IRISH c; A R I) t: N I \ G 



ThouKh the tUnvors wore" iiol so many in nnnjlur, thi y 

 wcreof fxcellcMil shape, sizo and colour, Mr. J. Januson, 

 (jfartleiuT. Mr. M'Kcllarl In-inff first for twonly lour 

 blooms. Lord ONoill hchiK socotid. Colom-l (.rulitoii 

 (gardener, Mr. Miuhison) was first for tlu' twi-lve ; Mi. 

 Robertson second. .Mr. Jameson also won the classes 

 for vases— five whites, five yellows and five crimsons. 



1 he early fiowerinjf varieties are becominjj very 

 popular flowers, beinjj so easily cultivated. Mrs. 

 Meade Coffey was awarded first in the twelve vases, 

 .Mr. Jameson being second. Miss Kicld. Colonel Crich- 

 ton. .Mr. Milcheil, Mr. J. Jameson, .Mr. Soden. and 

 Colonel Lane were the chief prize winners in the other 

 classes. 



For the collection of hardy cut llowers the fiisl prize 

 was awarded to Colonel I'oe (irai ileiu-r. Mr. Cook); 

 Jiiilge Hird second. 



\egelables were of \ery hii;h quality, considcriiiic the 

 \erv bad season we h.ul in which to produce exhibition 

 specimens. I'or the colleclion, twelve diflerenl kinds, 

 Mr. Brown, Naas, was first ; .Mr. Hone, second ; and 

 Major Henry, third. For the colleclion of six diflferenl 

 kinds, .VIderman Rewley w.is first ; Mrs. Ncsbill, second ; 

 and Mr. Slubber, third. 



The chief prize winners in llie single dishes were — 

 Miss Field, Mr. Brown, Karl of Lonyfford, Alderman 

 Bewley, Lord ON'eill, Lady I'almer, and Mr. .\. Hone. 



Seldom has the trade been so well represented as at 

 this show, and it s to be hoped that they were well 

 rewarded for their trouble in stajfinj^ such fine displays 

 of fruit, flowers, vegetables, plants and shrubs. Messrs. 

 (. . Uamsav & Son, Rallsbridge, were awarded a gold 

 medal for floral designs and a very large group of 

 ornamental and flowering plants. Sir James \V. 

 M.ickey, Ltil., Sackville .Street, Dublin, were also 

 .iwarded a gold medal for an excellent collection of 

 fruit, flowers and vegetables. Messrs. Baker & Co., 

 Wolverhampton, were awarded a gold medal for preony- 

 tlowered dahlias ; these were ver}- fine flowers and 

 were very much admired. Messrs. Pennick & Co., 

 Delgany, Co. Wicklow, were awarded a silver medal 

 for a very fine collection of ornamental and flowering 

 shrubs. .V silver medal was awarded to Mr. Dillon, 

 Carrickmines, for herbaceous plants. Messrs. A. Dick- 

 son & .Sons, Dawson Street. Dublin, were verj' highl)- 

 commended for plants and shrubs ; .Messrs. Dickson, 

 Ltd., Chester, for fruit and flowers ; Messrs. Browett 

 & .Son, Kingstown, for palms, ferns and flowering 

 plants. Messrs. Edmondson Brothers, Dame Street, 

 Dublin, were highly commended for a displa}' of fruit. 



In connection with the show a conference of per- 

 sons interested in the teaching of fruit growing, in 

 growing it and in the disposing of it, was held on the 

 iqth inst., the Right Hon. T. \V. Russell, M.P., Vice- 

 President of the Department, presiding. He alluded to 

 the large increase in interest and activity in connection 

 with fruit growing in Ireland during the last few years. 

 In 1905 the export of fruit from Ireland was about 

 ^^30,000 worth. Last year it had risen to close upon 

 £,130,000. The increase in acreage under fruit had 

 risen from 10,602 acres in 1906 to 14,045 acres 

 in 191 1. This was certainly proof that the industrj^ 

 of fruit growing was rapidly increasing, and the 



ijuality of the fruit ;il the present show proved that 

 high class fruit could hi- proiluced in Ireland. 



.Mr. J. R. C.impbell, Chief of the .\griculiur.il Br. inch, 

 read an excelK'iit p.iperi>n the Iruil growing industry in 

 general. He lirsi referred to tlu- work ilone :ind beiiig 

 done by tlu- Depailmein in the instruction of leaihers, 

 and by the various county committees with reg;iid to the 

 leaching of fruit growing, both for commercial and 

 I'conomic purposes. He also staleil that if gooil 

 fruit coulil be profitably produced in the northern 

 vounlii's of Ireland, as good, if not better, fruit 

 ought to bf produced in tin* southern counties, 

 where the climate is more favourable, and especially 

 in the Suir and Blackwater valleys. He referred \o 

 the need for more local societies, and that more ol 

 them ought to be formed to protect their local and 

 common interests. Much more good towards success- 

 ful cultural fruit can be done through societies than by 

 individuals. With regard lo the markets, he emphn 

 sised the importance of growing only a few varieties ol 

 apples, growing them well, carefully grading them ami 

 packing them well in attractive packages. He also 

 spoke of the value to small growers to bottle the 

 surplus fruit for winter use, which if not utilised for this 

 purpose would be lost. 



The Rev. W. Martin. Antrim, gave an instance of a 

 County Antrim farmer who last year realised £110 

 from four acres of fruit, and who was of the opinion 

 that this could be surpassed in the south of Ireland, 

 as the fruit was more highly coloured in the south, and 

 would, therefore, command a higher ]->rice in the 

 market. 



Mr. Livingston, .Vrmagh, said that no doubt profit- 

 able crops of good fruit were grown in the north, antl 

 that in doing so they were only following the example 

 of other countries. They advocated legislation with ri- 

 gard to fruit culture, and urged upon them the necessity 

 of compulsory spraying the fruit trees as a preventive 

 against insect and fungoid pests, as it was most im- 

 portant to fruit growers thai the trees be properly 

 sprayed. * 



.Mr. Bennis, Limerick, referred to the railway rates, 

 and said that they militated against the successful 

 marketing of good fruit, as the charges for carriage 

 were too high. He suggested that .Mr. Russell take 

 up the matter in Parliament at an early date, as it was 

 undoubtedly the heavy rates charged by the railwa\ 

 companies which prevented to a great extent the spread 

 of fruit growing in the south, and was holding it in 

 check in other parts of the countr)'. 



There is no doubt that these conferences do much 

 good to commercial fruit growing, as not only do they 

 give growers a chance of stating their views publicly, 

 but they also give them a chance of privately exchanging 

 Iheir views on fruil growing in all its branches. 



Oli.SERVER. 



Alpine Plants 



T 



HE article on page 129 of Irish Gardening 

 was taken to task on the definition of the word' 

 "Alpine" by another writer on page 158. 

 The definition in question was supplied by the fi\c 



