IRISH GARDENING 



59 



Midland and Northern Counties. 



By Mh. V. Stheeter, Gardener to B. H. Barton, 



Esq., D.L., Straffan House, Straffan, 



Co. Kildare. 



The Kitchen Garden. 



Asparagus. — The established beds of Asparagus 

 v.ill now require attention. Carefully rake them 

 down and lightly fork over the surface, and give 

 a good dressing of salt and a quick-acting manure. 

 Where space is limited, the alleys may be cropped 

 with early Caidiflowers or J^ettuce. 



Potatoes. — The main crop varieties of Potatoes 

 should l)e planted as soon as the soil is in good 

 condition. Choose an open site that has been 

 well trenched during the autumn or winter. Give 

 tiie ground a good fork over, and then draw the 

 drills, 6 inches deep and :> feet apart. Carefully 

 ])hice the tubers 18 inches to 2 feet apart, taking 

 great care not to damage the shoots; then cover 

 ■with good, fine soil. Where especially good or 

 exhibition tubers are required, cover with the 

 following compost, thoroughly well-mixed — 2 parts 

 loam, 2 parts leaf-soil or spent nmshroom dung, 

 ] ])art sand, and one 6-inch pot of soot to every 

 harrowload of soil; do not add any green manure 

 near the tu))ers. Of course, the above is for garden 

 treatment only, and is not practical where acres 

 have to be planted. A change of seed is most 

 beneficial, and should be obtained from reliable 

 sources every two or three seasons. The Potato 

 i;-; one of the best crops for cleaning the ground, 

 and it must also be remembered that they take 

 h good deal of nutriment out of the soil. 



Broad Beans. — Make a final sowing of Green 

 Windsors or Giant Longpod Broad Beans. Draw 

 a little soil to the stems of those well up, and give 

 some slight support, as required; give a weekly 

 hoeing whether any weeds are visible or not. 



Peas. — Plant out all those raised in boxes before 

 tliey become drawn, and give the plant support 

 ;it once, using well-pointed sticks about 3 feet 

 long. Stake all those sown in the open ground 

 as soon as they are well through the soil. Keep the 

 sticks upright, not allowing the tops to meet. 

 Continue to sow main crop varieties every week. 

 1 1 sown on last season's Celery trenches and 

 trenched ground, allow another foot in height for 

 final staking than the height stated on the packets. 

 Keek a sharp look-out for slugs, mice, and birds, 

 giving a dusting of soot occasionally. Lightly fork 

 out the tracks which have been caused by staking. 



Carrots. — Sow a few rows of Early Horn Carrot 

 for succession as soon ;is the main crops are up; 

 give a good dressing of soot and dry wood ash, 

 and use the Dutch hoe as often as possible; where. 



bornig was practised, thin the plants as soon as 

 they can be conveniently handled. Should Green 

 Fly put in an appearance, lightly spray with a 

 good insecticide; it is a good plan to exainine the 

 ( eds every morning for this pest. 



Parsnii's. — Thin this crop as soon as they are 

 well up, and hoe between the plants and rows. 



Onions. — Plants raised in boxes or frames are 

 in good condition for removing to their permanent 

 quarters as soon as the soil and weather are suit- 

 able; allow the bulbs 6 to 9 inches in the rows, and 

 V2 mches between the rows. If the weather is hot 

 and dry. give a thorough soaking after planting; 

 run the Dutch hoe over the bed next day, to pre- 

 vent the soil from caking and becoming too 

 hard on the surface. W^here large quantities are 

 required, plant 12 rows, then a 2-foot alley and 

 another bed; this is much easier for working and 

 keeping clean than when the beds are continuous. 

 Hoe between the autumn-sown plants. Where 

 large bulbs of Ailsa Craig, Cranston's Excelsior 

 01 Premier are lequired for exhibition or sending 

 into the kitt'lien, especial care must be taken. 

 Keep the young bulbs on the move all the time; 

 see that the plants are perfectly upright, using a 

 small stick to keep them in position ; on fine days 

 spray with tepid water twice a day, and keep the 

 hoe constantly at work. 



Beet. — I would advise the sowing of main crop 

 Pieet much earlier than is generally reconunended ; 

 it is much hardier than many people imagine, 

 and on attaining the size required may l)e lifted 

 and stored, and the 'jrovmd used for winter crops. 

 Select a piece of well-woi"ked ground that has not 

 been manured during the past season ; fork over, 

 and break down all lumps, and rake off all stones, 

 &c. ; tlien draw the drills 1 inch deep and 12 inches 

 apart. Sow the seed thinly, and rake over the 

 beds l)oth ways to obtain a fine finish. When 

 exhibition roots are required, boring, as recqm- 

 niended for Carrots, must be done, using a fine, 

 sandy compost, with a 6-inch pot of soot added to 

 every barrowload. Should complaints have been 

 received al)out the colour, try the black variety, 

 so much used in Scotland and the North of Eng- 

 land. Thill the round variety sown last month. 



French Be.\ns. — Sow a quantity of early forcing 

 French Beans in 4-inch pots for planting in the 

 frames as they become vacant; sow, also in 5-iiicli 

 pots, a good batch for planting on a south border 

 as soon as all danger of frosts are over; by this 

 means nutch vabial)le time is gained. I still pin 

 iiiy faith to Selected Canadian Wonder for this 

 ti'eatment. 



Runner Beans. — If one has the convenience to 

 raise a quantity of Runner Beans in pots a very 

 much longer season is gained. Sow singly in 

 3-inch pots, and raise in a cool house; when well 



