IRISH GARDENING 



141 



at jiresent in foi-fe. We have infoiiiiation about 

 the diseases wliich do not exist in this country 

 and wliicli we do not want admitted ; but we 

 have no information as to the ti'ade itself in tliis 

 country, and tliis is a necessary ])art of tlie 

 enquiry. 



Particularly we require tiiis : Wliat is the 

 position of the industry as i-egards imports and 

 exports respectively ? What are tliese, where 

 do they go to, where do they come from '! Are 

 the imports of new wild i)lants from, say, China, 

 more imi)ortant than the imjjort of cultivated 

 new vai'ieties from Euro|)e '! If a clause in the 

 convention concerns, let us say, the im])ortation 

 of Japanese Maj^les and deciduous nursery stock 

 from .Ja])an, are we affected or not '! 



There are countless points of this sort which 

 can only be answered by knowledge of what 

 the imports and exports are, wliat kinds of 

 plants, of what value and amount, wliere fi'om ami 

 where to, and whether tlieimi)orted ])lants are fron) 

 the forest or jimgle or from foreign nurseries. 



In the liope of getting this information the 

 Royal Horticultural Society has addressed a 

 letter to every firm dealing in live plants. 

 Attached are forms so ])re pared that each firm 

 may give, with the least trouble, the information 

 that the committee wants, and the committee 

 very sti-ongly ui'ges all members of the trade 

 to give the information asked for. Sooner or 

 later a decision will liave to be taken. 



The Boartl of Agriculture lias intimated that 

 it will not adhere to the convention if it be 

 against the interests of the tratle, and it is 

 extremely important that the trade should liave 

 the necessary information on whicli to judge 

 whether to recommend adliesion to the con- 

 vention, whetlier to stand aside, or whetlier to 

 ask the Government tf) seek to modify it. 



It is impossible in a single article to make clear 

 what the effect of the convention will be, but I 

 propose in the next to explain the regulations 

 already adopted in Finance in anticii)ation of this 

 convention being adopted. Whether this country 

 adheres or not, the effect will be far-reaching, 

 and we hojie the trade will give the committee 

 the help it needs by filling up the forms and 

 returning them when completed to the Seiretary, 

 Royal Horticultural Society. The inforination 

 will be treated as strictly confidential, antl tlie 

 only use made of it will be to comi)ile tables of 

 the total imports and export* of living plants, 

 with the countries of origin or destination. 



H. M. Lefroy. 



Hints to Novices. 



By R. M. Pollock. 



The old canes of Ras))berries may be cut out as 

 soon as possible now so as to leave jtlenty of air 

 and light for the new stock. The same remark 

 applies to Loganberries. There is ntjthing better 

 for covering a bare wall in a short s])ace of time 

 than the Loganberry. ^ards of giowfh are made 

 each season, which the following summer are 

 covered with strong-flavoured deep wine-coloui-ed 

 fruits. I'nfortunately the fruits are very tart. 

 and require a large an ount of sugar, and sugar 

 in war times is, to say the least of it, exi)ensive. 

 As so(m as the Raml)ler Roses gft out of flower 

 they too can have the old slioots removed and all 

 the new strong growth tied se<'urely in its place, 

 and so save time in the autumn, when gardeners 

 are nmch more busy and the days are shorter. 

 Pefore these notes appear the Royal Horti- 



cultural Society of Ireland will have held its 

 usual Autunm show, which we hope will have 

 been a success. This show is held to a large 

 extent as an attraction to the country visitors 

 who visit tile Horse Show during the last week 

 in xVugust. This year the Royal Dublin Society 

 holds no Horse Show, and rightly so. But the 

 Horticultural Society of Ireland scheduled, 

 advertised, and carried out their autumn show. 

 Surely this cannot be a good move on the i)art of 

 the leading Horticultural Society of Ireland ! 

 According to the advertisements in the daily 

 l)apers a fete is to be combined with the flower 

 show, and the proceeds over and above the 

 expenses of working the show are to be devoted 

 to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers War Prisoners' 

 Fund and the Irish Branch of the Vegetable 

 Products Committee for supplying fruit and 

 v.'gctables to the Xorth Sea Fleet. These are 

 two excellent War Funds for whicli money is 

 urgently needed, but could this not have been 

 obtained in some (jther way than by holding a 

 flower show, which entails considerable expense, 

 not only on the Society but on the employer 

 from whose garden the jiroduce is shown '! 

 Accoi'ding to the Post Card advertisement sent 

 to all members of the Horticultural Society, the 

 fete embraces, as well as the usual entertain- 

 ments, an auction of fruit and flowers. This is 

 apparently held out as an attraction for the 

 country people and the local visitors to tlie show. 

 We all know what such plants as Dahlias, Roses, 

 Begonias, Pelargoniums, Arc, are like on show- 

 boards. Solitary flowers, with no foliage, only 

 a short stem, cut over twelve hours, and more 

 tlian half of that time s])ent in a liot stuffy tent. 

 This is what the ])ublic are asked to jjay to take 

 away ! Permission tt) show or not lies witli the 

 employer. The gardener has very little say 

 in the matter. If the employers had combined 

 and refused to allow any exhibiting to take jilace 

 from tlieir respective establishments the show 

 would not have taken place. A gardener who 

 can grow flow* is. fi'uit and vegetables uj) to 

 exhibition standard will grow all his stuff well, 

 and what goes to his ein])loyers' table will be verv 

 little below the standard of that which figured 

 on the show board. Therefore the em])loyer is 

 at no loss in forbidding his gardener to show 

 during war times. Everyone will feel the war 

 flinch sooner or later, and the gardener, if he is 

 in the habit of being successful, will miss his prize 

 money. 



The flowers, fruit ami \cg('lal»les grown in 

 gardens now can all be ilisposed of in some way, 

 and there need be no waste. Would a bunch 

 of fresh Roses or Sweet Pea be api)reciateil in a 

 home where sorrow has already laid its hand — 

 where there can now be no hei'o's return '! Would 

 file gooseberries, currants, loganberries, cherries, 

 iV:c., whicli have been carefully watched until 

 show date, would they not be appreciated by the 

 wounded and sick soldiers in the local hospitals Y 

 As to the vegetables, there is no reastni why 

 vegetables should at any time be wasted, and 

 certainlv not now. Over £!(»(), according to the 

 schedule of the Aufun.n Show of flu- Koval 

 Ilorficulfiuai Society of Ireland, is offered in |)rize 

 money. Even half this amount might have been 

 handed over to the two funds mentioned, and the 

 Society would liave stood clear of all reproach, 

 or a fete under the auspices of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society in aid of these two funds might 

 have been held, but to offer prize money where 

 it is not necessary and to carry through a show 

 " as usual " does not appear right. 



