IRISH GARDENING 



107 



is a practice of wortn, but that is not always 

 reliable. Newly potted plants may be dry and 

 give off a dull sound, thus deceiving the novice ; 

 it is most reliable when the pots are full of roots. 

 The observant eye and a true knowledge of the 

 plant under care is the necessary reciuisite to 

 good watering. A very important factor also 

 in relation to indoor watering is the atmosphere. 

 During hot sunny weather evaporation is ra])id. 

 consequently more water to the roots, followed by 

 s])raying of the foliage when the sun's rays ])ass, 

 should be given to kee]) the atmosphere moist and 

 favourable to good growth. A sudden change 

 from a hot spell to cold, sunless, wet days will 

 produce such an 

 effect as to make 

 watering often iin- 

 necessary for days 

 together, and sy- 

 ringing is on such 

 days, under certain 

 ci r c u m s t a n c es, 

 harmful. The air 

 is so fully charged 

 with moisture that 

 unless artificial 

 heat is great, pot 

 ])lants di'aw their 

 own supply from 

 the air. Another 

 mistake often made 

 is that of watering 

 injudiciously newly 

 ])otted plants. 

 Small plants ready 

 for potting on are 

 generally greedy 

 for water, and the 

 inexperienced man 

 applies moisture in 

 the same lavish 

 way after ])otting, 

 thus souring the 

 soil and checking 

 the plant. 



A plant after 

 pinching requires 

 less water until 

 fresh growths have 

 " broken " and are 



cases it would be wasting nioney and bringing 

 about disaster to give a soil that in which it is 

 already rich. 



The farmyard liquid manure is the best, and 

 when diluted to a safe strength a few ap]>lications 

 will prove its worth. 



Xo plant should be given liquid manure until 

 the roots have taken |)ossession of the pot in 

 which it grows, and a very dry pot should be 

 watered with clear water before liqiiid manure is 

 given ; the roots will the more readily assimilate 

 the liquid then without harm to the plant. It is 

 also wise to apply such|Waterings in the evening 

 or early morning, according to the aspect, but 



certainly not under 

 a hot sun. This 

 period is short, so 

 it naturally follows 

 that the man ready 

 to grasp every need 

 of the iJlants under 

 his care will make 

 the best of them. 

 In case these 

 notes may be taken 

 as condemning the 

 use of artificial ma- 

 nures I desire to 

 say, on the contrary, 

 in skilful hands, 

 intelligently used, 

 the possibilities of 

 artificials are very 

 great. 



Dutch Irises. 



A NEW race of 

 hybrid Irises was 

 raised some years 

 ago by Mr. ('. B. 

 Van Tubcrgen. the 

 noted bulb grower 

 in Holland. 



These Irises are 

 ill many res])ects 

 similar to the well 

 known and very 

 beautiful Sjianish 

 Tiisi's, but arc more 



ready to use up the Gabriel Metsu, one of the New Eahly Flowering Ditch vigorous aiul flower 

 sap that the main j„^j^ flowers Pearly White, Pale Blue and Orange. about a fortniglit 



earlier. The coli>urs 



leader used pre- 

 vious to its exci- 

 sion. A plant or tree under the ])rocess of disbud- 

 ding requires the same consideration, and, if the 

 work is done at a favourable time, the water 

 needed will be appreciably lessened. 



Watering with liquid manure is another oft 

 abused operation ; the many, com]ilete and 

 incom])lete, fertilizers now on the market are a 

 source of temptation to the grower anxious for 

 quick results. The imagination is readily lircd by 

 the descriptions accomi)anying most of these 

 manures; doubtless the testimony of the \isers is 

 correct, and great things have l>een acliieved with 

 the judicious use of artificials, but we must also 

 examine our soil and the condition of the plants 

 before applying artificial liquid. Certain ]>lants 

 will suffer from the use of certain salts ; while 

 some soils are rich in those elements which form 

 the greater part of some artificial manures, 

 therefore no general rule can be taken, as in many 



are quite equal to 

 those of the Si)anish Iris, many delightful shades 

 of bitie and blue conihined with yellow to nearly 

 whit(^ being found among the various varieties. 

 There seems no diHiculty whatever in their 

 cultivation, since iilanted under the same condi- 

 tions as the Spanish and Knglish Irises they 

 thrive quite satisfactorily. It is evident that 

 where a good show has to be maintained over as 

 long a ]>eriod as possible these hybrids an; of 

 inestimable value. For cuttinu too. now (lowers 

 .ai'e so ])o]iulai' with a.ll classics, they will be much 

 sought after, ])articularly as they (lower just when 

 the i)ulkof early l)ulbs are over and the early sum- 

 mei- (lowers are not (piite at their full beauty. 



.Fust at present the ]n-ice is sonu'what high for 

 buying in large quantities, but no doubt the bulb 

 growers will remedy this very soon when i)ro])a- 

 gation has increased the quantity of biilbs avail- 

 able for market. 



