IRISH GARDENING 



33 



;iii(i Biitisli (jueeii 8 tons 17 cwts. — the two l.ittfi' 

 being second earlies. 



The variety Silrer Sim m im I:, wliicli is white- 

 skinned, and tlie better kmnvn SlKiiiiitjck. were, 

 we understand, purchased frmn Messrs. Rowan, of 

 Capel Street, Dul)lin, fo]- inc hision in tliese trials. 



Useful early varieties nni mentioned in tiu' 

 above trials are Duke of Ymk. Kdzell Blue, and 

 Midldthidu Eiirltj; liiitisli (Jiieen and Grent Scot 

 are reliable second earlies; while for niaincrop 

 and late varieties in addition to the .S'/kihicoc/,-.? 

 and Ken's Pink, Lorhin-, Tinwald, Peifectiuii , 

 Arifin Chief and Anaii Vicfai i/ are worthy of note. 



M((liijn's V'liiijiilVuiu . a new late variety, is well 

 spoken of, and has given remarkable results, but 

 is still ratlier dear for general planting. Drill 

 planting is the best for most soils, and for the 

 strong growers such as Shiunrock the drills slioidd 

 be not less than 2 feet 9 inches apart, and the 

 "sets" lb inches apart; for varieties of the typ<' 

 of 1iiifix]i Queen 2 feet 6 ini-hes between the drills 

 and one foot between the " sets " is generally 

 suitable. 



Recommendations as to manuring cannot be 

 safely made without a knowledge of local con- 

 ditions. Light soils generally require moie 

 manure than those of a heavy nature, and soils 

 without lime are better of an occasional dressing, 

 especially if they liave been frequently manured 

 with dung. 



On an average soil with sufficient lime a useful 

 inanurial dressing consists of four or five barrow- 

 loads of dung per sq. rc?d (oO) sq. yds.), which may 

 be supplemented by a dressing of 1 lb. of nitrate 

 of soda scattered in the drills when planting. 

 The best plan for small areas is to spread the 

 dinig evenly over the ground in winter and dig 

 it in; then jilant the Potatoes on the level by 

 means of a trowel or spade and mould them up 

 as the tops grow. This allows of scattering the 

 artificial manure between the rows and covering 

 it in as moulding proceeds. 



B. 



Garden Merit. 



The Council of the Royal Horticidtural Society 

 has just established a new award for ornamental 

 plants, especially intended to mark plants of 

 proved and outstanding excellence for garden 

 decoration. It is to be known as the Award of 

 Garden Merit, and will l.ie be.stowed by the 

 Council on the reconunendation of the Wisley 

 Garden Committee, generally but not necessarily 

 exclusively to plants which have been thoroughly 

 tried at Wisley. It may he given to plants long 

 grown in our gardens as well as to more recent 

 introductions, provided they are of outstanding 

 merit in their class, and do not require very 

 special treatment to bring out their excellencies. 



The first award was made at the meeting of 

 January 31, 1922, to Homnmelis moUis. This 

 Chinese species of a genus represented by H. ai- 

 liiiieii and H. jdponiiii in .Japan, and H. riigini- 

 (uiii and //. renidlis in America (all of them now 

 grow'lng in British gardens), was introduced in 

 1879 by Maries to Messrs. Veitch's Coondje Wood 

 Nursery, Init did not become well known for a 

 long time. It is the finest of the genus, Ijoth in 

 flower and foliage, and particularly valuable in 

 the shrub border in .January, when it produces 

 its delightfully fragrant golden-yellow flowers in 

 profusion in clusters along the bare last year's 

 twigs. The long narrow petals are straight (not 

 crumpled as in other members of the gentis), rich 



golden-yellow except for the reddisli base, and set 

 m a red-brown calyx, smooth within and hairy 

 without. The busli grows to six or eight feet in 

 height (possibly more), and has stout spreading 

 branches. It is accommodating as regards soil, 

 but grows best in good loam. When young, a 

 little leaf soil aids i(, but later it can "fend for 

 itself. It requires no pruning unless to correct 

 a slight tendency to sprawl. It would be easy to 

 err, however, in attempting to confine it too 

 rigidly, for its spreading habit is one of its 

 cliarms. It grows well at Wisley, both in the 

 wood and in the open border, on the hill side and 

 on the flat of " Seven Acres." It was figured in 

 the Botanical Magazine, t. 7884. 



Fred J Chittenden. 



Vegetables for Exhibition. 



It is a common experience when visiting Horti- 

 cultural exhibitions to hear remarks— nof always 

 complimentary— concerning the quality of the 

 exhibits staged and adjudicated upon' by those 

 competent to form tlie best opinion. Perhaps this 

 criticism is directed to vegetables more particu- 

 larly, as during the last five or six years the 

 growers of such have increased in great numbers. 

 Amateurs form the hulk of tlie army of food pro- 

 ducers, and it is amongst them that competition 

 is very keen, and not infrequently one hears, 

 from those wjio have refrained from sliowing, that 

 they "could have beaten that lot." Old exhibitors 

 are acquainted with that kind of criticism, and 

 it does not, as a rule, trouble them very much. 

 The unfortunate part about it is that tliose who 

 are given to criticising do not trouble to bring 

 what they have grown, and allege to be better. 

 Competition is most excellent for everybody, as, 

 after all, it is that which goes to make up a show, 

 and friendly rivalry is calculated to promote 

 comradeship. 



The New Exhibitor. — These notes are mainly 

 written for those wlio are frcsli in the field as 

 exhibitors, or who have had little or no success 

 up to the present. From a long experience, I 

 have come to the conclusion that the one who 

 decides to show his produce for the first time 

 either does not make his plants early enough or 

 aims at too much. It is well in the first instance 

 to procure a schedule of the proposed show as 

 early in the season as possible, and to select a few 

 entries in which one may venture, growing a 

 small number of varieties well rather than attempt 

 a great number of only ordinary merit. It follows, 

 of course, that one should grow a sufficient 

 number of any one variety of vegetable, in order 

 that, as the date approaches, there may be more 

 than the actual quantity required for show to 

 select from. This rule, of course, obtains in show- 

 ing whatever one may contemplate. 



Studying Schedules. — It is most important that 

 the intending competitor should carefully study 

 the conditions governing the various classes in 

 the scheclule, as, unless he does so, disappoint- 

 ment may result. For instance, the number of 

 vegetables staged must not be exceeded, and par- 

 ticular attention ought to be given where it is 

 stipulated " fit for table." On more than one 

 occasion I have heard acrimonious discussion on 

 the first prize being awarded to small vegetables 

 whilst much larger jiioduce of the same kind had 

 been given only third place — notably in the case 

 of Vegetable Marrows and Cauliflowers. Bigness 

 is not always a sign of goodness, and in the cases 



