IRISH GARDENING. 



47 



be even late in sowlnuf seeds than to run the 

 risk of puddling- the soil by workings it while wet. 



Potatoes. — If the _afround is in good condition for 

 planting, the bulk of the potato crop should be got in 

 this month, though if proper care has been taken of the 

 seed it matters very little if the weather prevents planting 

 till early in April. This is one of the many advantages 

 of sprouting in boxes. Growers of early potatoes must 

 always stud}' the locality, and know whether late May 

 frosts may be expected, as to plant early varieties such 

 as Ninetyfold and Puritan, with fine, well-grown sprouts, 

 very early in such places would be certainly unwise. 

 Strong growers will require the drills at least ^2 inches 

 apart and the sets 15 inches apart, including all the 

 main crop varieties, and British Queen, while 28 inches 

 apart and the sets 12 inches, would suit Ninetyfold and 

 Puritan, good earl}- varieties. In planting, if the ground 

 has not been manured in the autumn, use well-decayed 

 manure and a liberal dressing of a good, artificial 

 manure- superphosphate, 5 parts ; sulphate of potash, 2 

 parts, and sulphate of ammonia, 2 parts — ^4 ^^- to square 

 yard will produce rapid growth. 



CaL'LIKLOWKRS. — Autumn sown cauliflowers have 

 wintered well, so that there will be no scarcity of early 

 heads. In planting out, lift each plant carefully with a 

 ball of soil attached to the roots, and select a well 

 sheltered, suimy border for the earliest crop. Cauliflower 

 plants dearly love manure, and ground for them should 

 liave been deeply dug, oi', better still, trenched and 

 heavily manured during the winter. Carefully attend to 

 the airing of those sown in heat in Januar\' to prevent 

 them becoming drawn, so that they will be in good 

 condition for planting next month, a like remark applying 

 to onions, leeks, lettuces and Brussels sprouts raised in 

 heat and singled out into boxes and frames last month. 



Celery. — Sow the seed for the main crop of celery in 

 boxes on a gentle hot-bed. Attend to earl}- celery sown 

 in boxes, and as soon as they are large enough dibble out 

 into other boxes, lifting careiuU}' to pieserve the roots. 

 Use fine, rich soil for filling the boxes, placing a good 

 inch of deca}ed manure in the bottom of the boxes, and 

 make firm. The roots will ramble through it, and the 

 plants will lift with fine balls attached when planting out. 



Carrots. — Young carrots are geneially wanted as 

 early as possible, and these ought to be grown in frames 

 on hot-beds, though even when frames cannot be spared 

 I have often raised good roots by making a mild hot-bed, 

 and placing on lop of it a temporary frame made of an 

 eleven inch wide board and one inch ttiick, putting 

 inside this board 8 or 9 inches of fine, friable soil and 

 sowing the seeds 1 inch deep in lines 9 inches apart. 

 Radishes on mild hot-beds grow very quickl}-, and if a 

 few seeds are sown through the carrots many nice, 

 tender roots can be had, for when sown early in the 

 open they grow very slowly, and are often very much 

 injured by slugs and fly. 



Turnips. — Early Milan turnip gives grand crops 

 when grown on mild hot-beds with or without a covering 

 of glass. Seeds of this variety if sown now and 

 protected from birds, and given an occasional dusting of 

 soot and lime, should produce a good crop. Any other 

 variety if sown early generally runs to seed. 



Seeds. —Make successional sowings of beans "broad," 

 peas, sp'.nach, lettuce, &c. (For varieties see calendar 

 in January number.) Towards the end of the month 

 make sowings of cabbage and early broccoli seed 

 on a well-sheltered border. Brussels sprouts should 

 also be sown, covering with a net immediately to prevent 

 birds taking the seed. Leeks should also be sown this 

 month in the open, sowing thinly one of the varieties 

 recommended in January number. 



Onions. — See separate article adjoining. 



