AUGUST 



IRISH GARDENING. 



127 



before hard weather sets in. All herbaceous plants will 

 require water, especially dahlias and phloxes. If we 

 have not a sufficient water supply, it is very necessary 

 to frequently hoe and rake between the plants ; it pre- 

 vents too rapid evaporation of the moisture through the 

 open pours of the soil. Look out for earwigs on dahlias 

 and chrysanthemum plants ; if not trapped and de- 

 stroyed they will destroy the plants. Where it has been 

 possible to supply roses with what water they required, 

 it will be found that they are throwing- up some very 

 nice young shoots from which we may expect a very 

 good second blooming. The Ayrshire, Boursault, 

 Sempervirens and other climbing roses frequently send 

 up very strong shoots from the bottom, which, if not 

 required to fill some vacant places, may be removed 

 with advantage to the top. 



The saxifragas, androsaces, sedums, &c., may now 

 be propagated by offshoots taken and planted in pots, 

 in which they may remain during the winter, thereby 

 making nice, strong plants for next spring's planting. 



The Fruit Garden. 



By G. DOOLAN. 



SUMMER PRUNING.— The time to commence this 

 operation is when the young shoots present a 

 natural appearance, which is usually in the month 

 of August. There is then a temporary cessation of 

 growth, but different seasons affect growth, so much 

 so that no hard and fast rule can be laid down in regard 

 to the exact time this work should be done. In dry 

 seasons like the present growth is always completed 

 earlier than in wet, sunless weather ; therefore the work 

 may be done this season during the first and second 

 weeks of August. The pruning consists in shortening 

 all laterals (side shoots) of the present season's growth 

 to four or five inches of their base. These are again 

 shortened at the winter pruning to spurs of i^ inches. 

 Summer pruning diverts the flow of sap to the lower 

 buds, causing many of them to develop and ultimately 

 form fruit buds. If the autumn is wet further growth 

 usually takes place, but always from the outer buds of 

 the shortened shoots, and these are, of course, removed 

 at the spur-pruning in winter. The leading branches 

 are not shortened, and where extra branches are 

 necessar}' for the proper formation of the tree, the 

 strongest and best placed lateral growths should be 

 selected and trained in the required direction. Summer 

 pruning is not necessary in the case of large trees, as 

 these as a rule make short growths and develop many 

 fruiting buds ; but young apple, plum or pear trees, 

 whether trained to walls or growing in the open, should 

 be treated. It must be remembered that well-ripened 

 buds and wood are essential to fruit production. The 

 objects of summer pruning are to open the centre of the 

 trees by the removal of superfluous growths and so 

 permit the entrance of sunlight and air ; to promote 

 firmness of the wood and develop fruit buds, and to 

 assist the ripening of fruit in the centre of the tree, 

 summer pruning also simplifies winter pruning. 



Currants and Gooseberries.- Where the growths 

 of these are very thick, they may be much improved by 



cutting out a certain number of branches. This will 

 improve their fruitfulness next season, and will also 

 permit of the fruit being more easily gathered. The 

 black currant bears on the young wood, therefore some 

 of the old shoots should be cut away. The gooseberry 

 bears both on the young and old wood ; the centre of 

 the bushes should be opened somewhat by the removal 

 of old branches preferably. Gross, vigorous shoots 

 (water shoots) should also be removed. 



Planting Strawberries. — The earlier strawberry 

 plants are placed in their permanent quarters the better 

 will the results be next year. If the runners were 

 treated as described in an earlier issue they will still 

 have a long season to grow before winter sets in, and 

 should then be sturdy and firm for next season's 

 fruiting — a very essential point. The soil should be 

 well prepared and a liberal dressing of manure added. 

 A strong, loamy soil is the most suitable, but where 

 sufficient manure is used strawberries will do well. The 

 soil should be well broken up during digging and made 

 level on the surface. Plant firmly in lines 28 inches 

 apart, and allow about 22 inches from plant to plant. 

 Do not have the heart of the runner below the surface, 

 and where the soil is inclined to be light thread the 

 ground about the plants firmly with the feet. Give the 

 runners a good watering in the evenings after planting. 

 The after-treatment consists in keeping the ground 

 clean by hand-weeding or by the use of the Dutch hoe 

 in dry weather. Good varieties are Royal Sovereign, 

 The Laxton, Kentish Favourite, Givan's Late Prolific. 

 Those preferring high-class flavour should plant British 

 Queen or Yicomtesse Hericat de Theory— two old, 

 very good-flavoured varieties. 



The Fruit Crop. — Apples suffered much from the 

 drought, and a great deal of the fruit fell, though in 

 some districts a fairly good crop will be obtained. The 

 fruit will be smaller in size than last year, but on the 

 whole about an average crop will result. Plums are 

 under average. Pears and damsons are poor. Goose- 

 berries and black currants are an average crop, but the 

 fruit of the latter are small. Raspberries are good, but 

 hey also suffered from the dry weather. Strawberries 

 suffered most of any fruit, and where watering was not 

 done a poor crop resulted. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



By J. G. Toner. 



LITTLE difficulty will be found in marking down the 

 lazy gardener in such a season as this. It is 

 somewhat doubtful if such exists, at least in any 

 great numbers, for gardening certainly makes for 

 bringing forth those active qualities that are indispens- 

 able to the successful gardener, amateur or professional. 

 Where the soil was honestly dug— or trenched, a far 

 better method— crops of most kind have held their own 

 exceedingly well, notwithstanding the unusual amount 

 of sunshine and absence of rain. But in cases where 

 seeds or plants, as the case may be, were committed to 

 plots that merely got a lick and a promise, the harvest 

 will not prove satisfactory. Which proves over again, 

 were such necessary, that whatever is worth doing is 



