144 



IRISH GARDENING 



Correspondence 



Catalogues 



Dear Sfr,^ — Are y<m awau' that Traiiia 

 auriculae ever infests J)ahlias 'i This iiioinius^ I 

 took off a large shoot of a Dahlia which ha<l 

 unfortunately been broken off just below the 

 ground by the wind. The portion of the shoot, 

 to which a little clay adhered, was sini])ly a mass 

 of the above pest. The Dahlias theiuselves do not 

 apparently suffer, as we always have theiu 

 excellent. But the Primroses which we i»laiited 

 along the edge of the border are threatened with 

 extermination, and I have had to again remove 

 a few choice old Pompadours which late last 

 autumn I transplanted and washed with Quassia 

 and tobacco water. I wonder can you or any of 

 your subscribers say whether the neighbourhood 

 of the Dahlias has been found to encourage 

 this very serious nuisance or suggest a really 

 effective remedy ? C. S. S. Elliott, 



The Rectory, Hacketstown, Co. Carlow. 



Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland 



At a special meeting of the council, held at the 

 society's offices, 5 Molesworth Street, Dublin, 

 on the 11th ult., it was decided, owing to the 

 existing crisis, to abandon the holding of the 

 Autumn Show. A balance sheet of the Summer 

 Show was submitted and approved, accounts, 

 including the prize list, being ordered for pay- 

 ment. It was further decided that the usual 

 monthly council meeting, due on Friday, 14th 

 ult., should not be held. The followig were 

 elected members of the society, viz. : — 



Mrs. Bruen, Oak Park, Carlow, projjosed by 

 Mr. Jocelyn H. Thomas ; Mr. H. Bill, Chapelizod, 

 proposed by Major S. C Hickman, D.L. ; Miss 

 Kelly, Sea])ark, Clontarf, ])roposed by the Sec- 

 retary ; and Mr. G. Doolan (practical), 11 Rush- 

 brook Avenue, Belfast, proposed by Mr. W. S. 

 Irving. 



The Secretary begs to intimate that subscrip- 

 tions of members joining now cover for the year 

 1915. 



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Captain W. Harcourt Webb, managing director 

 of the extensive seed firm of Messrs. Webb & 

 Sons, Ltd., of Wordsley. Stourbridge, who is with 

 his regiment, the Staffordshire Yeomanry, has 

 offered the Government some of their huge ware- 

 houses for purposes of stores or hospital work. 

 The directors have also arranged to look after 

 the families of all the their eniployees who may 

 be called out. 



It may be of interest to note that a class in ITorti- 

 c ilture will be held at the Municipal Technical 

 Institute, Belfast, two evenings each week, com- 

 mencing wSept. 15, 1914. This class is designed to 

 meet the requirements of gardeners, seedsmen 

 and others who intend to sit for the National 

 Diploma of Horticulture Examination to be held 

 in .June, 1915. All persons interested in Horti- 

 culture, whether amateur, api)rentice, or i)ro- 

 fessional gardeners, may attend the course, full 

 particulars of which can be obtained from the 

 Principal, The Municipal Technical Institute, 

 Belfast. 



The issue of Sutton's Mulb Catalogue for 1914, 

 a coi»y of which has just been received, is a timely 

 remiiuh-r that theic must be no delay in forming 

 plans for the (;oming season. To ensure a 

 succession of flowers from November onwards, 

 potting should commence as soon as the bulbs 

 are obtainable. Roman and Italian Hyacinths, 

 and early Nartdssi and Tuli])s are especially 

 valuable for cultivation in an artificial tempera- 

 ture, their fragrant blossoms being highly prized 

 for all indoor decorative ])ur])oses in winter. 

 Highly attractive though a comprehensive disjday 

 in the conservatory or greenhouse may be, it is 

 in the open ground that the wonderful i-angeof- 

 colours which only bulbous flowers can produce 

 is most thoroughly appreciated. They may be 

 grown in formal beds and borders ; associated 

 with s])ring bedding ]ilants to create harmonious 

 blendings or pleasing contrasts ; planted in 

 woodland walks, under trees, by the sides of lakes 

 and streams, and on grassy hedge banks, or used 

 with telling effect on rockeries. A notable feature 

 of Messrs. Sutton's i)ublications is the reproduc- 

 tion of attractive illustrations. The cover of the 

 woi"k before us shows two especially charniing 

 views, ])hotographed in natural colours, repre- 

 senting a striking bed of Tulips glowing in bright 

 spring .sunshine, and a delightful WMiodland scene 

 enlivened with clum])s of Daffodils. Sutton's 

 Hybrid Freesias in exquisite tones of orange, pink 

 and mauve also form the subject of a coloured 

 plate. We notice that Sutton's Purity, a new 

 Freesia of exceptional size and substance, recently 

 received an award of merit from the Royal 

 Horticultural Society. We understand that 

 Messi's. Sutton's regular customers for bulbs will 

 shortly receive a copy of this list, and all tho.se 

 intere.sted in the culture of winter and spring 

 flowers will find it a serviceable and reliable guide. 



Messrs. Little & Ballantyne send a cata- 

 logue of " Bulbs. Roses. &c.," for 1914. Early 

 orders are solicited by this firm, and purcliasers 

 are well advised to place their orders in good 

 time, for when bulbs are i>lanted early in the 

 season roots are quickly formed and one has 

 every chance of good flowers in the following 

 spring. This descriptive and illustrated list 

 gives a good selection of all the }4<ipular bulbs, 

 seeds for autumn sowing, and a I'hoice list of 

 Roses. Orders for l)un)s from Ireland for 10s. 

 and upwards are delivered free to Irish stations. 



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Owing to the Perthshire Sweet Pea and Rose 

 Society's Show at Perth having been abandoned, 

 The Boundary Chemical Co., ]jtd., Liverpool, 

 have decided that under the circumstances the 

 " Simplicitas " Trophy will be com]ieted for at 

 Perth Show, 1915. We have forwarded to Mr. 

 Tom Jones, Ruabon, who won the Troi)hy for 

 Wales at Carlisle Show, 1913, a Gold Medal in 

 commemoration of the event. 

 The Ann'ial Show of the Newtownards Horti- 

 cultural and Horse Jumping Society will be 

 abaiuloned for this year owing to crisis arising 

 from the war. — DaviD Orr, Sec 



The Kilkenny Horticultural Flower Show, fixed 

 for Sept. 3rd, will not be held. — F. E. Butler, 

 Hon. Sec. 



