156 



IRISH GARDENING 



especially if one's plants are near the roof glass : 

 but,, otherwise, " unless in very heavy trost," a 

 few mats are all that is needed. When Ihe ])lants 

 begin to grow very freely, which is about the 

 month of March, and when the pots being fairly 

 filled with roots, not before, it is tinxe to give a 

 little assistance by way of sonae weak diluted soot 

 water, horse and cow manure, and sheep 

 nxanure. Stoi) feeding immediately the plants 

 show bloom. Be careful to shade plants during 

 the hottest part of the day when in bloom, as this 

 keeps the blooms in better conditions, and also 

 prolongs the flowering season. I often wonder 

 why one sees so little of these showy Herbaceous 

 Calceolai*ias. A house witli a side stage all round 

 of Calceolarias and centre stage of Shizanthus, 

 such as the variety Ilawlmark " Excelsior," is 

 a sight not easily forgotten. 



Hints to Novices. 



By May Chosbie. 



During this nxonth and next all woody cuttings 

 can be put in. Under this head come trees, all 

 hardy shrubs (practically all can be propagated 

 by cuttings), gooseberries, currants, and roses. 



The method is much the .same for all. Before 

 making any cuttings prepare the ground that they 

 are to go in. If you can choose the position — a 

 sheltered eastern or north-western aspect is best, 

 but any position that has not a full south or 

 south-western exposure will do. Dig the gi^ound 

 deeply, breaking it up very thoroughly, adding 

 wood-ashes, road sci'apings or sand, to keep it as 

 fine as possible. Leave it a week or longer to 

 settle before putting in the cuttings. 



A very great many Roses do just as well on their 

 own roots as if they were budded, and it is always 

 well worth trying them ; in fact even a great 

 many budded Roses in sonae soils do not seem to 

 thrive until they have thrown out roots of their 

 own from above the junction with the stock. 

 All " garden " Roses and almost all the Climbers 

 are certain to be successful. The Wichurianas — 

 that is the popular class to which Dorothy 

 Perkins, Hiawatha, &c., belong — are very quick 

 rooters and quick to make large plants. 



When making the cuttings, choose well 

 ripened young shoots about G or 8 inches long ; 

 if possible get them with a " heel " — that is, to 

 tear them off just where they join an older branch, 

 and you will then get a little of the older wood 

 attached to the piece yovi have taken off. Pare 

 the rough-torn surface quite smooth with a shar]) 

 knife. If you cannot get a good i)iece with a 

 heel, cut it straight across just below^ a leaf. 

 Open a narrow trench 6 inches deep in the pre- 

 pared ground and place the cuttings about 4 or 6 

 inches apart against the side of trench. Fill in 

 soil and tread firmly, being careful that the 

 cuttings are kept in an upright position. 



The preparation and planting of gooseberry 

 cuttings is the same, except that the cuttings 

 should be at least one foot long, and all the buds 

 rubbed off except live at the top of cutting, and 

 they should be planted 6 or 8 inches dee]) in the 

 ground. Rubbing off the buds carefully, 



especially all those at the base of a cutting with 

 a " heel," will ensure later on a plant with a nice 

 clean stem and very little chance of suckers from 

 the base which are so troublesome to keep cut 

 away. Red and white currants are done the 



same way, but black currants should not have any 

 buds rubbed off, as a con.stant supply of young 

 growth from the base is needed if you want to get the 

 best out of the Ijushes, as the best black currants 

 are always borne on the young wood. All these 

 cuttings will want moving into a nursery bed 

 next autumn, where they will remain for another 

 year before i)lanting in their permanent position. 



For shrubs, both deciduous and evergreen, the 

 cuttings need only be a few inches long, of course 

 with a heel if possible, and are better dibbled into 

 the ground ; if there is sand available put .some 

 in the bottom of each hole, and be sure that the 

 base of the cutting rests firmly on it. Remiember 

 with all classes of cuttings firm planting is one of 

 the most essential jioints towards success. In 

 the thaw after a s])eU of frost it is well to look 

 over the cuttings and to make firm again in the 

 ground any that have been loosened by the frost. 



Of soft cuttings, Viola, Pentstemou and Calceo- 

 laria cuttings can be made, but 'they should be 

 put in under a frame or else in boxes in a green- 

 hovise. In the case of Violas, the shoots from the 

 base that have not yet flowered are the right 

 ones to take. Choose the sturdiest pieces and 

 cut them straight off just below a leaf, leaving 

 cutting about 3 inches long. There are always 

 plenty of nice, short, firm shoots on Pentstemons 

 now that can be broken off with a nice heel. 

 The soil for these ought to be light and fine, old 

 ]iotting soil is excellent. If boxes are used for 

 them, they must have holes in the bottom for 

 drainage and a good layer of moss or fibre put 

 in bottom of box before soil is put in, so that the 

 drainage holes do not get choked. 



Aconitum Wilsoni, 



The majority of the tall-growing plants in the 

 border flowei'ing in late autumn produce flowers 

 of a yellow shade which renders the pale purple- 

 blue flowers of this Monkshood particularly 

 welcome. In deep rich soil it reaches a height 

 of well nigh 6 feet, and the erect stems being 

 exceptionally stiff the plant requires little staking. 

 Early in September it commences to open its 

 large- hooded flowers, and after the terminal 

 I'aceme has finished, secondary flowering branches 

 are produced from lower down the stems, and 

 these prolong the flowering season for many 

 weeks. It is an exceptionally reliable plant, 

 flowering splendidly every year no matter 

 whether the season has been favourable to plant 

 growth or otherwise. Like so many more of the 

 ])lants which have been introduced to our gardens 

 in recent years, this Monkshood hails from China, 

 and is rapidly becoming well and favourably 

 known. 



Caryopteris mastacanthus. 



The number of shrubs whicli flower in late 

 autumn is by no means large, and amongst these 

 the above occui>ies a prominent place. In- 

 digeneous to China and Japan, it is unfortunately 

 not quite haxdy except in the milder districts, and, 

 when planted, care should be taken to give it a 

 good warm position in well drained soil. Indivi- 

 dually the flowers are small, but so freely are they 

 carried that the shrub, when in flower, is literally 

 a ma.ss of blue. We sometimes see this plant 

 described as the Blue Spiraja, but it has no 

 affinity with the Spiraea, being really a member 

 of the Verbena fanaily. 



