IRISH GARDENING 



47 



Annual Chrysanthemums, Dianthus, Godetias, 

 Mignonette, Salpiglossis, Scabious, Coreopsis, 

 Cosmos, for its foliage ; the small Sunflowers, and 

 some ornamental grasses. Violets. — The ground, 

 for Violets should be well stirred, and if of a heavy 

 nature, should have a liberal dressing of leaf- 

 mould or light manure ; the remains of old hot- 

 beds make excellent manure for Molets. The 

 middle of the ])resent nionth is about the best 

 time for i)lanting : select well rooted, strong 

 runners, and plant carefully with a trowel, 

 9 inches apart each way over the whole ground, 

 making all firm as the work ]>roceeds. If the 

 weather be at all dry they will require to be 

 sprinkled daily with a fine rose-watering can. 



The Fruit Garden. 



By Alfked Barker, Gardener to Lady Fitz- 

 (^erald, Carrigoran, Co. Clai'e. 



(iiVEN normal weather conditions through the 

 winter months, when March comes round the bulk 

 of work in connection with hardy fruit growing 

 outdoors has been satisfactorily completed, but 

 during this season it is not " February alone," 

 but each month seems to have been literally a 

 " fill dyke," and each combined to retard in a 

 most disagreeable manner all kinds of fruit 

 growing oi)ei'ations, and, excepting in a few highly 

 favoured districts, this will consequently prove 

 an abnormally late season. It is quite obvious 

 that the most pressing work will take jirecedence : 

 tlms ])lanting of young fruit trees iiuist now be 

 linished at the earliest ])ossibie o])portunity, and 

 should be carried on with the greatest care to 

 avoid undue exposure of roots to wind and sun. 

 In case of consignments from nurseries, &c., if 

 there is any doubt as to roots being in a sufficiently 

 nxoist condition, place them in a tub or a 

 cistern of water for a coviple of hoixrs previous to 

 planting or to being heeled in to await planting. 

 In all kinds of planting during this month special 

 care shovild be taken with tilling in earth amongst 

 roots and trampling well as the work proceeds. 

 On heavy land it is a considerable advantage if a 

 ({uantity of light, di'y com|)ost is available to 

 sprinkle amongst roots of trees; such preca^itions 

 will considerably facilitate new root action and 

 minimise the risks of failures. Care should also 

 be taken to have all broken and jagged ends 

 trimmed off the roots before jjlanting. As 

 planting is finished, a mulching of stable manure, 

 or half-decayed farmyard manure, should be 

 S]jread around the tree to width of roots to 

 ])revent evaporation of moisture in case of ensuing 

 drought. A similar mulching sh(mld, if possible, 

 also be aj^plied previously to newly planted trees, 

 or any such as may have been removed or lifted. 

 This is a good time also to look round all pre- 

 viously i)lanted trees or bushes, and retram))le 

 any that may have become loosened by gales or 

 high winds. 



Late digging or cultivation of bordeis and fruit 

 plantations should receive sjjccial care, ])arti- 

 rularly on heavy soils, where the ground should 

 be well broken u]i, leaving the surface quite tine, 

 to lessen evaporation and the ill-effects of subse- 

 iiuent dro\ight or parching winds. Avoid injury 

 to roots by over deep digging as far as possible ; 

 it is jsuHicient to dig to such a depth as will allow 

 of covering over any manure or dressing which 

 may be applied to tlie trees. 



Any arrears of ijlanting of Inish fruits, rasp- 

 berries and loganberries should be promptly 

 completed ; with these subjects any requisite 

 pruning should be done at once after i)lanting. 

 Cut out any weakly shoots, also any excess of 

 stronger growths, over such as are required to 

 form the basis of a good bush ; the remaining 

 shoots should be cut back to half or rather less 

 than half their length. Raspberry canes should 

 be cut to within a foot of the ground level ; also 

 cut down rasjiberry canes that may have been 

 previously planted in a similar manner, to induce 

 growth of good strong canes for fruiting next 

 year. If the canes in permanent plantations of 

 rasjjberries were left full length at time of annual 

 pruning, these should now be shortened to the 

 height of wires supporting canes, or to stakes to 

 which they may be tied- 



Where black currant biishes are mite infested 

 it is very advisable to look through the bushes 

 carefully to detect and cut away any big bud.s 

 which may have been missed or become more 

 developed since annual pruning. Any such buds 

 should be brought to some fire and destroyed. 



Towards the end of this month and during the 

 early days of April grafting will call for attention. 



Fig. 2. 



For trees headed back, as described in last 

 month's notes, crown grafting (see Fig. 1) is the 

 niost efficient method to ado])t ; it is quite a 

 sini])le o])eration, and with a little practice an 

 operator may soon become quite adept. When 

 a favourable day presents, try one or two stocks- 

 by slitting tin; bark a. little, at a point where no 

 scion is to be insi-rted : if the bark jtarts clean and 

 readilv from the wood grafting may jiroceed. 

 With a good sharj) saw cut th«- stock at a suital)l<' 

 point, making a slightly slanting cut downwards, 

 being careful not to split or tear the bark : 

 prepare the scions, as at Fig. 2, from •> to S inclu s 

 long when finished (the longest ones for stout 

 stocks) ; commence below a bud, nuvking a splice- 

 sha])ed cut on the scioji, and cut across to make 

 clean sduari' cut : thib 



shoulder, with 



