64 



IRISH GARDENING 



all cvnts ill this locality (;iu.l s.. far as 1 .an 

 Ifurii in olli.-r tlistiicts) then- is a jrn-at |>i(ifusi<ni 

 (if ))loss()in Imds. |>luiu|i. aiui |«iniiusin;; ^iHu\ 

 t'hinirs in stnif. if wc arc fuitnnatf in liavinLC tin' 

 Inidb l)l(tssonun.i,' iiiulcr |.i'.. pit ions wrat Ikt <nii- 

 (litioub. 



It is advisalilf to make smiic |>i<i\ ision I'nr 

 lir»)tt'(titicc wall tn-i-s from spiin^; frosts. Wlu-rc 

 JixtMl or inovi'ahli- wall (d|iinj:s ait- not |iid\ idt'ci 

 for fiuit. wall protcit ion may In- alTordi'.l li\ 

 temporary measures, whiili sliould he reach I'oi 

 any emerireney. uihI ehpeeially in the ease of t arl\ 

 lloweriim peais and i>eaehes. A siu^de ni^'hts 

 frost mav destroy all ehaiice of a r.Msonahle crop 

 (or any "at all) if left uniu'ot e.te.l. where other- 

 wisi'. hy eoverin^ with garden mats two or thi'ee 

 tliieknesses of hird neltin;,', m aii\ imjiiovised 

 )iroteetion. a good erop would almost ceitaiuly he 

 ensured. Where num.hei-s of trees lired prole, ■- 

 tion a. <,'()od method is to provide tin- re.|uisite 

 numher of larch, or any li^rht ))oles. laid slantiuK 

 aj^ainst the walls, and seenred at the toj) to the 

 wall, with tlie base about <) feet from wall, and 

 let into the tiround a f.'W iiielies to keep steady : 

 a wire or stnmu cord iiiii fiom pole to pole, and 

 tnrned round the pole at top. with a. second lino, 

 1 or .') feet at least down tlie jxde from top; 

 aloni; this may be lixed whatever |)i()teclin-.,' 

 material it is " decided to use. The coverin;.' 

 should be moved or taken down during the day 

 to allow of fnll exposure to snn or line days, also 

 free access for ])ees or insects, which are almost 

 indispensable aids to fertilisation of the blossoms. 

 Many of the earliest peal's to expand tlieir 

 blo.ssoms fre(inently fail to crop satisfactorily, 

 even though weather conditions appear quite 

 favourable: it is most likely owing to the self- 

 sterility of to sucli varieties. The same applies 

 to phuus. though not to such an extent as in pears. 

 \'arieties having the reputation for self -sterility 

 should be assisted to cro]) by artificial fertilisa- 

 tion : the absence or presence of pollen luay be 

 discerned on close examination either with the 

 naked eye or with the assistance of a small 

 magnifying lens, and pollen may be conveyed on 

 line dry days to a self-steriie variety by drawing 

 a rabbit's tail or a bunch of light featliers over 

 the trusses of blossoms : in this way collecting the 

 pollen to be distribvited in a like Jiianner over 

 sterile flow^ers. A much more even and certain 

 cro]) on outdoor ])eaches is assured by artificial 

 fertilisation, though if bees are kept in the garden 

 or locality, and numbers of these are observed on 

 the bI()s.soms. the need for artificial fertilisation 

 is almost nil. 



Much has been written within the past few 

 yeai-s on self -sterility in ])eai"S and plums, and 

 fists of sTuh varieties published by those who have 

 ex|)ei'imented in the matter : though last year, for 

 instance, failure on the j)art of pears or i)lums to 

 set a good crop of fruit (where severe frosts did 

 not i>revent) was ([uite an exception, as nearly 

 every variety cro])])ed heavily ; but last >ear 

 again was phenomenal in that respect. It is 

 often remarked amongst fruit growers that certain 

 varieties are very shy setters (or croi)pei«). The 

 failure also of trees clothed Avith fine crops of 

 blossoms, and no fruit resvilting, is often com- 

 mented on ; such cases are worthy of investiga- 

 tion . 



