IRISH GARDENING 



109 



The Month^s Work. 



Midland and Northern Counties. 



By Mr. F. Streeter, Gardener to B. H. Barton, 



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



Co. Kildare. 



The Kitchen Garden. 



Asparagus. — If Asparagus seeds were sown in 

 their permanent beds they will require thinning to 

 12 inches, so tliat they may become strong and 

 sturdy. Keep the beds hand-weeded and stir the 

 surface soil with a small hand-fork occasionally. 

 Give the bearing beds a slight dressing of artificial 

 manure, and in very hot weather several good soak- 

 ings of water. Keep the whole plot clean and free 

 from weeds, and the growths supported from rough 

 winds. 



Cabbage. — This is the principal month in cold 

 districts for sowing Spring Cabbage. It is best to 

 make a small sowing on a warm border, and allow 

 the plants to mature where sown. In mild autunuis 

 these will give early heads fit for use from Novem- 

 ber onwards. For main supplies sow a good quan- 

 tity between July 25th and August 5th. Choose 

 varieties that are recouunended for this sowing — 

 Flower of Spring, April, Harbinger, and Ellam's 

 Early. These may be relied on to give excellent re- 

 sults and successions. Select a cool, shady, border 

 for sowing, and, if the soil is very dry, give the 

 drills a good soaking. This will hasten germina- 

 tion. Aphis and mildew sometimes cause a good 

 deal of trouble, and must be at once checked. Net 

 the beds to protect from birds. 



Carrots. — Make a final sowing of stump-rooted 

 Carrots on an open site. This sowing will supply 

 roots during the autunni and winter months. Allow 

 them to stay on the ground, and draw as required. 

 Dust the previoiTS sowings with soot, and keep the 

 ground constantly stirred with the Dutch hoe. 



Potatoes. — As the earliest plantings become fit 

 for lifting, take them up carefully and let them 

 stay on the ground for a few hours, that the skins 

 may become hardened before placing in the store 

 house. Lay them out thinly, and keep the house 

 dark. As soon as the crop is cleared, fork over the 

 site and sow a winter crop of Spinach or Salad. 



Parsley. — Make another sowing of Parsley if by 

 any chance last month's sowing has not germinated 

 well. 



Tomatoes. — Go over all the Tomato plants at least 

 once a week and remove the lateral growths. Keep 

 to the one stem, and do not allow more than four 

 trusses to set before pinching out the tips of the 

 plants, and watch that they do not suffer from 

 want of water. Do not defoliate the plants as is 

 often done. If the leaves are too thick, just 

 shorten a few near the fruit. 



Cucumbers. — Keep the Cucumber plants growdng 

 in frames constantly stopped, and remove all 

 leaves turning yellow. Cut the fruit as they become 

 large enough, and give an occasional top-dressing; 

 also a little manure water when watering. Use 

 warm water at all times, and keep plenty of mois- 

 ture in the frames, otherwise the fruit soon 

 becomes bitter. Ridge CTicumbers growing in 

 warm positions require plenty of water, the foliage 

 kept nice and thin, and evenly filling the space. 

 Cut the fruit quite young. 



Endive. — Make a liberal sowing of Endive in 

 good, rich soil for supplying Salads during the 

 autinnn. Blanch the plants well before sending 

 into the kitchen, otherwise the plants will be very 



bitter. Green Curled and Batavian are excellent 

 varieties. 



Vegetable Marrows.— Give the Marrows heavy 

 soaknigs, if the weather is at all hot and dry. Thin 

 out all small, worthless growths, and cut the fruit 

 quite young. Mildew is sometimes very trouble- 

 some, and it is a good plan to have the plants in 

 several positions. 



Celery.— Continue to plant out the latest plants 

 of Celery. Dust all the plants occasionally with 

 good, fresh soot. On no account must they be 

 allowed to suffer from want of water. Thoroughly 

 soak the trenches, and snray over on warm even- 

 ings. Keep quite clean from weeds, and keep all 

 side shoots and deformed leaves picked off. 



I.eeks.— Leeks may still be planted for late sup- 

 plies and treated as recommended last month. 

 Draw the paper collars uv a few inches, and add 

 a little fine soil to the earliest nlants. 



Late Peas.— Stake and mulch' all Peas as they 

 become ready. On well-trenched ground they will 

 not require watering at the root, but an evening 

 dew over in fine weather will greatly assist them. 

 Sometimes a good crop may be obtained by sowing 

 an early variety, such as Early Giant, in the early 

 part of this month ; but everything depends on the 

 weather. 



Spinach.— Sow plenty of perennial spinach for 

 next winter's supplies. This often gives large sup- 

 plies of good leaves, while it is impossible to obtain 

 either the pricklv or Victoria Round. Thin the 

 seedlings to 12 inches when they are well above 

 ground.. Continue to make frequent sowings of 

 Summer Spinach in cool, shady positions. 



Coleworts.— Make another sowing towards the 

 end of the month for winter supplies of Rosette 

 Coleworts. Put out a good plantation of those sewn 

 last month. These are most useful where large 

 quantities of Cabbage are required. 



Turnips. — Make a sowing of Turnips for winter 

 supplies during the last two weeks of this month. 

 Thin out the young plants as soon as they can be 

 conveniently handled, and use I'le Dutch hoe as 

 frequently as possible. Dust over occasionally 

 with soot and wood ashes. This will greatly assist 

 the growth. 



Winter Onions. — Sow seeds of Lemon Rocca 

 and Ailsa Craig Onions in drills, 15 inches apart, 

 to furnish bulbs for next spring. 



Shallots and Potato Onions. — As soon as these 

 vegetables are well ripened they may be lifted and 

 placed in cold frames with plenty of air before 

 storing them away. 



Seakale. — Keep all side shots cleaned away, 

 leaving only the strongest crown to each plant. If 

 growth is not satisfactory, give another dressing of 

 Nitrate of Soda in warm weather. Keep the beds 

 free from weeds, and in hot weather a few good 

 soakings of liquid manure water will prove most 

 beneficial. 



Runner Beans. — Assist the growth of the Scarlet 

 Runner Beans by liberal supplies of diluted manure 

 water. Thin the shoots if they are too thick, and 

 give them good syringings in the evenings; mulch 

 between the rows. This will keep the ground moist 

 and help the crop to set. 



Winter Greens. — Plant out Broccolis, Autumn 

 Giant Cauliflower, Cabbage, Savoys, Kales, and 

 Kohl Rabbi as the plants become fit. Fill every 

 available space, and allov/ no ground to stand idle. 

 As the early summer crops finish, fill up at once 

 with winter ones. The Purple Sprouting Broccoli 

 is very hardy and most useful when the Broccoli 

 proper are not turning in fast enough. 



Herbs.— Cut over the Herbs for drying, tying 



