IRISH GARDENING. 



47 



branches make 

 outward direction 

 tree being- open, 

 liave the weaker 

 be 



In pruning' the leading- or permanent 



the cut above a bud which points in an 



so as to ensure the centre of the 



Branches too closely placed should 



ones cut away, and all lateral g-rowths should 



spurred back to within two inches of their base. 



Raspberriks. — The pruning of these is often put off till 

 early in March, 

 the object being 

 to prevent the 

 premature start 

 ing of the buds 

 as a result of 

 early pruning, 

 for should severe 

 weather occur 

 the young 

 growths sufter. 

 Strong g-rowing 

 canes should 

 have about nine 

 inches of the top 

 cut off, and all 

 the weakest 

 canes cut close 

 to the g^round. 

 Canes growing 

 poorly should be 

 pruned rather 

 severely, cutting 

 away about half 

 their length. A 

 mulch of g-ood 

 manure or liquitl 

 manure applieti 

 occasionally will 

 be of great 

 benefit to weak- 

 growing: rasp 

 berry plants. 

 Suitable s u p - 

 ports are also 

 necessary, so 

 that the fruiting 

 shoots fro m 

 each cane may 

 develop proper- 

 ly. Wires run- 

 ning the length 

 oi' the rows and 

 fixed to strong 

 stakes driven 

 firnil}' in the 

 ground provide 

 then be spaced and tied apart. 



GoosKBKRKiEs.- In districts where bullfinches abound 

 gooseberry bushes are often left unpruned till late in the 

 season, the branches and shoots are tied close together 

 and in this way many of the buds are preservt d. 

 In pruning the bushes it should be remembered that 

 fruit is borne on the young wood as weM as on the old, 

 but the best fruit is obtained from the young- well- 

 ripened shoots ; therefore, such shoots should always be 

 encouraged. Where the growths are very thick old 



A Fink Strain ob Carnation — \\ ebbs' Imperial. 



The CHriiation has a distinctive place of its own in the afTections of the people. 

 will ever be a favourite as a decorative flower. In form and colour it is perfect. There a 

 a very large number of gaiden forms included under the divisions- Bizarres, Flakes, ai 

 Selfs. Present taste is altogether inclined to Selfs— that is, one-colour forms. 



ippoi 



branches should be cut awa\ from the base and young 

 shoots shortened a little. This will permit air and sun- 

 light to enter and ripen the wood. Any suckers or 

 growths arising beneath the soil close to the stem 

 should be dug out. Where caterpillars had attacked 

 bushes by stripping them of their foliag-e in the previous 

 year, the surface soil to the depth of two or three 



inches beneath 

 the bushes 

 should be re- 

 mo \- e d and 

 buried and g-ood 

 soil substituted. 

 This is a good 

 old remedy for 

 this pest. 



Re -grafting 

 OLD Apple or 

 Pear Trefs. - 

 This operation 

 is best done 

 towards the end 

 of the month or 

 early in April. 

 Many methods 

 of grafting are 

 practised, but 

 for old trees one 

 of the simplest 

 and surest is 

 " crown " graft- 

 ing. The tree cut 

 back to be graft- 

 ed is the stock, 

 and the scion or 

 graft is a young 

 shoot of last 

 season's growth. 

 The scions 

 should be select- 

 ed and cut some- 

 time previoush', 

 and placed in the 

 ground to a few 

 inches of their 

 length, thus they 

 will be in a more 

 dormant condi- 

 tion than the 

 Stock at the time 

 of grafting, and 

 so enhance the 

 chances of a suc- 

 luiion. The branches of old trees should be cut 

 > within a fool of the trunk a few weeks previous 

 gtafliiig. The rough surface should be made 

 I with a sharp knife or chisel. Young trees which 

 become stimted in growth or are fruitful 

 have the entire head cut away to a portion of 

 the bark is smooth, and two or more 

 cording to the size of the stock. The 



back t, 



to the 



smootl 



have 



should 



the stem whe 



scions put o\\ 



scion, which should be about six inches in length, is 



prepared as shown in Fig. I, using a sharp knife to 



make the cut smooth and clean. A downward cut 