We have now come to a time in the year when all 

 work must be pushed forward before a more busy season 

 arrives. 



A Note on Onion Growing. 



THE past season was not favourable generally to 

 well-grown and ripened crops of onions, yet in a 

 few cases in this county I saw such remarkably 

 fine crops of well-ripened bulbs that I asked myself what 

 aie the causes of so many complete and partial failures. 



1 am inclined to blame late and thick sowing, want of 

 proper preparation of the ground, and injudicious thin- 

 ning. Taking the preparation of the ground first, w-e 

 all know that almost any kind of land will grow good 

 onions if properly prepared — a loamy soil, not too heavy 

 and of good depth, being the best, as it takes much less 

 preparation than stiff clays and very light soils. No 

 matter what kind your soil is, trench it deeply — 2 to '^ 

 feet — giving a good dressing of manure during the 

 winter. With light soils I like to get all trenching done 

 as early as possible in order to allow the soil to settle 

 before seed sowing ; and also, if light soils are trenched 

 during February and March- — during the drying winds 

 that we often have in these months — the ground gets 

 parched up, and the crop suffers if a dry summer follows. 

 With hea\y, stiff clays it is often preferalsle to defer trench- 

 ing till the ground is dry in February or March, Of 

 course dig such ground up rough for the winter, unless 

 occupied by another crop. Give a dressing of lime, )4 lb. 

 to the square yard, on surface cif ground after trenching 

 and two or three weeks before sowing seed or planting 

 out the onions, if raised under glass. Give the ground 

 a dressing of artificial manure— 3 parts superphosphate, 



2 parts kainit and i part sulphate of ammonia or nitrate 

 of soda ; mix well, and apply at the rate of 4 oimces to 

 square }-ard (avoid mixing superphosphate and nitrate 

 of soda till immediately before using), or give a good 

 dressing of soot and wood ashes, and lightly fork in. 



Many gardeners who grow onions well make it a rule 

 to follow celery with onions, only digging in a good 

 dressing of manure as early in the winter as the celery 

 is used, and immediately before so\v-ing seed they give 

 the ground a good dressing of lime, soot and wood ashes. 

 The deep cultivation and heavy manuring lor the celery 

 is a grand preparation of the ground for the onion crop, 

 leaving- it easy to work in early spring ; and there is no 

 doubt that the state of the ground when sowing is an 

 important matter in the success or failure ot onion 

 growing. If the soil is warm, free, and not retentive of 

 moisture, get the seed sow-n the end of February or early 

 in March — that is, if the weather permits. On cold, stiif 

 clay soils March is quite eaily enough to sow the seed. 



Before sowing rake over the plot, gathering- oft' any 

 stones, and Jeaving level. Next draw shallow drills, 

 9 to 12 inches apart, as by having" rows at this distance 

 hoeing is easily done and much hand-weeding avoided. 

 Cover in the seed with the feet, making the ground firm, 

 and finish neatly by raking the plot over. It is a good 

 plan to leave an alley 18 inches wide between every six 

 rows of onions. Hoe frequently all through the growing 

 season, once the onions are up, to encourage growth, 

 giving a dressing of soot and any other good manure 

 weekly. Weak liquid manure is of great value, 

 especially on light soils. Thin early, but not severely, 

 as if large onions ai-e required they are more easily got 

 by sowing seed luider glass. 



When growth is finished, bend over the tops carefully 

 by the hand ; doing this with a rake, as is generally 

 done, must cause much mischief to the bulbs by bruising. 

 After the tops are a couple of weeks bent down pull and 

 place in the sun to ripen. W'. T. 



The Dwarf Bean is a very pretty and productive 

 variety for srnall gardens. Its small green beans, if 

 gathered before ripening, are scarcely inferior in 

 flavour to Marrowfat peas. It may be sown more 

 closeh- than any other longpod bean, and is excellent 

 lov early work. P. J. K. 



