86 



IRISH GARDENING. 



flowers will find that it may be possil)le to do 

 certain gathering over and manuring, and per- 

 haps replanting, or to prej^are for next season's 

 Sweet Peas, &c., during December, when time 

 would not have been available sooner. The high 

 prices of various fruits, as obtainable from the 

 shops, have led many to think of growing their 

 own Apples, Pears, Plums, &c. For small gar- 

 dens, single certain trained specimens (vertical 

 or oblique) grown on dwarfing stocks will, as 

 a rule, give the best results, for covering walls, 

 trellises, archways, &c. A few bush bowl or basin - 

 shaped specimens, also on dwarfing stocks, may 

 be found room for. While such fruits as Straw- 

 berries, Gooseberries, and Currants are always 

 worth growing if properly looked aftei'. When 

 buying fruit trees obtain them from reliable 

 firms. Consult the County Horticultural In- 

 structors, local gardeners, &c., as to the b sL 

 varieties for your own locality, and grow the 

 better class varieties, which are worth the room 

 rather than those of lesser value. 



W. H. J. 



The Month^s Work. 



Midland and Northern Counties. 



By W. G. Ne.we, Gardener to Lady O'Neill 

 Shane's Castle, Antrim. 



Kitchen Garden. 



The autumn and early winter of 1917 have been 

 a record as far as my memory goes for wet 

 weather; the ground has been saturated so that it 

 has been impossible to wheel and work on it. 

 At the first opportunity manure will be got on to 

 the vacant plots and the digging and trenching 

 will be proceeded with ; that is the principal work 

 in this department for this month, and it pays to 

 do it well. As I mentioned before, drcp dingiiuj 

 is the secret of good vegetable growing. There 

 is too much of blackening the surface (it will do 

 well enough they say), but they wonder what is 

 wrong with their crops when dry weather sets in, 

 for the roots are not down deep enough, hence 

 they suffer at once, or you see the effects of it 

 now during this wet weather. There is a hard 

 bottom and the water is lying in pools and cannot 

 get away, consequently the soil becomes sour and 

 unfit for vegetation, so that deep digging, or 

 better still, trenching is essential. 



The forcing of Rhubarb and Seakale must now 

 have constant attention in order to obtain satis- 

 factory results. The crowns must be permitted 

 a certain period of rest before introducing them 

 to the heat ; some varieties force better than 

 others and these should be selected. The roots 

 should be carefully lifted with a good ball, and 

 placed in a northern aspect, with only some litter 

 to cover them, then according as they are required 

 they can be placed in the desired heat in batches 

 according to the demand or market. Seakale 

 treat the same, only preserve the best restlets in 

 bunches for next year's plantation. 



Onions. — The bulbs should be examined fre- 

 quently and decayed ones removed. Owing to the 

 constant damp a lot of them are growing on the 



shelves. The growths should be rubbed off and 

 the growing oiu^s used first. 



MusHuooMS. — Make fresh beds as soon as suit- 

 al)le material is available. 



Fruit G.\rden. 



The planting of all fruit trees, which was re- 

 commended in last month's calendar, could not 

 be done owing to the wet soil. No time should be 

 lost when weather conditions are favourable to 

 finish off all new plantations, so that all may be 

 done before the old year is out. Finish off with a 

 imdch of manure and see that they are staked and 

 tied securely. The pruning of wail trees, training 

 iind tying of same, should be pushed on if weather 

 is at all suitable; it is a mistake to leave all till 

 early spring, wdien there is a rush in all depart- 

 ments. Collect and burn all the prunings as the 

 work proceeds, then spatter the weed ash round 

 tiie base of the trees.'" 



Insects. — The present is a good month for clear- 

 ing trees of insect pests, for growth is dormant 

 and strong specifics jnay be employed. Follow out 

 previous instructions and spray, spray, .spray ! 



Flower G.-vrden. 



This is the Jjest time if alterations are to be 

 done to rough shruljberies (Laurels, &c.). It can 

 be done in almost any weather if it is dry over- 

 head. The ground should be thoroughly cleared 

 of all pereiniial weed, such as nettles. Bishop 

 Weed, Convolvulus, &c. 



Herbaceous Borders can still be lifted and re- 

 planted, when the borders dry up somewhat. 

 Roses can noAv be planted. Prepare the beds 

 thoroughly with plenty of good loam if you want 

 good results. Do not plant too deep, spread out 

 the roots and make firm. Keep the walks and 

 beds clean and tidy; free from leaves, &c. Sweep 

 lawns and roll regularly. 



Bedding Plants. — Keep a sharp look out for 

 decayed leaves in the boxes of Zonals. Give air 

 to Violas and Calceolarias on fine days. Keep 

 mats in readiness in case of frost at night. Get 

 stakes gathered in and tied in bundles in the 

 sheds. Cover Dahlia tubers in case of severe 

 frost; even if in a shed the frost will penetrate 

 to them. Cut Imck Clematis of the Jackmani type 

 and uuilch them with rotten manure. If any new 

 Climbers for the walls are required now is a good 

 time to plant. There are some lovely Clematis 

 and they can he planted with great effect in any 

 dark corners. 



Southern and Western Counties 



By Ernest Beckftt, Gardener to Lorrl 

 Barry more, Fota. 



Kitchen Garden. 



Preiwration for early Crops. — Every advant- 

 age should now be taken of getting the soil 

 worked for the reception of early crops whenever 

 the weather permits of so doing. Borders facing 

 south and south-west, be they ever so narrow, are 

 a great boon, and especially when lying under a 

 wall. Much will depend upon what they are in- 

 tended to be used for, as to their preparation, 

 liut in any case decj) cultiration will be a boon; 

 but here I would certainly recommend keeping 



