194 



IRISH GARDENING. 



examined twice a year at least, and any sijcns of canker 

 be cut out ; afterwards apply a mixture of lime and cow- 

 manure to the wound. Canker is often caused by 

 branches being- carelessly broken or bark injured by 

 animals. American blig^ht can be detected at the same 

 time, the white, cottony substance indicating its 

 presence. Pure paraffin oil should be used to destro}' 

 the aphis, painting it on with an old paint brush. 



General Remarks. — Collect all prunings of currants, 

 g^ooseberries, apples, &c., and get them burnt. Weeds 

 and rubbish of every sort should be similarly disposed of, 

 and the ashes spread as a top dressing around some of the 

 productive trees. Where bullfinches are giving trouble, 

 shake a mixture of soot and lime over the gooseberry 

 bushes ; this will make the buds, which these birds are so 

 fond of, distasteful. It is a great advantage to apply 

 the mixture when the bushes are wet, or at least pretty 

 damp. At this lime of the year liquid manure is plentiful, 

 and often allowed to waste. Such inanure, if given to 

 black currants, old bearing trees, g-ooseberries, and 

 even old strawberries, will repay the trouble. I have 

 seen old raspberry canes g-reatly improved by winter 

 applications of liquid manure. The very best time to 

 apply it is after rain. At other times, if the liquid is 

 strong, it should be diluted with water. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



By William Tyndall, Instructor in Horticulture, 

 Co. Kildare. 



THIS, so far as the calendar goes, is the end of the 

 year, and the chief work in the g-arden is trench- 

 ingf, turning- over rubbish heaps, and burning 

 pruning-s and other refuse. Ashes in most g^ardens 

 are good for the crops ; on heavy soils they are very 

 valuable, and should be spread over the surface and 

 pointed in after the g-round has been prepared for 

 cropping-. 



Get any work in the way of alterations finished as 

 soon as possible. As leaves have now finished falling 

 have them all gathered so that the garden may have a 

 tidy appearance. 



Towards the end of the month some kinds of seeds 

 can be sown under g-lass either in boxes, such as 

 cauliflower, tomato, and Ailsa Craig- or Cranston 

 Excelsior onions for exhibition, or on a hot-bed, as 

 in the case of carrots, radishes and lettuce. 



Seed catalogues will now be comings in and will re- 

 quire careful examination during the w^inter evenings. 

 Lists should be made out of good standard kinds that 

 you know to be reliable, and also any varieties you may 

 have made a note of during- the past season as improve- 

 ments on those previously g^rown. But unless you have 

 actually seen " novelties " growing- add them with g-reat 

 caution to the list, as very often they prove no better 

 than the old varieties they replace, even if as good. On 

 account of the cold, wet September the germinating 

 power of many seeds may not be so good as usual, so do 

 not cut down the seed order, as failures in germination 

 often occur. A reference to your pocket book (which 

 all g-ardeners who wish to obtain success as cultivators 

 should keep) will let you know if an increased supply of 

 any particular vegetable is required, and order accord- 

 ingly. This is the time to get a good supply of leaves 

 gathered for mixing with manure later on for forcing. 

 A supply of leaves, or, better still, leaves and manure 

 combined, cannot be over-estimated, even where the 

 forcing of vegetables is mostly'done in pots heated by hot 

 water. Prepare also suitable soils for potting ; that 

 from old cucumber and melon beds do well for most things. 



FciRCED Potatoes. —Too much care can scarcely 

 be taken on the storing and preparation of potatoes for 

 forcing, for on this largely depends whether the result- 

 ing crop will be satisfactory or not. If some sets are 



required for forcing in pots or planting in heated pits 

 place them singly m boxes in a warm house exposed to 

 light, and keep moist. They will soon produce good, 

 strong sprouts, and these should be reduced on each 

 set to one, or at most two. The soil for planting them 

 in may consist of two parts loam and one of old mush- 

 room bed manure and decayed leaves. Good varieties 

 for forcing are Puritan White, Ninetyfold, and Sharp's 

 Victor, the former for a heavy crop and the latter for 

 quality being hard to beat. 



Seakale. — Very often the finest seakale is to be had 

 by the old method of forcing the roots where they are 

 grown, the crowns being covered (after the ground 

 has been forked over and cleaned) by seakale pots, 

 boxes, or screened ashes, cover with stable manure or 

 manure and leaves, and be careful that the mixture 

 does not get so hot as to injure the crowns. This is 

 probably the easiest way for amateurs to get early 

 dishes of this delicious vegetable. 



RhltbArb. — Not very much heat is required in mild 

 weather to start early kinds of rhubarb. If established 

 crowns are covered with tubs, barrels, or boxes with- 

 out lids and inverted, and a further covering of three or 

 four feet of manure or manure and leaves added early, 

 supplies may be obtained. 



Cabbage and Spinach. — It is very remarkable how 

 much better these two vegetables stand severe weather 

 when the ground is kept clean, the plants not grown 

 thickly, and the soil well drained. Sow in the open 

 plots in preference to sheltered borders under trees and 

 the plants will be much hardier. During wet and snowy 

 weather such work as making labels and stakes can be 

 done imder cover ; also cleaning out and white- washing 

 sheds— in fact anything that requires doing and can be 

 done do, so that we may start the new year with no 

 arrears of work. 



The Cottage Flower Garden. 



By P. Mahon, Gardens, Killeen Castle, Dunsany. 



THE past season has been a successful one to some 

 cottagers, whilst, on the other hand, many may 

 have met with disappointment, occasioned by 

 failures of seeds, &c. , perhaps by sowing too deeply or 

 from many other causes. However, this is no reason to 

 become disheartened, as experience of the past, 

 whether attended with success or otherwise, should only 

 serve as a valuable guide in securing the best results 

 during the coming season. 



By this time many cottagers will have their vacant 

 bordei-s furnished 'with spring-flowering subjects, such 

 as tulips, narcissus, daffodils, wallflowers, myosotis, 

 arabis, aubretia, &c. W'indow boxes may also be fitted 

 with any of these. Acubas, veronicas, euonymus, &c. , 

 answer this purpose very well, during the winter months 

 especially, where foliage plants are appreciated. Wall 

 shrubs should receive attention by having a mulching of 

 manure around their roots. In doing this care must be 

 taken to prevent its coming in contact with the stem 

 or trunk. All vacant ground should be ridged as soon as 

 possible in order to get the full influence of the frosts. 

 Where slugs and other pests are troublesome a dressing 

 of soot, wood ashes, and lime will be of much service in 

 exterminating these unwelcome visitors. Ground in- 

 tended to be occupied by sweet pea should be deeply 

 trenched, box edgings should be clipped, and all blanks 

 made up. Remove all fallen leaves, and have all the 

 surroundings looking clean and neat. 



^^ ^^ e^^ 



The most curious thing of all is that the people on 

 this planet have not yet come to realise that their man)- 

 sufferings arise mainly from their own ignorance. 



— Huhhard. 



