64 



IRISH GARDENING 



good s^rouiul lliese need not lie lliinucd loo 

 severely. 



Bketuoot. — For eai-liest use sow the M^'vplian 

 or Globe Jieei in drills a fool apart. 



ToMATOKS. — Pot on se(dlng8 as lic( oii;c.s 

 necessary and ])lant out for fniiting in beds or 

 lioxes lllicd partly witb uood fil)rous loam to wliicli 

 lias bren added a dusting of bone meal and a four- 

 incli ])otful of basic slag to each barrow load of 

 soil, but no quick-acting nranure should be 

 applied until the first truss of fruit commences to 

 swell. Plants that have be< ome leggy niay, when 

 planting, be laid down and the lower portion of 

 tlie stem covered, so as to bring the hrst truss 

 nearer to th'; ground. The eai-liest l)lossoms 

 sometimes set very ii-regularly, and generally need 

 lappin.g or lightly syringing about middle day. 

 (live air to the struc-ture whenever possible, and 

 if in pots water carefidly. Any vacant wall 

 spaces in i)cacli houses or vineries cannot l)e 

 utilised witli a much more profitable cio]). Kccj) 

 the side growths renu)ved before they be( ouu' too 

 large, but not just at planting or potting to 

 further check them. 



(•AULIFI.o AVERS. — Towards the end of the 

 month plant out those wintered in frames or sown 

 earl\ under glass and subsequently pri'-kcd out 

 and iiardened off. Less room will be needed for 

 these — fifteen inches between the plants and two 

 feet between the rows. If pigeons are trouble- 

 some protect with netting. The ground for these 

 diould be done well with manure, and choose a 

 sheltered site. Prick out into cold frames late 

 sowings, as the rough leaf is being formed. 



H AiiDY Fruit Garden. 



Pears and Plums will be flowering tliis moutli, 

 and tbose, especially on east or south-eastei'n 

 aspects, may be protected by means of light 

 tiffany b'inds or a couple of thicknesses of netting, 

 sucli as is used for protection against birds. If 

 blinds are used means should be adopted so that 

 they can l)e removed to allow bees to visit the 

 trees during the day. Peaches and Nectarines 

 must be closely watched as the growths develop, 

 and if aphis attacks them syringe on a mild day 

 immediately after dimier with quassia. Dis- 

 budding will have to be carried out gradually, 

 first removing badly jjlaced shoots and a few- 

 others where thickest. I always like to leave two 

 good shoots as near the base of last season's 

 growth as possible, one on the upper side and one 

 on the lovver, and when making the first tie, when 

 about six inches or so of gro,\th is made, if the 

 upper growth is safely secured, I remove the lovver, 

 or in the event of a mishap to the first retain the 

 lower. On a last seasoii's grovA'th exceedng a foot 

 in length I usually leave an intermediate gro\^ th 

 as well as the terminal, but overcrowding should 

 be strictly avo ded. Disbudding near the base 

 of the tree must be carefully done, otherwise 

 bare space will result. Tlie top of a tree can 

 always be filled, but not the bottom. See that 

 the trees do not suffer from dryness at the root, 

 and syringe daily, if possible, using one's own 

 judgment, accoiding to the weather and time of 

 day, and only, of course, when the young fruits 

 are well set and about to remove the flowers. 

 Do not thin too eai'ly. excepting twin fruits and 

 others badly placed. Prune newly planted 



Apples and other fruits, to induce a free growtli 



iiecessai>' to lay the foundation to a good tree, 

 and mulch the surface soil. 



F LOWER (iARI)i;.\. 



Hardy .\nnuals will be sown out of doors this 

 month Jf for filling gaps in tlie herbaceous 

 borders first break up the surface and make a 

 fine tileh, and sow thinly and tover with a little 

 finely prepared soil, and mark witli a stick, hi 

 such ])ositions allow the young plants to grow in 

 irregular shapes, so that one family verges into 

 the other 



Dalilias that have wintered in the ground will 

 need examination, as most likely they have 

 suffered to some extent from the frost. Old 

 clumps may be divided and replanted after well 

 working and liberally treating the ground to 

 manure. 



Cuttings ofbordci- Clirysantlicmums that liave 

 been propagated should be hardened \\ell off 

 l)ef(jre ]ilanting either in a break by themselves 

 for cutting or in the Ijorders. Pare patches on 

 'awns may be sown this month, and if the seed is 

 fh-st dressed with Horti( ol no loss may be feared 

 fi-om seed eating birds, such as chafiinches. 

 Shiubs that flower on the ])revious season's 

 groi\th, as exaiu])le, Forsytliias — should receiv 

 any pruning th.it is desiralile immediately on 

 passhig out of tloiver. 



The Sidalceas. 



CoM.MoXLY calUn! (Jreek .Mallows, the Sidalceas 

 include among tiieir number some of the showiest 

 summer and autumn flo.veiing liL-rbaceous 

 plants. 



Pelongin;'. to t!ie same family as the Hollyhock, 

 the flowers are somewhat similar to the single 

 form of that popular flower, but much smaller, 

 and the plants never attain the height of the 

 Holly irock. It is essential that the .soil for 

 Sidalceas should be rich and moist. In dry 

 ground they fail to flourish, and rarely last more 

 than a season. Given, howevei-, the proper 

 conditions they will continue to flourish tor 

 years, though it is a good plan to so\v a few 

 seeds occasionally, as young plants produce the 

 tine.st spikes of flower. 



A & border plants the Sidalceas are admirable, 

 forming very effective colour groups in good soil, 

 but it is in the bog garden or near the waters 

 edge that they reach the highest stage of per- 

 fection. There they will reach a height of from 

 4 to 5 feet, producing long, handsome spikes. 

 Flowering with tlie Astilbes and Spiraeas and long 

 after them, they contribute in no small way to 

 the beauty of the bog garden and water-side. 



Sidalcea Candida, probably the be.st known 

 specie.s> is a plaet of great beauty, producing 

 hanosome spikes of pure white flowers. S. 

 Listeri, a plant of garden origin, has prettily 

 fringed rosy pink flowers, and makes a most 

 effective group. 



S. malvfeflora, a species with rosy purjjle 

 flowers, is itself distinct and beavitiful. 

 and har_ produced mimerous varieties of even 

 greater beauty ; chief among these are atro- 

 purpurea. with darker flowers: -Mariana, with rosy 

 crimson flowers; Oregona. rose pink, and Hosy 

 Gem. now a very popular variety, with rosy 

 pink flowers in strong handsome spikes. 



