VI 



IRISH GARDENING 



The coursf will open on the 5th October, 192U, 

 and win be of aljout twelve months' (kiration. 



A limited iiunil)er of valuable iScholarships, 

 covering the cost of board, residence, niid train- 

 ing for the i^eriod. ai'c offered foi- competition. 



Summer Feeding- 



Bv E. T. Ellis. F.R.H.S., Wcstwoud. Ecclesall, 

 Sheffield. 



Is Feeding Necessary ? 

 During the last few years I have had some con- 

 siderable experience with amateur gardeners, and 

 so far as that goes. I may say that they seem 

 too fond of carrying out sunnner feeding. On 

 nearly every allotment and in every small garden 

 there is sure to be a barrel containing liquid as 

 black as ink. and with this they dose their flowers 

 and vegetables. Moreover, many gardeners who 

 are not amateurs are also too fond of the barrel 

 of liquid manure. They will not ask themselves 

 the question : " Is Feeding Necessary? " for they 

 conclude, all of them, that it is necessary. 



But is it? If the ground has been well dunged 

 last winter and if average crops are desired, is 

 it necessary to feed at all? My answer is. No. 

 But if the land has not been well dunged during 

 the winter (and manure was very scarce last 

 ])ecember), or if monster crops are desired 

 (which, though large, are often coarse as well), 

 then feeding, it must l)e admitted, is not only 

 necessary, but is essential. 



But don't overdo it in any case. " Weak and 

 often " should be^ the plan, and not strong and 

 often, or even strong and seldom. Over-feeding 

 of flowers or vegetables makes them run to leaf, 

 or it very often ruins them altogether. 



Wh.\t to Give. 

 1 have referred to the l)arrel of licjuid animal 

 manure aV)Ove. Many people pin their faith on 

 this, and there is no doul)t that it is a very good 



liquid manure. There are various ways of making 

 it, but the following is a good one : — Put a peck 

 of fresh horse droppings and quarter peck of 

 soot into :V) gallons of water. Stir well, and let 

 it stand foi- several days. Then draw off the 

 liquid and (lilutc it with water. The manure and 

 soot can he jmt into a coar.-^e bag, and this sus- 

 pended in the water if necessary. Pig dung, 

 sheep dung, oi' cow dung may take the place of 

 horse droppings, and all these are useful for feed- 

 ing plants generally. 



But we must not forget artificial manures, 

 for these are more convenient and less smelly 

 than animal dung. Two and a quarter pounds 

 of nitrate of soda or an equal quantity of sulphate 

 of annnonia can be dissolved in .'JG gallons of 

 water, and the liquid used as it is, or further 

 diluted l)y using e(jual paits liquid and water. 



mm9. 



SANITAS Powder 



INSURES YOUR CROPS 



^ Against Slugs, Worms, Rats, 

 Mice, Cats and Birds 



'S y^__-^ , Large and Small Tins and in bags, of all 

 ,^S!S^Ji Chemists, Stores and Nurserymen 



The SANITAS CO., Ltd. 

 Limehouse, London, E. 14 



Iwarded Medal, Royal Horticultural 

 Exhibition, igii 



To achieve best results 

 USE 



^^^ 



^X3t^ 



t-s 



Our vine, 

 Plant and Vegretable 

 Manure, also Special Top- 

 dressing Manure, ar« ever increasing 

 In public favour— they embody the prac- 

 tical experience of many years in all branches 

 of Horticulture, producing vigoroue, healthy, and 

 fruitful growth. Write 1or our booklet — post jru on revest. 

 Vine, Plant & Vegetable Manure :— 112 lbs., 30/- ; 56 lbs., 16/- ; 2S lbs.. 9 - ; 14 lbs., 

 8 - ; 7 lbs., 3/- ; tins, 1/3. Carriage paid on 66 lbs. and up anywhere in IJniU-d Kingdom. 

 Spetflal TopdreseinE: Manure :— 56 lbs, 18/6 ; 28 lbs., 10'-; 14 lbs., 6-; 7 lbs., 3 6; tins, I'- 

 Carriage paid on 56 lbs. and up anywhere in United Kingdom. 

 Sold by Se-edgmev. atid Nwrter^vien everywhere, or jrotn SoU Makers — 



WM.^^THOMSON & SONS, LTD., CLOVENFORDS, N.B. 



