NOVEMBER 



IRISH GARDENING. 



175 



the instructor is desired. Instructors in Horticulture 

 are now appointed to practically all the counties. 



Selecting a Site for Orchard. — The best situation 

 is one having^ a south, south-westerly, or south-easterl}' 

 aspect, and protected from prevailing winds, which 

 generally blow from the north and east. If shelter is 

 necessary, a belt of Austrian pine, intermixed with 

 spruce, should be planted. After some years the spruce 

 may be cut away to allow the pines to develop. Neither 

 a very high nor low-lying situation are suitable for an 

 orchard. Although the apple will do in a great variety 

 of soils it succeeds best in a rich medium loam. Wet, 

 peaty or poor sandy soils should not be selected. If 

 rabbits abound in the district wire-netting should be 

 properly fixed around the orchard site previous to plant- 

 ing, otherwise much injury may be done to the trees by 

 rabbits attacking them. 



Planting Operations. —This work, if possible, should 

 be commenced during the present month. The soil is 

 now in a more favourable condition than it will be at a 

 later period. Again, better trees are likely to be re- 

 ceived when ordered from the nursery early in the 

 season. Planting must not be done when the soil is in 

 a wet state, nor during frosty weather. The trees when 

 unpacked should have their roots placed in trenches, 

 and be well covered with soil. They should not be dis- 

 turbed until the conditions are favourable for planting. 

 Two-year-old trees are the best for large plantations, 

 but for small gardens, three-year-old trees on the 

 Paradise stock will give quick results. Trees on the 

 Paradise come into bearing almost immediately, and 

 contitme so for over twenty years, making little growth, 

 but bearing heavy crops. On the other hand, trees on 

 the Crab are much slower coming into fruit, but they 

 grow to a large size and live to a great age. Trees 

 on the Crab, therefore, require more room than those on 

 the Paradise stock. A good system is to plant the large- 

 growing trees twenty four feet apart, and to place a dwarf 

 grower between, thus the trees will be twelve feet apart 

 every way. In the course of time, when the large trees 

 require more space, those on the Paradise, which will 

 have borne heavily in the meantime, may be cut away. 

 For large orchards where horse labour is used the rows 

 may be twentyfour feet apart, but the same arrangement 

 of the trees should be adopted, viz. — trees on the Crab 

 and Paradise alternating. The soil should be well pre- 

 pared and broken up fine for placing in contact with the 

 roots. Avoid deep planting, the best roots are always 

 near the surface, therefore they should be encouraged 

 in this direction. Manure must not be placed near the 

 roots, but applied as a mulch on the surface over the 

 roots. Plant firmly and stake the trees if necessary. 

 Half-standards and some of the taller bush trees will 

 require to be staked. Small trees, especially after being 

 pruned, will not need such support. Cirass or weeds 

 should never be allowed to grow about young trees. A 

 space of at least three feet from the tree should be kept 

 perfectly clean. After some years, when the trees have 

 obtained a good size, grass will not matter so much ; 

 but even then, if the aim of the growers is to produce 

 first class fruit, the ground beneath the trees must 

 always be kepi red. 



Varieties ok Fruit.— The following is a general 

 Wsi;— Dessert Apples: Beauty of Bath, Lady Sudeley, 

 James Grieve, Worcester Pearmain, Rival, Allington 

 Pippin, Gascoyne's Scarlet. Cox's Orange Pippin, 

 Blenheim Orange Pippin. Cooking Apple: : Early Vic- 

 toria, Ecklinville, Grenadier, Lora Derby, Bismarck, 

 Lane's Prince Albert, Bramley Seedling, and Newton 

 Wonder. Large growers should confine themselves 

 to a few varieties. In Armagh, Bramley Seedling and 

 Grenadier are the favourite varieties with growers. At 

 a distance from a good market it is advisable to grow 

 late-keeping apples like the Bramley, Newton Wonder, 

 and Lane's Prince Albert. These three varieties are 

 excellent keepers and travel well. Growers should 

 not plant Coj^'s Orange Pippin extensively unless it 

 has been tried and found a success in the district. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



By J. G. Toner. 



ONIONS. — Although it is not so very long since 

 the onion crop was lifted and stored, it is quite 

 time that preparations were made for next 

 season's plants. Those who require really good as well 

 as large bulbs usually put out plants that were raised 

 under glass in heat or otherwise. Howe\er carefully 

 that portion of their culture has been attended to, 

 hopes will not be fully realised unless the open quarter 

 intended for them later is made as near perfection as 

 possible. The principal points to be noted are that the 

 position must be in an open place in the garden and in 

 no way shaded by hedges or trees, fruit trees or others. 

 To do them well the ground must be deep, rich but not 

 rank, and the preparatory work done at such a time 

 that it will have regained its natural solidity. When 

 put off until the bustling spring-time the pressure of 

 other tasks often prevents its being really well done, 

 and besides, notwithstanding the tramping or rolling 

 process so often mentioned, the lower stratum of soil 

 still remains loose, the natural consequence being a too 

 free top-growth and ill-matured bulbs. This will also 

 follow the use of green manures. Therefore, while work 

 is comparatively slack in the vegetable garden, let this 

 important task be attended to. Even for ordinary crops 

 the ground requires to be trenched fully two feet deep, 

 or as near that depth as circumstances will allow. 

 Exhibitors take far more pains to secure size and 

 quality, but then, while for ordinary purposes only good 

 ones are expected, they require them extra fine. 



Seakale. — It must be said that this is a ver}' dainty 

 addition to the white vegetables during winter and 

 spring. For the earliest forcing a number of roots may 

 soon be lifted. Only the very strongest may be used 

 for this purpose. In making them ready all the smaller 

 roots may be cut oft", for by this means a larger number 

 can be accommodated, and in addition the portions 

 removed can be used as cuttings. These may be cut 

 square across the top, and a long sloping one made at 

 the bottom, after which they are stored in sand and 

 planted in spring, to be taken up in their turn when 

 sufficiently strong, and forced like their parents. Those 



