90 



IRISH GARDENING 



higher up on the stem than last year's. Break 

 up the clump, choosing young pieces with only one 

 crown, and plant deep enough t(i well cover the 

 young growing roots. These can be ])lanted in a 

 dam]) place till the autumn, and the space they 

 occupied in the flower border can be filled with 

 annuals or such like for the summer. To get the 

 best results with Polyanthus they niust have 

 plenty of nourishment and ])artial shade ; they like 

 the manure well rotted and mixed with leaf-mould. 



Most of the s])ring flowering rock plants are 

 over and will want attention. It is a great 

 mistake to let any of them set seed (unless, of 

 course, seed is wanted for propagation). All the 

 Arabis family and the Aubrietias and C'erastiums 

 may be cut hard back, leaving only a very little 

 of last year's growth ; they look very bare for a 

 short time, but in a week or so new growths 

 appear and make a thick carpet of fresh foliage. 

 If this is not done the plants are ajjt t(j get bare 

 in the centre or oldest part with long bare trailing 

 growths that get blown about and broken in wind. 

 Prom the new shoots that appear after the cutting 

 pieces can be chosen for cuttings if moreplants are 

 wanted. Choose sturdy shoots and, if possible, 

 break them off with a " heel " of the old wood; dibble 

 them in very firmly in a north or cool border. 



Alyssums do not want such hard cutting, but 

 if they are sj)reading too nxuch they will stand 

 hard cutting if it is done now. 



All Violas, at the end of the month, when their 

 best bloom is over, ought to be cut back, the soil 

 loosened round their roots, well watered, and if 

 liquid manure is available a little of it given them 

 after a watering with clear water will hel]) them, 

 and they will begin to bloom again in .July with 

 renewed vigour. If a stock of young ])lants is 

 wanted, cuttings can be made of the new growth 

 that start from the base of the old plant. 



As a rule amateurs either do not prune their 

 flowering shrubs at all or else they clip them with 

 a shears in the autumn, which is perhaps even 

 worse. For (with the exception of the mauve 

 Buddleias and some of the Spiraeas and a few 

 others which flower on the current season's 

 growth) the best time to prune is immediately 

 after flowering. Use a sharp knife or secateur, 

 prune them fairly hard, especially if they are 

 young plants, keeping the whole bush a good 

 shape. Wall shrubs, such as the blue Ceanothus, 

 Forsythia, (fee, ought to have their young growths 

 tied to the wall at the same time. If clumps of 

 Delphiniums, Michaelmas Daisies, <&c., are very 

 big when staking, cut out from the base all the 

 weak shoots ; this gives all the more room and 

 nourishment to the stronger ones, and the effect 

 from the plant as a whole when it is in blossom 

 is tremendously improved. 



Bomarea Caldasiana. 



This is a climbing plant suitable for training to 

 a pillar or on the wall of a greenhouse or conser- 

 vatory. In habit it resembles the Lapagerias, 

 producing from its base shoots which grow 

 rapidly and often attain a length of 16 to 20 feet, 

 terminating with large umbellate inflorescences 

 of drooping, bell-shaped flowers. Culture is of 

 the easiest. It thrives luxuriantly if planted out 

 in a well-drained border, in a compost of loam, 

 peat and sand. When once established, little 

 attention is needed beyond that of tying in the 

 long twining shoots. It is a native of the Andes 

 of Ecuador and New Granada, at an altitude of 

 8,000 to 10,000 feet, and is figured in the Bot. 

 Mag. t. 5442. G. H. Banks. 



American Gooseberry Mildew. 



General Eemarks and IxFoKiMATiox. 



It will probably now be conceded that, wherever 

 American gooseberry mildew is ])revalent, new 

 methods of cultivation will to some extent be 

 necessary in order to place the growing of goose- 

 berries on a safe commercial footing. Where 

 gooseberries are being grown under the shade of 

 trees, so closely crowded that no s])raying can be 

 done, the consequent lack of ventilation and the 

 delayed drying of the bushes and soil after rain, 

 mists, or heavy dews, cause outbreaks of the 

 mildew to assume epidemic proportions, and all 

 such plantations are doomed. 



The plantations likely to prove comniercially 

 successful in withstanding the mildew are those 

 in which the following conditions of cultivation 

 are found: — (1) An open situation. (2) Bushes 

 not too closely planted. (.3) Bushes of a variety 

 that will not be injured by si)raying. (4) Bushes 

 with a natural unforced growth, such is obtained 

 naturally in a good soil, or by well- 

 balanced manuring. Excessive nitrogenous 

 manuring, e.g., heavy dressings of organic 

 manures, causes the bushes to produce sappy 

 shoots which become virulently attacked by 

 mildew. Experiments with the best commercial 

 varieties should ba undertaken to ascertain 

 whether " spur " pruning, under which system 

 the tipping of diseased shoots does not reduce 

 the next season's crop, has advantages from 

 the point of view of dealing with the disease ; 

 or whether the abundance of young shoots in- 

 duced by " spur " pruning is a serious handicap. 

 At any rate, such varieties as Cousins' Seedling 

 should be pruned in such a way as to encourage 

 an upward growth of the branches. 



With regard to the direct methods that can 

 be employed against the mildew, it seems clear 

 that the early removal and destruction of the 

 diseased shoots and berries is essential for suc- 

 cess. Mildewed berries must b? removed before 

 the ripe winter-stage has formed on them. 

 Spraying with lime-sulphur on the lines indicated 

 b'low may prove to b? a valuable help, but it 

 is second in value to the removal of the shoots 

 and berries. If through negligence the early 

 removal of the affected shoots and berries is not 

 carried out, and the soil thereby becomes in- 

 fected with the perithecia, repeated sprayings 

 may be powerless to save the crop or prevent 

 outbreaks on an epidemic scale. 



The lime-sulphur spray at full strength (1.01 sp. 

 gr.) can be used during the early part of the 

 season, April to .Fune, and probably during 

 .July in niost years, on the following varieties, 

 without causing any serious injury, even when 

 applied several times successively to the same 

 bushes : — Whinham's Industry, Bifleman, War- 

 rington, May Duke, Howard's Lancer, Gunner's 

 Seedling, and Cousins' Seedling (Sandwich 

 Yellow), and, when growing in a shaded posi- 

 tion. Berry's Early and Lancashire Lad. 



The following varieties are liable to be injured 

 if the bushes are sprayed many times succes- 

 sively, or if they are situated in a sunny posi- 

 tion : — Berry's Early, Freedom. Lancashire Lad, 

 and Crown Bob, and it is therefore advisable to 

 iise " half-sti'ength " lime-sulphur (1.005 sp. gr.) 

 on these varieties, and to avoid spraying late in 

 the season. 



The varieties Yellow Bough (Golden Drop) 



