THE IRISHMAN'S FAVORITE. 



147 



avoid washing out the seeds. Al\va}s keep 

 the soil moist. Should it become dry after 

 germination begins the plants will never 

 fullv recover or be as healthy as if properlv 

 cared for. 



Pressing Down the Soil 



^lark each lx)x with a label giving the 

 name of the variety and date of planting. 

 \\'hen seedlings show their first pair of 

 leaves developed and the next pair started 

 they should be transplanted to give more 



root room. Boxes such as have been used 

 to sow seeds in will be the best, or seed pans 

 flower pots, or any other article of a similar 

 nature, will do. 



Seedlings should be lifted carefully and 

 the soil around their roots not broken. Take 

 the plant between the thumb and finger of 

 the left hand, and with a small stick make 

 a hole in the soil deep enough to cover the 

 plant close up to the leaves and press the 

 soil firml}- around the roots. Give a light 

 sprinkling with water, and shade for a few 

 days until the roots begin to grow and the 

 plants stand up, after which place in the 

 strong sunlight. Turn the box every few 

 days as the plants always grow towards the 

 light. When the bright warm days come 

 the boxes should be placed outside during 

 the day to harden the plants before they are 

 planted in the garden. 



THE SHAMROCK IN IRELAND 



HORTUS SVLVA. 



SINCE \ ictoria of Blessed Memory pro- 

 claimed the wearing of the green on 

 the 17th of March all classes and conditions 

 of people try to get a shamrock to wear on 

 that day. It makes very little difiference 

 to the wearer of the shamrock what the 

 plant is so long as it has a three divided leaf. 

 Many varieties of plants are sold as the 

 " rale true shamrock of Quid Ireland," and 

 the less the>' know about it the more positive 

 they are of being in possession of the real 

 shamrock. 



Xo doubt the plant that St. Patrick used 

 to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity is 

 lost in antiquity, and at 'best we can only 

 conjecture as to the plant he used for that 

 purpose. Much has been written in the 

 past, some writers holding to one plant and 

 others just as positive to some other. It 

 would not be time lost to refer to some of 

 the plants that have occupied a promuient 

 place in those discussions. Botanical histo y 

 throws some Vxsrht. and is more reliable 'o 



guide us than folk lore or legends. White 

 clover has often been referred to, in fact the 

 writer once had a sod of clover given him 

 that was brought from Ould Ireland as the 

 real true Irish shamrock. The white or 

 Dutch clover was not introduced into Ire- 

 laiKl till about the i6th century, more than 

 a thousand years after St. Patrick had 

 passed to his rest, so white clover must be 

 discarded. 



Oxalis Acetosella. or Wood Sorrel, is a 

 plant growing in the woods all over Ireland 

 from time immemorial. Being common it 

 is considered a weed, but it is a lovely little 

 plant. There are two species, the white 

 and the yellow flowered. The plants resem- 

 ble each other very closely, but Stricta has 

 yellow flowers two to six on each peduncle, 

 the foliage being of a pleasing green color. 

 Acetosella has white flowers on a single 

 scape : the foliage is of a reddish green 

 color. 



In some parts of Ireland the peasants 



