 4 feet from the wall to the vegetable or flower 



borders. Ihis will prove a good working distance 

 and other crops nnist not be allowed to encroach 

 on the fruit trees border. 



Strawberries.— The earliest plantations on south 

 borders should have a good dressing of manure 

 forked into the beds; the main beds should be 

 given a dressing of soot, and lightly forked over; 

 this will help to keep them clean, and greatly 

 benefit the plants. Do not apply any mulching's 

 of manure yet ; it keeps the soil too cold and wet 

 The freshly-planted beds of last autumn should be 

 firmed if loosened by frost, and lightly forked 

 over. 



Nuts, P'ilberts and Cobnuts. — These should be 

 well thinned and pruned if not already done. 

 Leave the centres well open. 



Gooseberries.— These must be watched very 

 closely during the next few weeks for attention 

 from birds. The safest and best plan is to put 

 the nets on. This will also help to shield them 

 from frosts. 



Spraying. — Choose a mild, quiet day for this 

 important operation. The operators should be 

 well protected from the spray, as its caustic pro- 

 perties will soon destroy clothes and boots, thor- 

 oughly drench every portion of the trees. Where 

 American Blight is troublesome, go over the in- 

 fected parts with a strong paraffin emulsion, 

 applied with an old paint brush. Should trees 

 b< suffering from canker, dissolve 2 ozs. of sul- 

 phate of iron to a gallon of soft water and thor- 

 oughly water the trees three times during the 

 growing sea.son. The sulphate should be placed 

 in a muslin bag and suspended in the water, when 

 the crystals will quickly dissolve. 



Scions for Grafting. — Take any scions that 

 may be required for grafting from perfectly 

 healthy trees, label and tie each variety, and heel 

 under a north wall to retard the buds. Any trees 

 for re-grafting should be headed down. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Grounds. 



Summer Bedding Plants. — Zonal Pelargoniums 

 and Ivy leaves rooted in cutting boxes or pots 

 last autumn should be potted singly in 4-inch 

 pots, using a compost of 2 parts fibrous loam, 

 1 part flaked leaf soil, and 1 part coarse sand; to 

 everv barrow-load of soil add a 6-inch pot of Clay's 

 fertilizer, one 5-inch pot of soot, pot firmly, and 

 stand in a warm house for a few weeks, to enable 

 the roots to get started; then remove to cooler 

 quarters. If young standards are l)eing run up 

 to form heads, give them every assistance; keep 

 all side shoots pinched out, and pot on as required. 

 The summer season is so short that plants should 

 be well established, and good specimens when put 

 out. Young Heliotropes, Marguerites. Fuchsias. 

 Lantanas, Salvias and Verbenas will also require 

 the same treatment. Should the stocks of any of 

 the above be short, root the young tops as soon 

 as they are large enough. Should Green Fly prove 

 troublesome, fumigate according to strength with 

 •X.L. nicotine. 



Vases and Tubs. — For terraces, &c., these gener- 

 ally, are the most miserable specimens of the 

 gardener's art. Where one is purchasing new 

 vases make sure that they are made to hold 

 sufficient soil for the plants to live on, and not 

 with a large top and no bowl. They should be 

 planted to harmonise with the bedding scheme 

 proper. Whatever plants are selected, have first- 



