IRISH GARDENING. 



Early Forced Potatoes. 



Catalogues. 



New Potatoes are much appreciated by almost every- 

 one, rich and poor alike, and various are the methods 

 adopted to gfet an early dish or two, even when little con- 

 venience for such work exists. The preparation of the seed 

 and selection of suitable varieties are very important. I 

 have found no better varieties for frame and pot cultm-e 

 than Sharpe's \'ictor and White Puritan, and though the 

 last named lacks the quality of Victor, it will give at least 

 double the crop. Both are dwarf-topped varieties. When 

 digging these varieties in open ground for early use I 

 always select enough medium sized seed for forcing, and 

 put them in boxes to green, afterwards keeping them in 

 a cool place. When the sprouts start they will break 

 away strongly, and when started leave only one, or at 

 most two, sprouts on each seed. For very early growing- 

 1 find lo or 12 inch pots the best, and for these, tubers 

 can be potted early in January if the seed has been 

 placed in a warm greenhouse on a shelf, close to the 

 glass, early in December. The pots will require fair 

 drainage, and they should be more than half filled with 

 fine, light soil — viz., one part each loam, leaf-mould, and 

 old mushroom bed manure or well-turned stable manure. 

 This should easily cover the seed, two tubers being placed 

 in each pot. When the growths have got over the top 

 of the pots, earth up with soil similar to that used in 

 potting to within an inch or two of the rims of the pots. 

 Always have the soil made warm before using. Place 

 the pots in a warm greenhouse, and near the glass, so 

 that the stalks can get plenty of light, and grow strong 

 and sturdy. Do not give too much heat. Water care- 

 fully, and when the young tubers are forming, weak 

 liquid manure occasionally is of great assistance. For 

 supplies in April and May it is best to grow them in 

 frames placed on hotbeds, and the beds should be made 

 up of two parts leaves and one part fresh stable manure. 

 Alake the bed firm, and about 4 feet deep, and at least a 

 foot larger all around than the frame to be placed on it. 

 Of course much depends on how the hotbed is made, the 

 lasting heat and the success of the crop of potatoes 

 grown. Many gardeners turn the heap of manure and 

 leaves at least a couple of times to get rid of violent heat 

 before making up the bed, while others give this matter 

 no consideration. With good fresh leaves, two parts, 

 and one part only, fresh stable manure can be used, as the 

 leaves will absorb and not let the bed get into a violent 

 heat. Place about 12 inches of soil, as recommended 

 for pot culture, or light soil from cucumber bed in the 

 frame when it is seen that the bed will not get too hot, 

 and let it be at least 15 inches from the glass. Sow the 

 potatoes, which should have been well sprouted, in lines 

 15 inches apart and i foot from seed to seed, covering 

 them with about 3 or 4 inches of soil. Top-dress when 

 the stalks are 6 inches high, and keep the stalks 

 free from injury from frost or sun throughout the growing 

 season, and for these reasons ventilation requires 

 constant care, and cold draughts must be guarded 

 against ; therefore, always when admitting air, tilt the 

 lights on the side opposite the wind. Plentj- of water 

 will be required as growth increases, but on beds of 

 fermenting material giving off heat much less water 

 is required than if heated by hot water pipes. By 

 covering the glass at night a more even heat is main- 

 tained without having to add fresh manure and leaves 

 around the bed and frame. Radishes can be grown 

 between the lines of potatoes. W. T. 



According to the returns for the month of Novem- 

 ber last the imports of apples to the United Kingdom 

 amounted to 790,897 cwts. , having a value of jQi\.6g,^gi^, 

 which is a considerable increase on the amount im- 

 ported for the same month last year. 



Mackev's Garden Manlal, 1908, is a neat, con- 

 veniently arranged and nicely illustrated list of vegetable 

 and flower seeds for the garden, extending to 76 

 pages. It contains a good deal of information on 

 the culture of the different classes of plants. In a fore- 

 word to the catalogue the compilers rightly draw- 

 attention to the importance of securing seeds of the best 

 strains and of high germinating power. 



Garden Seeds, 1908. Wm. Fell & Co. (Hexham), 

 Ltd. - A catalogue of vegetable and flower seeds, nicely 

 illustrated with numbers of half-tone blocks printed on 

 plate paper. In the list of flower seeds the plants are 

 aranged alphabetically, and tabulated under colour, 

 height, time of blooming, duration, and remarks. 



S. M'Gredv & Son : Celebrated Seeds. — The cata- 

 logue opens with detailed lists of complete collections of 

 vegetable seeds for one year's supply, and follows with 

 descriptive lists of all the important veg-etables, including 

 potatoes. In the flower section there is a beautiful full- 

 page illustration of "Ethel M'Gredy " — anew, pure white 

 aster raised by this firm. Gladioli, begonias, and sweet 

 peas appear to be a speciality, and exhibitors will be 

 interested in the list of the N. S. P. S. given in page B 

 of inset. The Messrs. M'Gredy is one of the three 

 northern firms widely known as raisers of new roses, 

 and references to those offered b}- the Portadown house 

 are given on page 67. 



Webb's Spring Catalogue for 1908 is devoted to 

 descriptive lists of vegetables and flower seeds. It runs 

 to 154 pages, and is illustrated on every page with 

 clearly-printed photographic reproductions of typical 

 specimens of garden plants. Cultural directions are 

 given throughout. 



Seed Potatoes (Season 1908), issued by Isaac Bell, 

 Banbridge. — Mr. Bell draws special attention to the new 

 potato, " Irish Queen," which is the name now given to 

 his " Seedling No. 7," introduced last year. The follow- 

 ing are the chief characteristics claimed for it : — " It is of 

 uniform shape, round, with deep eyes like Champion ; 

 haulm very strong, and ripe a little before Champion ; in 

 wet, cold land it thrives better than any other kind that 

 I have grown. Furthermore, it does best in wide drills 

 with fairly close planting, requires little manure, and 

 grows very rapidly." 



Potatoes offered for sale by Wesley Forbes (Season 

 1908). — This is a clearly illustrated pamphlet dealing 

 with potatoes. Special attention is drawn to the 

 new variety, " Irish Queen." Mr. Forbes has had it 

 tested in different parts of the country, and, from 

 the reports received, has summarised its characters as 

 follows : — " A fine crop ; round in shape ; superlative 

 quality and flavour w-hen cooked ; no disease ; a good 

 blight resisterand late grower ; haulm erect, and covers 

 ground well ; it thrives in every variety cf soil and 

 district." 



By the Shannon. 



Rose cloud and purple cloud. 

 Purple cloud and rose, 

 Kerry shore and Clare shore, 

 W^here the river flows ; 

 Trembling in purple twilight, 

 Paling as the daylight goes. 

 Golden burst of rain-cloud. 

 Low rocks and golden sky, 

 Flats of shining seaweed. 

 And a wild bird's cry ; 

 Slowly, as the river widens. 

 One black sail goes drifting by. 



— A. V. C. in "The Shanachie. 



