NOVEMBER 



IRISH GARDENING. 



163 



excellent, and in many cases very profitable, 

 crops are being grown. So great an interest 

 is being taken there that last, year, by the end 

 of November, it was practically impossible at 

 local nurseries to purchase fruit trees of the 

 quality and varieties required, so great and so 

 early had been the demand. Indeed, of a total 

 increase of 1,051 acres in the area under fruit in 

 Ireland last year no less than 300 acres were 

 planted in County Armagh, 



What has been done by the northern farmers 

 ought to be equalled, if not surpassed, by some 

 districts in the south, where soil and climate 

 are more favourable. In the Suir and Black- 

 water valleys there is, indeed, evidence that 

 apple culture once flourished. It was with the 

 hope of reviving lingering traditions there and 

 elsewhere in the south and west that the 

 Department set themselves in 1904 to make 

 experiments on a commercial scale. Centres 

 were selected in Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, 

 Cork, Clare, Galway and Kildare, and later in 

 Londonderry and Antrim. At each of these 

 centres twenty men bound themselves to plant 

 an acre each, while in consideration of the 

 experimental nature of the work, involving as 

 it did tests of kinds and varieties of fruit the 

 value of which was doubtful, the Department 

 agreed to give the plants free on condition that 

 the plot-holders carried out their instructions 

 and supplied them with details of the results. 

 An instructor was assigned for a period of five 

 years to each group of twenty growers to 

 instruct them in planting, culture, packing and 

 marketing. In all 175 acre plots were thus 

 planted. Though in no case are the plots yet 

 fully developed, sufficient has been already 

 learned to enable the Department to state with 

 some degree of confidence that most fruits can 

 be grown to perfection in the south. Existing 

 labour and market conditions, however, are 

 against the cultivation of soft fruits. On the 

 other hand, they do not tell to the same extent 

 against the apple, which, as exhibits at this 

 show demonstrate, can be grown to perfection. 

 I''or those reasons, therefore, it would seem 

 advisable to direct more attention in future to 

 this branch of fruit growing. Indeed, many oi' 

 the plot-holders, though they ha\e had a new 

 business to learn, have already been successful 

 in competition with experienced gardeners who 

 are showing the produce oi' long-established 

 orchards. 



In addition to the experimental plots just 

 described, which are in the hands of small 

 working farmers, a somewhat similar scheme, 

 in which Sir Horace Plunkett took a very 

 special interest, was also started. In this case 

 the plot-holders were men mostly in good 

 circumstances, some being large land owners. 

 In this experiment some of the plots were 

 larger and the Department paid only half the 

 cost of the trees. In all about forty acres were 

 planted, but as they were started two years 

 subsequent to the farmers' plots the trees are 

 not old enough to enable any definite opinion 

 to be formulated. I inspected a few of those 

 orchards last summer, and saw in some of them 

 most excellent fruit such as gives promise, 

 when the trees are mature, of as profitable 

 crops as any grown in the country. 



Other Educational Agkncies. 



A form of instruction which has proved oi 

 great value is the visits of organised parties of 

 farmers to districts where fruit growing is well 

 established. There is something always to be 

 learned both from successes and failures. This 

 form of education, which the Department has 

 encouraged, might be developed with advantage, 

 but it can only be done successfully through 

 associations of fruit growers. 



The fruit show is another education agency 

 which the Department has fostered. On more 

 than one occasion they themselves have organ- 

 ised fruit shows, but this is work which ought 

 to be done by horticuhural societies rather than 

 by a State Department. The value oi' shows is 

 everywhere recognised. In addition to the 

 financial assistance given to this show the 

 Department have aided county committees of 

 agriculture in giving' prizes tor fruit at 

 numerous local shows, and judging by the 

 interest these have created there can be no 

 doubt of their educational value. 



The encouraging feature of all these shows 

 is the increasing number of exhibits now being 

 sent by farmers. It is interesting to note that 

 out of 150 classes for apples at this show 49 

 prizes have been won by exhibits from the 

 Department's experimental plots in the hands of 

 farmers, and at Clonmel show the other day 80 

 prizes out of 120 were awarded to exhibits from 

 these plots 



The Ulster Horticultural Society undertake a 

 special Ibrm o\^ competition — viz., the awarding 