A variety of minor matters (tliough none the 

 less qixite 'essential to success) will now need 



atli'iition. su<h as a liiial cleaning up and huitiinu 

 of pniuiugs. all kin. Is ..f rubbish, we.-ds. \-c. ; 

 tin- I leaning and repairing of walks and roads. 

 Wheir nml.hing ..f m-w planted fruit trees has 

 been defeired it should now lie cari'ieil out. If 

 the surface of the ground has be.-ome liardened 

 orciustt'd over, run t he hoe or a Huco cult ivator 

 ovei- the sniface befoi-e applying the nndcldng. 

 .Vttack weeds on iii-st appeaiance : the> are nmch 

 more leadilv ke])t down bv earlv hoeing than 

 when .allow, il to attain si/.e and a lirm h.ild in t he 

 gr.Min.l. II.M-ing ..r L.osening the snrfac.- of t he 

 gi.mml. even where wee.ls are n.it in e\ iden.-.'. 

 is also veiy h.^m-iicial to fruit tives. 



Overhaul netting, and oidei' n.'W wh.re .ild 

 n.-ts aif no longer sei\ iceal)le. I'unnets. A:.-., if 

 need.-.l sh.iuld be ord.-red in g.iod time. t.> )i.- in 

 hand wlu-n re.piired : such mattei-s nee.l attention 

 unusuaii\ earl\ this vear- .)wing to d.d.ivs in 

 .l.-liv.T\ or transit. 



Where strawberries wei-e dressed with farmyard 

 manure, as pi'eviously advised, some means to 

 |)revent fruit l)eing spoiled by grit must })e 

 a(loi)ted ])efore flower scapes are miicli advanced, 

 ("lean straw, if o])tiinable, is tlie })est ; next to 

 that is the littery straw from stal)le manur«'. and 

 this if ])ut down betimes gets washed (piite clean 

 by rains before fruit attains much si/,e. thus 

 removing cause for any reasonable objection to 

 this littei- being used for such ]turj)ose. If the 

 beds were not dressed with farmyard manure, 

 now is a good time to a|i])ly some (piick acting 

 artilicial manure. Nitrate of soda ajiplied twice 

 or three times as the flowers show, and while 

 fruits are swelling, about 2 ozs. to the scjuare yard; 

 Kainit at from 2 to 4 ozs. per yard is also a very 

 useful dressing. Whatever manure may be used 

 should be raked or lightly hoed in, and after a 

 few showers of rain to wash nianure into ground, 

 straw should be placed around iilants to ]irevent 

 splashing of fruit. 



Where attacks of gooseberry caterpillars aic 

 suspected, gooseberry, red and white currant 

 trees shovild be sjirayed as tlie leaves unfold, 

 using Swifte's arsenate of lead, I II). of the lead 

 to 50 gallons of water, ap])ly with a line sjiray. 

 and c()m])letely si)ray all the foilage. Where 

 apple and peai- trees were sjirayed during wintei- 

 months with sul])hate of cop])er, this should be 

 f.illowed up by spraying with Bordeaux mixture: 

 or Woburn Bordeaux paste as directed is imich 

 preferable to home-made Bordeaux mixtures. 

 The first spraying should be a]jplied as soon as 

 the foliage is expanded, to be followed with 

 another sy)raying after, or just as, the i)etals of 

 l)lossoms are falling, and again when the fruit 

 shows to be well set ; the spray should be applied 

 with a good pressure on. being careful to moisten 

 every part of trees, but not to such an extent as 

 to cause extensive di'ipiiiiig of mixture, oi' anv, 

 if avoidable. 



Lime sulphur as a renu-dy against apjile and 

 ])ear scab is becoming very jiopular, and is iu> 

 doubt as effective as the sul))hate of cop])er 

 solutions. It is very readily niixed and reason- 

 able in ])rice ; that is referring to the commercial 

 lime suli)hur, which is also much i)referable in 

 all ways to the home-made compound. The 

 present is a good time to commence using this 

 spray ; to be ajjplied same time as with Bordeaux 

 mix1:ure, and according to instructions issued by 

 all makers. 



