IRISH GARDENING 



95 



right direction. Wliere the soil is dry, they should 

 be given copious supplies of water. If soot was 

 not mixed with the soil, previous to planting, a 

 good dressing of this niaterial should be placed 

 round the plants now. Soot is rather slow in its 

 manurial effect : its chief value is in imparting 

 clearness and brilliancy to the colours of the 

 flowers. 



Spring Bedding Plants. — The best plants of 

 such subjects as Aubrietia having been selected 

 and marked for stock, may be divided into small 

 portions, each with a few roots attached, and 

 replanted in a partially shaded corner of the 

 reserve garden. Walltlnwcr. Silenes, Myosotis, 

 Polyanthus, &c., arc best raised from seed sown 

 at once in cold frames, which should be shaded 

 until germination takes place. Sow the seed 

 thinly in order that the seedlings nxay have rooni 

 to develoji hardy and sturdy front the start. 



Seasonable Notes — When the sunimer bed- 

 ding has been completed, time may be obtained for 

 picking off any dead flowers and prevent seed 

 pods forming, as this will enable the plants to 

 make growth more quickly. The plants in vases, 

 pots, or window boxes will need daily attention as 

 to watering owing to their restricted rooting 

 medium. These plants suft'er most during 

 showery weather, it being sonietimes thovight 

 that the roots are sufficiently moist without 

 examination, whereas most of the rains may be 

 thrown off by the foliage, and, in nearly all cases, 

 the rains are insufficient to thoroughly soak the 

 soil throughout the pot. Strong-growing her- 

 baceous perennials planted in shrubberies and 

 borders niay be given a mulching, and if the 

 ground is of a close nature, it should be forked up 

 before the mulch is applied. In the quarters 

 provided for Dahlias, it will be necessary to set 

 traps for earwigs. Seeds of Polyanthus and 

 similar plants which it is intended to save should 

 be gathered and placed in trays to dry. 



The Fruit Garden. 



By Alfred Bakkek, Gardener to T.ady Fitz- 

 Gerald, Oarrigoran, Co. Llave. 

 It need not have been surprising to see nxore or 

 less paucity in the show of fruit blossoms this 

 season, considering the unusually heavy crops of 

 fruit which the trees carried last year. However, 

 in these gardens and in this locality generally, 

 there is a naost abvmdant crop of blossoms on all 

 kinds of fruits ; the great bulk of apple trees are 

 a mass of blossom. An abundant crojj of apples, 

 always welcome, would have quite an enhanced 

 value this season owing to the abnormal con- 

 ditions brovight about by the dejjjorable war, 

 thus giving us an additional incentive to hope 

 that this year's blossom may i)roduce a bountiful 

 crop of fruit. At the ])resent time, pears and 

 l)lums seem to have set a good cro]), and as these 

 fruits blossomed under genial weather and con- 

 ditions favourable to ])i'oper fertilisation of the 

 blossoms, a good crop seems to be quite assured, 

 especially so as a copious rain is now falling, after 

 a spell of drought of a very trying nature. (Here 

 we have only recorded little over quarter of an 

 inch of rain during past 23 days, and nmch 

 N.E.S.E. wind has itrevaiied.) Apples are baving 

 a critical time. I am afraid, as owing to an un- 

 favourable change in the weather — i.e., from 

 bright and fine to very gloomy cold days, with 



the thermometer disagreeably near freezing point 

 at night, violent N.E.S.E. winds also prevailing, j 



though with s\ich a profusion of blossom much 

 may renuxin to expand after tliis flighty weather 

 has passed away. 



All kinds of fruit trees growing against walls 

 or trained to wires, &c., will now need careful 

 attention, especially new planted trees and such 

 young trees as have not already filled their 

 allotted space ; the leading shoots on these should 

 be nailed or tied into position before they become j 



too long, or so hard that they may snap on draw- 

 ing tliem down to their places ; shoots for filling 

 the centres of fan-trained, and shoots for ex- 

 tending horizontal trained trees mvist be sinailarly j 

 treated ; superfluous shoots breaking fronn main j 

 stents should be cut clean away at base ; over- > 



crowded groups of new shoots sliould be thinned, 

 eitlier cut them out or cut clean away with a 

 good sharp knife. In a similar manner older 

 trees which have filled up their quarters, over- 

 crowded spurs may be cut out completely, also 

 cut out the young shoots from the points of nmch j 

 elongated spurs, and take out some of the over- ' 

 numerous shoots from other spurs. Espalier and | 

 cordon trained trees may be similarly disbudded i 

 or thinned. Extending cordons, whether upriglit j 

 or horizontally trained, may m.ore readily be kept ! 

 straight, and a good shape, by tying a light | 



stake to the top of the cordon, allowing it to j 



project over top of cordon, and keep the lead- ] 

 ing shoot tied down to the stake. Peaches . 



mvxst have all shoots removed, except those 

 required for extending the trees, and such | 

 as are to carry next year's crop ; the leading 

 shoots must be periodically tied into position, ' 

 and the shoots for carrying next year's fruits ' 



trained alongside the growth carrying fruit at I 

 present. These latter shoots nuist be the best 

 placed ones at base of last year's growth, or the ] 

 nearest to base ; the most suitable are such shoots 

 as spring from upper side of the fruiting branch. 

 It is very essential to leave a growth in front of 

 fruit, to keep the sap circulating to fruits ; if ( 

 this shoot is not needed for tying in it may be ■ 



kept pinched back one or two leaves as they j 

 grow. As the fruit will most likely set a heavier ^j 

 crop than trees could properly mature in a satis- 

 factory manner, thinning nuist be carried out, 

 gradually renioving small and badly placed 

 fruits, finally thinning the fruits to from 6 to 12 

 inches apart, according to size of fruits desired. 

 If the trees are affected with peach-leaf buster, i 

 all the blistered leaves must be picked off and 

 burnt. Figs should also be similarly treated, 

 except that there is usually no necessity for 

 thinning the fruits. Where pears have set heavy 

 crops, and the fruits are evidently beyond danger ! 

 of dropping off, these should be thinned m,ore or | 

 less ; if large first-class fruits are desired, thin j 

 freely, leaving from one to three or fovir fruits on i 

 a spur, making allowance for variety and carrying j 

 capabilities of the trees ; even if the fruits are 

 eventuallv for sale, do not overcrop the trees : ' 

 although 'the fruits may be liberally thinned, the 

 rentainder will attain to a larger size, and give 

 enhanced value to the individual fruits ; the j 

 result of putting undersized ])oor quality fruits 

 on the market is only irritating to the grower, ' 

 aiid brings discredit to both market and producer. 



Where it is intended to make new beds or i 

 plantations of strawberries, the earliest runners 

 possiole should be layered so that they may make 



