IRISH GARDENING. 



gators peg" the runners to the ground, but a stone does 

 equally well, as the runner roots quickly if the soil be 

 fairly moist. 



General Remarks. — Wherever liquid manure is avail- 

 able use it on black currants or raspberries. The best 

 time to put it on is after rain, but have it well diluted 

 at other times. Keep the hoe at woik constantly, 

 especially- under fruit bushes. Dig out all suckers grow- 

 ing at the base of pkmi, apple, or pear trees. 



e^* ^^ e^^ 



The Vegetable Garden. 



By WILLIAM TYNDALL, Instructor {n Horticulture, Co. Kildare 



WK are now at a time of the year when it 

 is well to take stock of the various crops 

 and note results, as in this month most 

 of the crops will have been sown or planted. 

 Yet ever in the vegetable garden soniething 

 needs attention. Attend to the directions g'iven 

 last month and stake, thin or earth up all crops 

 as they advance. Keep the ground clear of 

 weeds and from the leaves and stems of cabbag"es 

 turnips, potatoes, &c., as they are daily g-athered. 

 (For utilisation of this rubbish, see pag^e loi.) 



Considering- that last year was unfavourable 

 for the harvesting- of seeds, they have germinated 

 this season much better than might have been 

 expected, and when failures occur it is generally 

 due to insect pests or to sowing too early, 

 or to unsuitability of ground. 



Leeks. — If large enough to transplant remove to 

 deeply dug well-manured ground, and if a large quantity 

 is required they can be planted in row^s about fifteen 

 inches apart and eight inches from plant to plant. When 

 planting, put the dibbler deep in the grc>und, making a 

 deep wide hole, put a plant in each hole and let a little 

 soil drop down around the roots, but do not fill up the 

 holes as the thickening stems of the plants will fill up the 

 space. If the plants are only placed on a level with the 

 ground there will be much less of blanched stems, un- 

 less the plants are earthed up like potatoes, and this 

 should be done when the plants are growing, as then 

 they blanch more easily. 



Cabbage, — To have cabbage fit to cut early in the 

 spring ought to be the aim of all farmers and cottagers. 

 It is one of the best of spring vegetables, yet one that 

 often fails to come at the time through several causes. 

 Bolting, sowing the seed too early or too late, delaying 

 planting out till October, and sowing unsuitable varieties 

 being a few of the reasons. The end of the first week of 

 July in cold a.nd late localities, and about the middle of the 

 month in warm places, is not too soon to sow the first lot 

 of seed of such varieties as Flower of Spring, Excelsior 

 and EUam's Early, making a second sowing about two 

 weeks later. There should then be no want of good 

 plants for putting out from the middle of September till 

 the end of that month. Formerly the end of July was 

 the time cabbage seed w-as generally sown, but since 

 the introduction of the medium-sized early hearting 

 varieties mentioned above this date has been found 

 much too late by at least two weeks. 



Tl'rnips. — This month may be considered the best 

 time for the sowing of turnips for autumn and winter 

 use, as the plants from these sowings will be fit to pull 

 in September and on till the end of the year. Orange 

 Jelly and Black Stone are two of the best. The sowings 

 should be made in two or three lots. 



Salads. — Continue to sow lettuce, radishes, spinach 

 and endive on cool borders so that they may last in con- 

 dition for use longer. 



Bee-keeping. 



By T. MAGUIRE, The Orchard, Hnniskillen. 



=^. 



=/A 



IT is to be hoped that July will prove a month better 

 for the bees than its predecessors, which have 

 proved disappointing, though not quite so bad as 

 last year, when the feeders were in constant requisition 

 till the middle of July. There is yet time to take a good 

 crop of honey : the clover is just in, and granted 

 sufficient heat, all will be well. 



Unless in districts where heather or blue-button is 

 accessible to the bees it is useless to put on supers after 

 the middle of the month except in the case of an extra 

 strong stock which may be hanging out for want of room. 

 With such a stock the best plan is to put a super ou U>p ; 

 the bees will at least draw out the foundation, and pro- 

 vide bait sections for next year. 



Queen rearing will now require attention. It is 

 absolutely necessary to provide yoiuig queens if stocks 

 are to be at their best next year. Last season was so 

 bad that many stocks did not get re-queened, so it will 

 be doubly necessary to have that matter looked after 

 this year. Queens should be reared from the best stocks 

 only. The average amateur will not have to resort to 

 any artificial means to induce queen rearing. The best 

 stock will be pretty sure to build queen cells (not 

 "green cells," Mr. Printer, as you put in last month : 

 cells are never " green," though printers sometimes are), 

 which can be utilised in the various nuclei as they appear. 

 In case the queen cells are not forthcoming, however, 

 deprive a strong stock of its queen. In about four days 

 give that stocka frame of eggs from the best queen, 

 removing any cells that may be formed on its own 

 combs. Any time from eight to fifteen days after the 

 eggs are laid the cells, which will be built and sealed, can 

 be removed and given to nuclei prepared for them. It 

 is best to use spiral wire protectors for the cells, as the 

 the bees sometimes destroy them. 



Some people will require to increase their stocks. 

 The best method of increase is the natural one of swarm- 

 ing. The swarm should not be fitted up in a new 

 position, as is generally done. It should be returned to 

 the old stand, giving it fresh frames of foundation, and 

 returning its own supers and the bees therein on top. 

 The old brood combs should be divided up into nuclei, 

 giving three or more combs, containing at least one 

 queen cell, to each. Makeshift boxes can be rigged up 

 for them in the absence of spare hives, and, if the hive 

 allow of it, one of them can be accommodated at the 

 back of the main stock. The others can be dotted round 

 the apiary. A generous quantity of young bees should 

 be shaken into each, as the old bees will all return to the 

 main colony. They should be carefully attended to in 

 the matter of feeding when necessary, and robbers must 

 be specially guarded against. These nuclei will work 

 up strong Ijy the end of the season, and, if united, will 

 make splendid stocks for wintering. The spare young 

 queens left after wintering should be used, of course, to 

 replace old ones elsewhere. 



The natural swann can be anticipated when queen 

 cells are found building, and an artificial swarm made. 

 This will save the bother of hiving the swarm and avoid 

 the risk of its going off and being lost. Take out the 

 required number of combs with queen cells for each 

 nucleus, shake some more young bees into them) and 

 remove to new positions, being careful to leave the old 

 queen in the parent hive. The flying bees will go back 

 to the old stand, but the young bees will remain to nurse 

 the brood. The old combs, of course, are to be replaced 

 in the parent hive with frames of foundation. 



