140 



IRISH GARDENING 



Southern and Western Counties. 



By Mr. J. Matthkws. Ciardener to Sir Richard 

 Musgrave, Bart., Tuiiiin, Cappoquiii, County 

 Waterford. 



'I'liK Kin HI -N Gaudkn. 

 Decembek. tlu- i-nd of another year, hut to the 

 gardiju-r llie heginning i>f his calendar. A groal 

 deal of his sueee.*? depends on the preparations 

 carried out during this int.nth. The principal work 

 hoing the manuring, trenching and digging of all 

 vacant ground, get as iiuidi turned as possible 

 before the end of the vi-ar to receive the full 

 benefit of tlie winter frosts; ground should not ))»■ 

 dug wlien in a wet or frozen condition. During 

 bad spells of weather many other little jobs can 

 be done which will help to relieve the pressure 

 of work during the busy season. 



FouciNCJ roTATOKS. — Tui)ers of early varieties 

 should be selei'ted and i)laced in trays to sprout, 

 stand them in a light warm house, and when an 

 inch or two long may lie planted in pots or boxes 

 wliich will be fouiul more t-onveuii'iit to grow the 

 earliest batch, being easy to shift about; nieaiitime 

 l)0ts and i)Oxes i-an be half filled with liglit soli 

 and allowed to warm ready to plant the tubers. 

 When well started keep them growing as near 

 the glass as possible to avoid weak spindly tops, 

 which seldom give good results. Tubers in the 

 potato store should be turned over occasionally, 

 rubbing off all the sprouts and picking out had 

 ones. 



Onions .anu Shallots should a,lso be examined 

 from time to time, removing any decaying bulbs. 

 Look over late planted Cabbage after heavy frosts 

 and tighten the soil round the steins, and, as a 

 protection against damage, draw some soil up to 

 them. 



Thk Fruit Garden. 



Weather conditions will, to a large extent, re- 

 gulate the work in the fruit quarters, tlierefore 

 ])lace3 must be made accordingly. Push forward 

 the planting of trees and bushes as quickly as 

 possible when the ground is in a suitable condition. 

 The pruning and training of wall trees is uncom- 

 fortable work, but may lie carried on during the 

 warmest part of the day. When pruning is finished 

 spraying should be done on calm, dry days, going 

 over the trees, thoroughly wetting every branch 

 right to the tips. 



The present month is a suitable time to pro- 

 pagate a stock of bush fruits; well ripened shoots 

 of . the current year's growth should be selected. 

 remove the soft points, leaving the cuttings from 

 15 to 18 inches long and cut all buds off, with the 

 exception of four or five at the top, this will give 

 a clean leg, and keep the lower branches clear of 

 the ground. Allow a space of 15 inches l)etween 

 the lines and insert the cuttings a foot apart, bury- 

 ing them half their length, treading the soil tight 

 about them. The buds of Black Currants should 

 not be removed, as with tliese the aim is to furnish 

 as many shoots as possible from the base to form 

 a stool. Where young stock is raised annually tlie 

 young bushes should be transplanted each season 

 until large enough to be placed in their final 

 quarters; this has the effect of producing a good 



ball of fibrous roots. They .'>hould all be pruiiea 

 iuird back the first season to lonii a good founda- 

 tion of a well-balanced bush. 



Stuawbeuiuks. — When the soil is sufficiently dry 

 for working, lightly fork along the drills to destroy 

 seedling wi'cds ; take advantage of frosty mornings 

 to wheel manure on for mulching; the winter rains 

 will work down the feeding properties of the 

 manure, which will be available for the plants in 

 spring. 



The fruit in the store will require regular atten- 

 tion to remove any decaying specimens. Apples 

 are not keeping so well thi.^ year, even late 

 varieties are showing an unusual percentage of de- 

 caying specimens. Keep the atmosphere moderately 

 cool ana moist. 



Thk l^LEASURi; Ghounms. 



Bkuuing Plants. — Extra care will be required 

 this month to prevent the damping of young stock; 

 ventilate freely on favouralile occasions and keep 

 all decayed leaves picked off; if water is necessary 

 give it early in the day to ensure the atmosphere 

 drying up before nightfall. 



Continue the planting of shrubs when conditions 

 are favoural)le, and when finished fork over the 

 beds and border, working in a portion of decayed 

 leaves. Where .'Spring bedding is not carried out 

 the flower beds and border may be deejjly dug or 

 trenched, adding well-rotted manure if required, 

 leave the surfaci' as rough as po.5sible through the 

 winter. Give the grounds a general clean-up now 

 that all the leaves are down. Collect and store 

 as many Beech and Oak leaves as will l)e needed 

 for hotbeds, and pile the remainder in a convenient 

 corner to decay for leafmould, which forms a 

 c-apital topdressing for Ericas, Azaleas and 

 Rhododendrons. 



Rose Planting should be completed without 

 delay; climbing Roses may now have the old wood 

 cut out, tying in the strong vigorous shoots. 



Choice plants in the rock garden will require 

 looking after, as many of them are likely to go 

 with damp; sand or lime rubble placed round 

 them will assist to dry up excessive moisture, or 

 pieces of glass put round them will run off heavy 

 rains. 



Sweep and roll lawns during the winter when 

 they are fairly dry, maintaining a tidy appear- 

 ance. All alterations still in hand in the Pleasure 

 Grounds should lie pushed forward and completed 

 before the end of the year, with a view to having 

 •x clear start in 1922. 



Notice. 



Owing to want of space, due to the inclusion of 

 the Index for 1921, several important articles 

 have had to be held over, and others somewhat 

 curtailed. 



In our January number, which promises to be 

 of much interest, we hope to continue Mr. Lloyd 

 Praeger's Notes from o Small Garden, while we 

 shall also have Notes on the ^Yild Flowers of 

 Southern California, by a well-known writer; 

 Autumn Tints in 1921; 'Hie Jmpcri(d Fruit 

 Show, by an Irish Visitor; Tlie Autumn of 1921, 

 l)y Mr. Murray Hornil)rook, and various other 

 interesting items 



END OF VOLUME XVI. 



