IRISH GARDENING 



J5 



Shrubberies. — In many gardens there are 

 corners lilled with conunon shrubs, as Laurel and 

 Privet, that would be niuc-h improved if replanted 

 with choicer shrubs and flowering plants. The 

 present occupants could be cleared out now, the 

 grovmd dug or trenched, and some manure or new 

 soil added. Planting will be best deferred till 

 the end of March. When ordering the plants, 

 include a good proiiortion that give colour in 

 the autumn and winter, either by variegated 

 foliage or berries ov coloured stems. It is at this 

 season that the shrubbery is more i)rominent 

 when the beds, and even the herbaceovis borders, 

 are dull and comparatively uninteresting. 



Azaleas and Khododendrons need topdress- 

 ing every second year, and it is better if done 

 annually owing to their surface rooting habits. 

 They like i)eat, but loain, free from lime, mixed 

 with leaf-mould, will do equally as well. Place 

 a layer 2 or 3 inches deep over the grovmd as fav 

 as the branches cover. 



Heed Sowing. — >sot many seeds need sowing 

 this month, but Antirrhinums and East Lothian 

 Stocks should be got in without delay, also 

 librous-rooted Begonias may be sown late in the 

 month and the tuberous-rooted if the stock of 

 tubeis is small. 



Preparing Ground. — Any beds not lilled 

 with s])ring flowering subjects may be nianured 

 and trenched or dug, and the surface left rough. 

 The trenching will helj) to rid the soil of slugs 

 and insects, while the beds will be in good order 

 when ])lanting time arrives. The ground where 

 it is intended to grow Sweet Peas should be 

 l)repared now if not done already. Trench it 

 '6 feet deep, adding a heavy dressing of manure ; 

 mix the manure with the soil as the work pro- 

 ceeds. The toj) soil may be left rough, the 

 rougher the better, but it is advisable to break 

 up any lumps in the under soil. 



Reminders for Stormy Days. — Get stakes 

 pointed and tied in bundles of different lengths 

 for Dahlias, Delphiniums, etc. Tallies may be 

 made, large ones for the herbaceous borders, 

 smaller ones for the seed beds. When birch or 

 snowberry branches can be got, time niay be 

 l>r<>fitably spent in making a good stock of 

 i)rooms. Should snow fall, look around for any 

 laden trees and relieve them with a pole, or 

 serious damage may be done to some choice 

 specimens. 



The Fruit Garden. 



By 1'eter Brock, Horticultural Instructor 

 for Co. Fermanagh. 

 The cultivation of fruit for commercial purposes 

 is increasing steadily, and in many cases very 

 satisfactory returns are now being obtained from 

 (•om])aratively young orchards. 



Pj.antin(; Preparations. — If tlu; weather and 

 coiuiition of the land j)ermit, such woi'k as drain- 

 ing, digging, and i)loughing may be given 

 attention. Where horse labour can be apj)lied 

 cart" should Ite taken io loosen the i)anned ci-ust 

 that is li-e([uently found too neai' the siU'face 

 to be suitable foi' laying down to fruit i)lantations. 

 If no sj)ecial trenching imjjlement is available, 

 1 have found a cast-off ])lough from wliich the 

 coulter and mould -board have been removed 

 suital)!e for loosening the bottom of the fui'row. 

 In this way the plough i)an, if it exists, is broken 

 and the land evenly deepened and aerated to a 

 suitable depth. Land that has been cidtivated 

 for green crops in ridges is generally in the best 



possible condition for planting orchards, the 

 si)litting of the I'idges, if only^one year from lea, 

 being as a rule sufficient to give a depth of 

 18 to 20 inches of loose surface. 



Planting. — Trees arriving from the nursery 

 should — if the weather is open — be immediately 

 unpacked, and any strong roots with a down- 

 ward tendency or those that have been roughly 

 cut with the s]jade should be cut back to sound 

 wood with a sharp knife, then they may be 

 heeled in a trench and the roots firmly covered 

 with tine soil. Treated in this way the callusing 

 of the wounds on the roots goes on as well as if 

 they were permanently ])lanted. If, however, 

 the trees arrive during hard frost, place the 

 package, unopened, in some outhouse and cover 

 with littier till the frost goes. Do not attempt 

 to plant when the land is in a mortary or 

 saturated condition. So long as the trees are 

 safely heeled in they will be quite .safe, even if no 

 chance should occur of getting the land in a 

 suitable condition till Jlarch. If planting should 

 be done under a bright sun or drying wind do 

 not allow the roots to become dried l^y laying out 

 too many trees ahead of the planting without 

 temporarily covering the roots. Whatever spac- 

 ing and arrangement is decided on it is an 

 advantage to have the position of each tree 

 marked with a peg, or, if the trees i-equire a 

 permanent stake for a few years, the stakes 

 should be driven before the planting is started. 

 Avoid planting too deep, especially on heavy 

 land. The earth mark on the trees showing the 

 depth they had been growing in the nur.sery is 

 a safe guide. Plant firmly by treading with a 

 jerk, so that the fine soil will be ])laced in close 

 contact with the roots. Secure the tree to tiie 

 stake with fibre coir rope, better known as 

 " haryi)ed " or hay rope, by iirst placing a collar 

 of cloth on the tree, then wind the roi)e three 

 times round the stake, near the top, to form a 

 pad for the tree to rest against, and clas|) the tree 

 by crossing the roi)e between the stake and the 

 tree, and tie behind the stake. If there is any 

 risk of rabbits or hares peeling the trees each tree 

 should get a thick coat of lime wash, or, better 

 still, place a collar of wire netting round each 

 tree. 



Manuring. — If not already done, any trees or 

 bushes requiring assistance with topdressing of 

 farmyard manure shovdd be attended to. Those 

 situated on the coast and within reach of sea- 

 weed should have plenty of this valuable nuilch- 

 ing washed up on the shores of late, and if such 

 is now applied ft) such gross feeders as black 

 currants, let it extend fully as far as the rt>ots; 

 afterwards apply about two three-gallon biu-kets- 

 ful of liquid manure from the drainage of 

 stables oi' byres, it will be suificient to i)roduce 

 a vigorous growth and the finest |)ossible samjile 

 of fi'uit. Old trees stunted from starvation and 

 overcro])i»ing deiive great bi-nedt fi'om occasional 

 waterings duiing winter with li(|uid maniu-e. As 

 a ride too much mamu'c is ap|>lied to young trees 

 and not enough when they come into full heaving. 

 Following a seasi>n such as the past, when so 

 riaiiy orchard ti'ees ]»roduced little or no friiit, 

 an ai)plic;ition of two tons of lime to the statute 

 acre would, in nuiny cases, be mcire beiiedcial 

 than farmyard manure. 



Winter Sprayincj. — Tlu^ greater i)art of the 

 injuries caused by fungoid and insect jjests is 

 largely due to the accunuilation of ijarasitic 

 growths which afford a favourable shelter and 

 pro])agating groimd for such as pa-^s tin- winter 



