46 



TRTSH GARDENING 



The Month^s Work. 



The Flower Garden. 



By Wm. Ci. Wadue, (iardeuer to Lady O'Neill, 

 Shane's Castle, Antrini. 



The Winter Aconites, Snowdi'oi)s and Crocuses 

 have already renewed the promise of spring, and 

 soon the Wallflowers, Polyanthus, Myosotis and 

 other j)lants used in the spring bedding sclienie, 

 besides bulbs and early flowering shrubs, will be 

 in fiower. Make the beds or borders and tlie 

 surroundings as smart as possible. Trim the 

 verges, malie uj) any blanks from the reserve bed, 

 and, when a drying day occurs, loosen the surface 

 soil with a hand-fork or hoe. The bloonr si)ikes 

 of Hyacinths must be supported in good time : 

 let the tie be loose or the flower stem may be 

 held down and broken. Attend to sweei)ing, 

 rolling and everything that promotes neatness, 

 (iravel i)aths that are worn shoidd have the 

 surface loosened and raked over, leaving it 

 higher in the centre than the sides, then a covering 

 of fresh gravel should follow. The mild winter 

 has encouraged the growth of weeds. Weed- 

 killer, used according to the maker's instructions, 

 is undoubtedly the best means of eradicating 

 these from walks, but for various reasons this 

 cannot be used on some estates : then hand 

 weeding or the hoe must be resorted to. A 

 word of warning regarding the weed-killer : Store 

 it where there is no possibility of its being used in 

 mistake for an insecticide. Lawns may requu^e 

 mowing before March is out ; much depends on 

 the weather. Before using the lawn mower 

 gather all rubbish strewn on the grass by storms, 

 and brush the i)arts near to gravel walks or 

 drives. If the whole can be rolled previous to 

 mowing so much the better. 



Climbinc; Plants and Shrubs. — Complete any 

 l)lanting in this department, see that all recently 

 planted trees are secure against strong winds, and 

 a mulching of manure should be given. Get any 

 re-labelling necessary done now. Climbers must 

 be pruned and secured to the supports before 

 active growth commences. How to prune must 

 be decided by the habit of the individual plant. 

 Cut away all foreright shoots, dead wood and 

 weakly useless growths. With young plants or 

 those that have not covered the space it is 

 intended they should, tie in the leading shoots 

 and as much other young wood as there is room 

 for, remembering to build up a well-balanced 

 specimen. Clematis .Tackmanni and other sub- 

 jects that flower late in the season from the 

 young wood should be cut hard back, excepting 

 a few main shoots to reach the top of the wall. 

 Other plants that flower on wood made the 

 ])revious season should have some young wood 

 laid in each year, and the cutting back should 

 not be done till immediately after flowering. 

 Most climbing plants are benelited by having a 

 large branch cut down to the ground level 

 occasionally ; this makes s])ace for younger wood 

 and kee])s the bottom of the wall furnished. 



Sweet Peas. — Remove the lights from autumn 

 sown plants, and only re]>lace them during 

 severe weather : stand the pots outside about the 

 20th of the month in a sheltered corner. At tlie 

 same time give the ground where it is intended 

 to grow them a dusting of superphosphate and 



soot, and fork it in to the top tlu'ee inches of soil. 

 A sowing niay also be nuide out of doors. 



Violas have begun to grow, and the cuttings 

 inserted in autumn must have more space. If 

 they can be |)lanled now in their fiowiu-ing 

 cpiarters, they will giv(^ the best ristm-ns, but when 

 they are usecl as edgings or ground work for beds 

 containing more tender s\ibjects, the N'iolas must 

 wait, but th'.^y may be planted in lines on a border, 

 and this will free the frame to be used for other 

 things. 



Gladioli. — These make an imposing display i>- 

 late summer, whether ])lanted in beds or in 

 clumps in the mixed borders. Plant the corms 

 early this month, placing a handful of sand under 

 and around each. 



Lobelia cardinalis. — Divide the clump, 

 shaking off the old soil, and i)lace the pieces in 

 pots or boxes, and grow on in gentle heat for a 

 few weeks, then remove to a cold frame. 



Rock Garden. — Reduce in size or number any 

 free gi'owing varieties that are likely to crowd 

 out smaller and perhaps choicer kinds. Loosen 

 the surface soil carefully with a hand fork, and 

 topdress any plants requiring it. Slugs will be 

 troublesome and must be checked. They seem 

 very fond of the young green shoots. The only 

 sure way is to search for them at night with a 

 lamp. Little heaps of bran placed amongst the 

 plants will attract them. Zinc collars, three 

 inches high, can be placed around the rarest 

 plants. 



Seedlings sown last month should be i)icked 

 oft' before they get crowded. The remainder of 

 the half-hardy annuals — Asters, Stocks, Mari- 

 golds, Phlox Drummondii and other things — may 

 be sown now. 



If the ground is fairly dry and the weather 

 favourable, sow seeds of hardy annuals late this 

 month ; better wait till April than sow on pasty 

 gi'ound. 



Propagatinc;. — Continue to insert cuttings of 

 Lobelia, Koniga, Iresine, Alternanthera, Helio- 

 trope, &c., till the stock is large enough. There 

 will be cuttings from the Dahlia roots ])laced in 

 heat last month ready for insertion. All cuttings, 

 when rooted, should be hardened off gradually. 

 Grow no plants intended for planting out later in 

 a strong heat. 



The Fruit Garden. 



By Peter Brock, Horticultural Instructor 

 for Co. Fermanagh. 



FoLLOWixci the month traditionally reputed for 

 filling dykes, the first half of which was for the 

 most part wet and stormy, and retarded si)raying 

 and other work in fruit jilantations, March, with 

 its lengthening days and drying winds, is likely 

 to be an extra busy time in the fruit garden, and 

 no opportunity should be missed to have work 

 W(^ll forward, so that there may be no arrears at the 

 end of the month. Those whose ambition it is to 

 l)e in the front rank in the !)roduction of lirst-class 

 fruit must be ])reiiared from now onwards to 

 meet the requirements of their trees and bushes 

 as they require attention. Fruit growers who 

 have liad fungoid and insect pests to contend 

 with in the past should anticii)ate their coming 

 again and be prepared to subdue them in the 

 early stages of attack, and any deficiency in the 

 store of spraying material to meet the require- 



