i8 



IRISH GARDENING 



An Inquiry into Laurels. 



SoMK huiulr.Ml nr iiinir y.;.rs ii;:*). ill Ir.'Liiui iimd 

 possihlv t'lsi-wluMc). fvt ryi)nt''s aiu't\«t(>is iimst 

 have l)Vi-ii i-onsmnt'il witli a passion for wliat we 

 know as '" Lauifls." 



Surelv. it was vory ai-uti' — nnnv ral.i<l tliaii ;iiiy 

 ht'ibareoiis or roi-k-garil.niiig mania since- In 

 fact, I havi- oftt-n wondiMi'd if they liud " launl 

 i-onipi'titions " in those days, jnst to sec how many 

 of tlu'S." enveloping slirulis tliey conid eram into 

 their demesnes. 



In hvgone times there was a rivalry Jii Imild- 

 ings. i have stayed in tli«' West of Ireland in a 

 house of whi<-h th*e hnilder. in its heginning. tired 

 with a desire to outdo a neigiihour, hied iiimseif 

 off to tlie rival house, measured it. and l)uilt his 

 own five feet longer! So it may have i)een in tiie 

 matter of laurels. 



I ean imagine these planting worthies iiieetiii'.' 

 at ehureh or eourt-hoiise throwing off a hoastful 

 renuirk. '" .lust put in 500 laurels last week !" and 

 his fellow magistrate or churchwardi-n saw to it 

 that he. in his turn, stuffed in at least a thousand 

 of tliese Si)anish atroiities. 



What was their idea- or was it just a passing 

 whim? Where did all these laurels t-oiiu' from r 

 and how V 



In the years hetween. these fommonplaee. IhiikiI 

 shruhs have grown and layered themselves in the 

 eunning way that they have, till they (•unil)er the 

 ground, hlot out the heautiful holes of forest trees. 

 dei)rive the eye of the exquisite ease of half dis- 

 tanees. sour the soil inr parts of gardens worthy of 

 better tilings, and liarhour starlings. 



But, the haek swing of the pendulum has eoine— 

 laurels are doomed, and for some years past the 

 demolition of them has been one of the chief occu- 

 pations of the estate owner. 



It is obvious that, though regarded as a curse 

 in the landscape, laurels are a blessing in disguise 

 at the moment, to the country gentlemen, pro- 

 viding healthy and needful exercise in these par- 

 lous winter days when guns and cartridges are 

 not J^nd hunting is only for the profiteer. 



The modern 'boast often heard as yon walk 

 with a friend through his surrounding groves is : — 

 "See that place? I cleared it of laurels m>/-<--f 

 last month. What? oh! yes— stulih.^d the lot 

 — pick, monkey-jack and so on. I'm fed up witii 

 laurels — going to sweep them all." 



Still — in this frenzy of destruction, one may 

 pause a moment to review the good points of the 

 pest and enquire into its uses. In winter, laurels 

 give a good wholesome splash of green and reflect 

 light in " patines of bright silver " : in spring the 

 feathery sprays of creamy heavy-scented blossom 

 make an elegant design, especially against blue 

 sky: and. the cherry laurel in fruit, in aufunni. 

 is a brave sight. 



In rough, old woods, if they have grown to n 

 great height, laurels have a certain dignity. 



They do effectively sheltei* a woodcock.' and 

 they yield excellent firewood. 



In the old estate account books here, we have 

 found records of much planting and several kinds 

 of trees, but never a mention of laurel ! They are 

 not indigenous — how did they come ? 



Finally, I am ignorant : tell me someone— 

 What ix the common or garden laurel? 

 I can't find it in any book— or, if T have. I do 

 not recognise it. It is 710/ Laurus Nobilis. or 

 Prunus Laurocerasus or Danaea Laurus, is it ? 



Surely, in all its blatancy. it has some distinctive 

 name of its own ? 



Muriel ¥:. Blast) 



Potatoes for Gardens and Allotments. 



I'dit >oiiie yt-ars i)asl a diseas-e kiioun as Black 

 Seal) has been causing much loss and incon- 

 venience to jjotato growers in a limited area in the 

 Niirth-Kast of Ireland. The leading characteristic 

 i>i the disease is an excresceni-e or warty growth 

 whi.'h develorts from the eyes of the tuhers. At first 

 these growths are white in colour, hut later they 

 hecome hlack, and finally .levcjop into a jjutrid 



Certain varictii'S of i)otatoes such as, for ex- 

 aiiii)le, Ki)iciire, British Queen, ri)-to-Date, and 

 .\rran Chief, are susceptible to the disease, and 

 experieiici' has shown that the disease is most 

 comiiionly spread hy means of seed of susceptihle 

 vari»'ties from crops grown on infected land. 

 Investigations have also shown that the 

 (lisea.se is most likely to occur in gardens, allot- 

 iiieiits, and fields, where rotational cropping is 

 not practised, and where portion of the 

 ground is every year under potatoes. The 

 only preventive measure at present known 

 is to plant varieties known to be immune to the 

 disease — of which there is a considerable num- 

 i)er. Variety tests to discover the innmine 

 varieties best suited to Irish conditions are con- 

 diu'ted by the Department each year. As a 

 result of last year's trials the ff)llowing varieties 

 are recommended for cultivation in gardens and' 

 allotments : — 



Earlies. 



lifsisfdiif Siiinrdrup.—A remarkably heavy 

 cropper. The total yield in last year's trials was 

 18i tons per statute acre — 15^ tons large, 2 tons 

 seed; and i ton small and diseased. The tubers 

 are white in colour and kidney shajjcd. and of 

 good cooking quality. 



?](]z('lJ Blue.— A late first-early or early mid- 

 season. The tubers are purple in colour, round 

 in shape and of good quality.. The total yield 

 in the trials was 15+* tons per statute acre — l.'H 

 tons large; 1.1 tons seed; IG cwt. small and 

 diseased. 



Ddigill Kdili/. — A new imnunie variety which 

 in last year's trials gave a total yield of "over lAi^ 

 tons per statute acre — 125 tons large; H tons 

 seed; and 7 cwt. small and diseased. 



A r rati Bnsc. — The tubers are oval and slightly 

 ])ink. In the trials a total yield of l.'ii tons per 

 statute acre was returned — 9^ tons large; 2^^ 

 tons seed; 15 cwt. small and diseased. 



Second Earlies. 



(irenf Srof. — A variety now very well known in 

 many districts. The tubers are white in colour, 

 and round to oval in shape. In the trials it re- 

 turned a total yield of 17^ tons per statute acre — 

 lfi.l tons large; 1 ton seed; 8 cwt. small and diseased. 



Anon Coninidr. — A variety extensively grown 

 in Great Britain last year. The tubers are white 

 in colour, kidney in' shape, and of good cooking 

 (luality. The total yield in the trials was 16| 

 tons per statute acre — 15 tons large; \\ tons seed; 

 and 9 cwt. small and diseased. 



Maincrop. 



Arrav Virfoi 1/. — The tubers of this variety very 

 closely resend)le those of Black Skerry, and are 

 of excellent cooking quality. In the trials it 

 gave a total yield of 15J tons per statute acre — 

 14i tons large; 19 cwt. seed; 6 cwt. small and. 

 diseased. The planting of this variety in gardens 

 and allotments is strongly recommended. 



7^/ ('.';/( Qveen. — A verv suitable varietv for gar- 



