132 



IRISH GARDENING 



of iiioviiit; large treos kotp the roots moist, and 

 syringe llio trees daily in mild weather. stoiPiiiiiv'. 

 of course, when the glass begins to fall. If very 

 frosty weather sets in give a nndihing of I'ln^' 

 litter. 



Pkaches and Nkctauinks. — Where it is intende<l 

 to ])lant fresh Peach and Nectarine trees the work 

 should he taken in hand at once. Thorou^rldy 

 make the borders witli fresh loam and a ^'ood 

 sprinkling of lime rulil>lo and wood asli , no 

 manures, as these cause too rank a growth. Allow 

 about '25 feet apart for permanent trees. Do not 

 l)lant deej)er than the trees have been used to, 

 and make tiu>roughly firm. Establisiicd trees 

 should be untied and re-tied to stakes away from 

 the wall until the spring. This will help letard 

 tlie flowers. Any tree requiring top-dressing must 

 be attended to. 



Rko a.nm) White Currants. — Prune these 

 Currants and give a dressing of manure. Hum 

 all prunings. and fork over the plantation. 



Bl.ack Currants. — These having been tliinued 

 and i)runed as soon as the crop was gathered, 

 should now be top-dressed and the i)lantations 

 forked over. 



Fig Trees. — In very cold districts it is advisable 

 to afford Figs growing outside some slight pro- 

 tection. Bracken or Spruce boughs are sufficient 

 as a rule, just placed through the luanches. 



Pruning. — Generally speaking, i)runing may 

 now be carried out, with the exception of Figs, 

 Peaches and Apricots. It is better to i)ush on 

 now than delay till the spring, when there is so 

 much to be done. Start with Morello Cherries 

 on noith walls before the weather is too cold. 

 Train the branches in thinly and evenly. I do 

 not advise shreds, but tie with niaiting. securing 

 the main branches with tar twine. 



Southern and Western Counties. 



Bv Mr. J. Matthkws, Gardener to Sir Richard 



"Musgrave, Bart., Tourin, Cappoquin, County 



Waterford. 



The Kitchen Garden. 

 Asparagus.— When the stems have turned colour 

 they may be cut down to the ground, and the 

 beds cleaned of all weeds and rubbish, making 

 the border tidy for the winter. A mulch of rotted 

 manure, or, better still, sea-weed, can be put on 

 later. 



Broccoli. — In the ^'vent of a sjjcU of hard 

 winter weather coming on, early varieties should 

 be heeled over, facing the north, covering the 

 stems right up to the bottom leaves. Tliis will 

 throw off the rain, and frost will not do so m\ich 

 damage to the hearts. Later varieties Uiay l)e 

 treated likewise if foiuid necessary. 



Pull up any late Cauliflowers fit for use, hang- 

 ing them downward in a cool shed. 



Broad Beans.— For the earliest picking, seed 

 may be sown during the month if a dry, sheltered 

 position can be spared, but equally good results 

 will be gained with a January sowing in boxes 

 placed in a cold frame or cool house and planting 

 out early in spring. 



Cabbage.— Make good any blanks, then draw up 

 some soil to the stems if getting top-heavy; keep 

 the plantation clear of weeds. 



Celery.— Continue earthing-up as long as 

 growth lasts, and be on the look out to give pro- 

 tection during hard weather, removing the cover- 

 ing during the day. 



Globe Artichokes.— These plants should now be 

 made safe for the winter. Clean away all decayed 



leaves, then apply a good mui1> h of rough stable 

 litter or bra. km. packed elosi' round tiie plants 

 and over the roots. Jerusalem Artichokes may be 

 left in the ground and dug as recpiired for use. 



Rhubarb and Skakale.— As oiu- batch is i)ut into 

 the forcing lionse another may be lifted and 

 l)laced behiiKl a nortli wall ready to take the 

 place of the exhausted one. 



The Fruit Gakdkn. 



Planting.— Push on with the planting of all 

 fiuit trees and bushes when the weather is 

 favourable for such work. Never i)lant a tree if 

 the soil is wet and sticky unless you provide 

 fre.sh. dry soil prepared for the occasion. When 

 new trees are arriving from the nursery, every- 

 thing ought to be in readiness f(jr planting at 

 once. The i)aekage should be opened on arrival, 

 unless during frost, and the roots examined, 

 trimming off any broken ]jieces, and, if found 

 dry, i)lace them in a tank of water for an hour 

 or two. Heel them in tenqxuarily until fimdiy 

 placing in their stations. Avoid i)lanting too 

 deep, carefully si)reading out the roots in layers. 

 Gooseberries, Red, White and Black Currants and 

 Rasj)l)erries may all bo planted this month. 



Pruning. — As soon as the leaves drop, this 

 work will claim attention. Morello Cherries are 

 generally the first to be dealt with, as such a lot 

 of tying-in will l)e required, and it is well to have 

 this done before very cold weather sets in. Tie 

 in the young wood about six inches apart, 

 cutting out any old branches that are bare of 

 young fruiting wood. 



Apples, Pears, and Plums may be taken in turn 

 as weather conditions allow. Peaches and Nec- 

 tarines to be left till the Inids show signs of 

 activity. 



Raspberries and Loganberries. — The strongest 

 and well-ripened canes may now be secured to the 

 wires at a space of about nine inches apart. After 

 cleaning away all weeds and i-ubbi.?h give a dust- 

 ing of basic slag, mulching with manure when 

 availa))Ie. 



The Pleasure Grounds. 



Most of the Border Chrysanthemums will be 

 past flowering, and to ensure a stock of cuttings 

 at the right time a few roots of each variety 

 •should be boxed up and jjlaced in cold frames till 

 the end of January, when they may be started 

 into growth. 



Daiilia tubers should also be lifted as soon as 

 the toj)s are destroyed, storing them in a cool, 

 dry place free from frost. 



Where Herbaceous plants have outgrown their 

 stations this is a convenient time to lift them 

 and sj)lit up, replanting the outside pieces after 

 digging up the old site, adding some well-rotted 

 manure or leaf mould. 



Tiily of the Valley beds may now be cleaned of 

 decayed foliage, and a dressing of bone meal will 

 be beneficial. Afterwards cover over the beds 

 with leaf mould to a depth of two inches. 



Roses.— Proceed with the planting this month. 

 Thorough preparation of the ground is necessary 

 to obtain the best results. W'hen using fresh 

 manure buiy it deep enough that it will not come 

 in contact with the roots when planting. A mulch 

 may be put on when planting is completed. 



Violets. — Those growing in frames require 

 ample ventilation. The lights may be removed 

 entirely on fine days. Dampness is a source of 

 trouble, and will only be kept in check by proper 

 ventilation and the removal of decayed leaves. 

 The runners, too. should be kept pinched back. 



