IRISH GARDENING 



Hardy Fruit Garden. 



Raspberries.— Tie in the canes when the weather 

 permits. When grown on wires, bend aU the tips 

 facing north or east respectively. The reason of 

 this is to preserve the length of cane and prolong 

 the. fruiting season. If grown on stakes tie in 

 ;; or 4 of the strongest and best ripened canes, and 

 bend the tips on to the next stake, thus archnig 

 the whole plantation. Clear away and burn all 

 ties and prunings. Lightly fork over the ,bed, 

 and add a dressing of well-decayed clean leaf-soil. 

 Should any Convolvulus appear it is best to plant 

 new beds on a well-trenche<l piece of ground in a 

 moist quarter of the garden. Then gradually 

 trench the site of the old bed, picking every piece 

 and burning it in the stoke-hole. 



Apples.— Continue to push forward the work of 

 pruning and spraying as quickly as possible dur- 

 ing mild soells. Watch carefully all varieties 

 that fruit on the tips of the growths. When using 

 a pruning saw, be careful to piire the edge of the 

 bark with a sharp knife, leaving a smooth surface. 

 This will cause the wound to heal so much l)etter 

 and quicker. Where grafts are required, save and 

 tie in bundles, and lay in l^ehind north walls. 

 Old orchard trees require to be gone over each 

 season, cutting back all cros.s-growths and thin- 

 ning the branches, so that light and air can reach 

 (he centre of the trees. Keep the grass away^ from 

 tlie stems, and see that ground vermin do not 

 attT.ck the bark. A piece of wire-netting 2 feet 6 

 inches high, placed around the stems and fastened 

 with an iron stake. I have found the best pre- 

 ventive. Choose fine quiet days for .spraying, and 

 the operator must protect his clothes and features 

 if using a caustic spray. Clean up each portion as 

 it becomes finished, burn all rubbish, give a dress- 

 ing of approved artificial, and carefully fork over 

 the whole surface, leaving everything smart and 

 clean. 



Red and White Currants. — When pruning Red 

 and White Currants, keep the centre of the trees 

 well open, and spur closely to the fruiting buds. 

 Keep all suckers well cleaned away. It is advis- 

 able to root a few Currants and Goose))erries each 

 season; by this means one has always a healthy 

 young stock. Cuttings may be taken off previous 

 to pruning, labelled, prepared and healed in 

 under a north wall, ready for planting the first 

 opportunity. Black Currants are hest pruned 



immediately the fruit is picked. Spray the trees 

 if insects are troublesome — lichen, etc. Clean up 

 and biu'n all prunings; give a good dressing of 

 manure, and neatly fork over the whole ground. 



Cherries. — Continiie to prune and train all 

 Sweet Cherries growing on walls. Leave rather 

 more growth for extension than for most trees. 

 lake off the surface soil to the roots of well- 

 established trees, giving a good top-dressing of 

 fresh loam and mortar rulilile, and dust the trees 

 over witli lime. 



Pears. — Push forward 11h^ work of pruning Pear 

 trees both in the open and on walls. Where the 

 spurs have become long and ungainly it is better 

 to shorten some of them riirlit back to tlie main 

 stem. Where trees are weak and growing in the 

 same .soil for years it is a very good plan to take 

 half of it away, replacing with a good sweet, strong 

 compost. P'or obtaining the choicest fruits I 

 strongly advocate Cordons. These are easilv 

 managed and give a far greater return for their 

 wall space. We are just starting tlie trees again 

 on the wall here at Siraffan. taking out a section 

 each season, makine the l)oi(lers with tlie some 

 care as the vineries. The trees will be treated 



exactly the same as those growing under glass as 

 regards training, watering and syringing. I 

 believe outside fruit trees are allowed to suffer 

 from drought, which is absolutely fatal to the pro- 

 duction of first-class fruit. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Ground. 



Alterations. — Push forward any alterations in 

 the flower garden or pleasure grovuids as fast as 

 the weather will allow. In severe frost cut down 

 laurels and any trees that are growing too thick. 



Sweet Peas. — If sowing was neglected in the 

 autumn no time should be lost in getting in the 

 first batch of seeds, which are scarce this year. 

 They may be used to advantage in almost any 

 position. Sow either in .boxes or pots, according 

 to convenience and requirements. A better 

 effect may be obtained by growing a good quantity 

 of a few varieties than using many kinds of 

 different shades. For use in the rooms, a piece 

 of ground should be thoroughly well trenched and 

 manured as soon as possible, remembering that 

 long stems are absolutelv necessary for decorating 

 and select colours to suit the various rooms. 



Antirrhinums — No garden is complete with- 

 out a plentiful supply of Antirrhinums. The 

 seed should be sown in boxes as early in the 

 month as possible, and germinated in a warm 

 house. There are many named varieties, but the 

 following are some of the best of their respective 

 colors -.—rinl-s : Carmine Pink (tall). Pright 

 Pink (tall). Delicate Pink (tall). Giant Delicate 

 Pink. Rosy Queen and Carmine Pink (inter- 

 mediate); Delicate Pink and Old Rose (Tom 

 Thumb). YcUoira : Orange King, Cloth of Gold 

 and Golden Chamois (tall). Orange King. Rich 

 Apricot and Pale Yellow (intermediate). Wliitc : 

 Pure Wliite (tall), Wliite (intermediate), and 

 White Queen (dwarf). 



East Lothian Stocks.— These beautiful Stocks 

 require a rather longer growing season than most 

 varieties. Sow in boxes and raise in a warm 

 house. Keep each colour separate — white, pink, 

 mauve and red. 



Summer Bedding Plants. — Continue to keep 

 these rather dry at the roots, only giving the 

 specimen plants increased root-room' and a warm 

 temperature to encourage plenty of growth. 

 Tinmen elroans must be very carefully watered. 



Spring Bedding.— After a spell of frost go over 

 the beds with a small fork, just freshening the 

 surface, and see that no vermin are attackin;.' anv 

 of the plants. 



Shrubberies.— Continue to collect all lenves. 

 and clean the pleasure grounds generally. Fork 

 in between the shrubs, with the exception of 

 Ericaceous plants, which are greatlv benefited liy 

 top-dressings of clean decayed leaf-soil. 



Seed Sowing.— During wet weather get plenty 

 of soil sifted ready for the seed sowing and prick- 

 ing off later on; set all stakes sharpened and tied 

 in bundles of fifties, and stored ready for use; get 

 labels made and painted, in fact everytliin<_>- tliat 

 will assist when the ru.«h comes. 



Southern and Western Counties, 



Bv Mr. ,1. Matthkws, Gardener to Sir Richard 

 Musgrave, Bart., Tourin. Capprquin. Waterford. 



The Kitchen Garden. 

 Rotation of Crops.— Whether the kitchen garden 

 1)0 a large or small one, a proper rotation of 

 cropping is essential to ol)tain the highest quality 

 produce from a minimum outlav of labnnr and 



