mtSH GARDENING 



tit 



sliould be taken up and stored in a shed. They 

 can then be cleaned, divided and graded in wet 

 weather. Where Narcissus and other bulbs are 

 growing in grass they are now sufficiently ripened 

 to allow of the grass being mown. 



Roses. — All dead blooms and seed ])ods should 

 be picked off. Any sucker growths coming 

 from the stock take out carefully. Give liberal 

 applications of liquid nianure, and hoe the soil 

 next day to conserve the moisture. 



Insects must be looked for and kept down. 

 Do not wait for the a])pearance of mildew, but 

 give a syringing with some s])ecific once a week, 

 being careful to wet the under sides of the leaves. 

 July is the best month for budding Roses. Make 

 sure that the sap is running freely in the stocks. 

 A thorough watering given to dry stocks will 

 bring them into condition in a few days. If the 

 bark can be lifted readily after making an incision, 

 the stock is in a suitable condition. Quickness 

 is always very essential in budding, but es])ecially 

 so if a drying wind is blowing. Insert the bud 

 in the stock without delay, and tie as firmly as is 

 consistent without bruising the bark. 



Pot-pourri. — Sometimes there is a demand for 

 scented petals and leaves for ])ot-pourri. Gather 

 the petals of full-blown Roses when quite dry, and 

 spread thinly on an airy shelf. Lavender flower- 

 spikes should be cut when well opened, tied in 

 small bunches, and laid to dry. They will need 

 turning over occasionally for a few weeks. The 

 growths of the lemon-scented Verbena (Lip])ia 

 citriodora). also scented Geraniums, may be 

 treated likewise. Lavender hedges may be 

 trimmed after the flower-spikes are gathered. 



The Fruit Garden. 



By Peter Brock, Horticultural Instructor 

 for Co. Fermanagh. 



The i)rospect of record crops of fruit that looked 

 so fair at the time of writing last month's work 

 was very much marred by the frost on the night 

 of the 24th and morning of 25th May, which came 

 witli such a Christmas-like smack, scorching all 

 kinds of young vegetation on high and low ground 

 alike. At first it looked impossible to estimate 

 the extent of the damage done to the a])ple crop, 

 as Bramley and several other varieties were 

 dro])i)ing and had nearly drop])ed all their 

 blossom, and reached the stage when they are 

 considered safe from ordinary airs of May frost. 

 Hardy shrubs and trees, such as laurels and 

 rhododendrons, ash, beech, silver fir and s}truce 

 were in many ])laces as sevei'ely scorched on the 

 young growths as if by fire. The low day and 

 night t('m])eralures which followed and continued 

 for a fortnight decided the fate of many promising 

 orchards for this year. V]) to the end of the 

 lirst week of this month the a]t]>le cro]) appeared 

 to bo, as it were, in the balance Ix'tween a hang- 

 lire and a miss-lire. I'nfortunately too mariy 

 iiav<' sufi'er(!d the worse fate. Orchai'ds in this 

 country are left too much to cliance and at the 

 mercy of a few degrees of frost when much could 

 be done to mitigate its efTect by keeping up the 

 tem])erature with smudge fires, such as are so ex- 

 tensively and successfully employed in the great 

 fruit growing districts of xVnierica. The value of 

 well-chosen positions for natural shelter and 

 shelter belts have never within mv recollection 



been shown to better advantage than during the 

 late cold spell, as I see some such places where 

 the frost and subsequent cold wind has not been 

 quite sufficient to reduce the crop to what the 

 trees can carry to maturity without overtaxing 

 them and lowering the quality of the fruit. Such 

 conditions are, of course, the exception and not 

 the general mile. Gooseberries and l)lack currants 

 have fared rather badly by the frost, the former 

 being softened and drop]>ed off, and the latter 

 reduced to a few fruits at the base of the stalk. 

 Plums and damsons were also affected by the 

 cold sna]», but they promise to total a fair crop. 

 Strawberries. — This inii)ortant crop has also 

 suffered considerably from frost, and is now being 

 checked for want of rain. The heavy showers 

 which accompanied the thunderstorms of the 

 past two days will assist the swelling of the fruit 

 that escaped being sni])ped before the blossom 

 dro])ped. This is a good time to make ]»re])ara- 

 tions for new plantations. There is no croyi 

 which responds more profitably to liberal cultiva- 

 tion. The plant is deep-rooted and a gross 

 feeder. It is, therefore, obvious that to obtain 

 the best results the land should be deei)ly dug or 

 trenched, and well enriched with farmyard 

 manure. Land which has recently been heavily 

 manured for spring cabbage or early potatoes will 

 this month be cleared of these cro])s. and can be 

 easily prepared so that the planting may be done 

 as early in August as it is ])ossible to have the 

 runners sufficiently rooted, and the ground damp 

 enough for ^tlanting. Plantations formed in 

 August with strong, well-rooted runners, pre])ared 

 as directed last month. ])roduce the linest dessert 

 fruit several days earlier than can be obtained 

 from older plants. The distance a])art is a matter 

 which the soil and situation control. On rich, 

 deep, well-sheltei'ed land Royal Sovereign requires 

 from 24 to 30 inches between the rows and from 

 12 to 18 inches apart in the row, or they may be 

 planted 12 inches apart in the row and every 

 alternate ])lant hoed out immediately after the 

 first crop is gathered. In this way a heavy crop 

 can be procured the first year. Runners for jn-xt 

 s]>ring i)lanting should V)e raised and placed in a 

 nursery, taking care not to overcrowd the plants, 

 so that they can be raised with a g<»od ball of 

 earth when required. Old plantations should, 

 immediately the cro]) is gathered, be cleared of 

 runners and afterwards thoroughly hoed and freed 

 from weeds. 



Mantring. — Trees carrying a full cro]) derive 

 great benefit from occasional waterings with 

 weak maiuire water, such as the drainage from 

 manure hea]>s, stables, or byres. If the weather 

 should be very dry tlu- trees should be first 

 watered with clear water. Weak and often is a 

 golden rule which should be strictly observed in 

 a|>i>lying manure in licpiid form. Light dressings 

 of nitrate of soda. ] \h. to 20 square yards, and 

 applied at inteivals of ten to fouiteeii days, but 

 should not l)e a])plied later than lirst week in 

 August, will materially assist the develoinuent of 

 a heavy crop witlKUit overtaxing the trees. 



Skasonahi.k Cri/nvATiON.- — Ccuitinue to per- 

 severe in keeping the. surface free from weeds 

 and maintain a good mulch of dust. There is 

 nothing like it for preventing escape of moisture 

 and keeiiing the trees in a vigorous condition. 

 There is a disi)osition with some who have been 

 hard hit with the frost to let their trees get over- 

 grown with weeds. This shows a great want of 



