-8 



IRISH GARDEN'ING 



The Months Work, 



Flower (^.;irden .iiul Pleasure (Grounds. 



^v W. TsiiiK, riu- l-..,.iU-ns. |;,.-n.ii.sl.>w.>. CalVim.-.-lv, 

 (.W nnbliii. 



DIRINT. Iln- pivvioiis monllisa lol o\ 

 till- -ariU-nois' lime was i.,ruiiiiil 

 ill li^liiin;-,' ''"• tVi^sts. \V>' ma\ 

 \\opc to fsoa|H- thai i 

 .iml tiiin our allonlioi' 

 \\>-i-ii-., ilu'v niow ap 



. opt wc- k<-.-p tluMii in i-luH-k tlu-y vi-iy 

 ^ooii i-iowil our woaUiM-Hovvcrinj; plants 

 out of existiMicf. l.awtis ami walks 

 should now he ki-pt in liiijii orik-r. 



It Will W to llio advantaii-i- ol our ln-r- 

 >.iiH>oiis h.nlsanJ lioriK-rs if wi' tVoqucnily 

 !ioo ami rake the sm-fafes ; stake plants 

 likelv to .ijet broken during- high wimi or 

 heavv rain. I have found a convenient 

 \va\ lo keep large iierbaceous plants, 

 sueli as lupins, g-aliegia. &c.. in gootl 

 order is to surround them with a cirele of 

 large square mesh fencing, known as 

 American fencing, about two or two and 

 a half feet high ; the leaves grow through 

 this verv soon and hides the \vire, while 

 the plants retain their naturally gfracefnl 

 outline. Large plants of some genera, 

 such as phloxes, asters, helianthemums, 

 \.c.. generally throw up too many flower- 

 ing- shoots ; where such is the case, thin 

 ihem out to as many as the plant is likely to fully 

 ile\elop; they grow stronger, and less staking is 

 required. 



Hollyhocks for l.ite blooming 

 bv planting at different periods 

 bloom. 



Several perennials may now be increased by cuttings 

 inserted in a cool, shady frame, kept close, and damped 

 over a few times each day. Phloxes do especially well 

 from cuttings, and throw large heads of flowers. The 

 following 3 ear .seedling perennials should be pricked off 

 into a clean, well-dug piece of ground, and carefully 

 labelled, to g-row on for next 3'ear's flowering. 



X'iolets should have immediate attention. Select a 

 shady border, give plenty of well-rotted manure well 

 dug in. and plant with strong, sturdy runners during- 

 dull or showery weather. To keep a sturdy lot of 

 plants it will be necessary to import runners occasion- 

 allv. Continually propagating the same stock causes 

 them to deteriorate. 



Dahlias. — Rooted cuttings potted off last month 

 and hardened by exposure may be planted out about 

 the middle of the month. It is a good plan to keep 

 flower pots sufficiently large to cover them near by, so 

 that should frost threaten they may be easily placed 

 over the young plants. 



Wallflower seeds should now be sown in lines, and 

 pricked out as soon as fit to handle. 



Campanulas and Canterbury bells should be sown in 



may still be plante 

 we get a succession 



boxes, ;iiid pricked out into a nicely prepared piece ol' 

 groimd as soon as the young plants are lit to handle. 

 Those plants will repay careful treatment, and they re- 

 quire to be strong and well grown before the winter sets 

 in. Where summer beilding fui is practised this is a 

 biis\ month. Li-t ever\thiiig be carefully thought out, 

 .-md .1 pl.iii followed, in wlmli ilie height and distance, 

 ,is wi-ll ,-is the vo\ou,. oi r\ei\ plant .ami every bed are 

 previously lU-ti-rmineil. The pl.-mts shoulil be ;ill care- 

 fully hardened olV by ;i gr;idual exposure lo air and 

 sun'shim-. Kvery oWovi should be made to get the 

 spiliigtlowering plants ulii.-h .-lie p;isl their best 

 .-IcMied 0II and repl.ic-cd with summer llowering pl.inls 

 with ;ill possible desp.-itch. 'ilu- most telling effect is 

 \o be hail from beds planted with one colour. A mixeil 

 beil does not le;ive ;i pleasing or lasting impression, 

 iheu'lori' pl.-iiil your beils with decided colour s, .-nul 

 pl.ici- the coKmiis so that they do not I'lish with eaili 

 other. Kiilbs which li.ive been lilted lo m;ike room ioy 

 siimm.-i-tlowciiiig plants shoulil not be sndd.-nly ex- 

 j-ioseil or ilried off' too cjuickly ; llu-\- should be placi-d 

 in a trench and covered with soil and alloweii lo ripen 

 ofV slowly. Ifsotreatetl they will make gooil, strong 

 llowi'ring stuff for next year. 



The Fruit (Jarden. 



By C DooLAN. 



FRUIT rROSPKCTS.— Writing at the present 

 time, mid-.\pril. it is. perhaps, too early to pre- 

 dict what the crop for this year is likely to be. 

 Judging from the fruit buds, which appear fairly 

 numerous on the trees, there is evidence of a gooil 

 show of bloom, so with favourable weather prevailing 

 a good set of fruit may bi- anticipated. The most 

 critical period, however, has yet to be passed, as spring 

 frosts, which cause so much anxietj- to fruit-growers in 

 this country, usually- appear when the trees are in full 

 bloom. The harsh weather of the past few weeks has 

 retarded the buds, and this may have an advantageous 

 bearing on the coming fruit crop. 



PrkvivNtive Mkasires against pROsr. — In other 

 countries means have been tried to prevent or mitig^ate 

 the effects of frost on fruit trees during the blossoming 

 period. .Heaters have been used between the trees, 

 and lamps have been hung; amongst the branches, the 

 object being to raise the surrounding- temperature 

 during: the frosty period, and thus ensure the safety of 

 the crop. The great drawback to such methods is the 

 cost, for unless the crop was likely to prove very 

 valuable such expenditure would hardly be justifiable. 

 Smudge fires made of sods and rubbish have been used 

 as a means of warding- off frost. The cost would not 

 be very great, and if the crop as a result be saved it 

 should well repay the extra expense. Experienced 

 fruit-growers know that the damage done by frost often 

 happens in one night, and the dividing line between 

 safety and injury may only be a very few degrees of 

 frost. 



Insist Pe.sts.— Where an attack by the apple blos- 

 som weevil, apple sucker, or grubs of the codlin moth 

 is feared the trees should be sprayed with Paris green 

 or arsenate of lead as advised last month (page 63.) 



