IRISH GARDENING 



H3 



lats cannot gain access to any room where fruit 

 is to be stored ; these pests are very destructive 

 if they get any footing in fruit rooms. 



Where tlie planting of new trees is contem- 

 ])lated no more delay should be allowed in making 

 out lists of varieties, and the orders placed with 

 nui'serymen. If at all possible a visit should be 

 made to the nursery to personally select the trees 

 required ; by this means good robust trees, clean 

 and free from any insect or fungoid diseases, may 

 be ensured ; in any case early orders should be 

 given, for as a general rule orders are executed in 

 rotation as i-eceived ; for this reason early placed 

 orders means early delivery of trees, thus giving 

 the opportimity for early planting, which is 

 universally conceded " the best." As the future 

 welfare and usefulness of fruit trees is influenced 

 to a very great extent by proper planting, and 

 I jrepai'ation of sites for planting, due considera- 

 tion must be displayed for the requirements of 

 fruit trees, and if not already in good order the 

 ground should be got in readiness at once. Owing 

 to the greatly increased attention devoted to fruit 

 culture in Ireland during the past ten or twelve 

 years the needs of fruit have come to be much 

 more highly ai)preciated than was formerly the 

 case, though now there is much divergence of 

 opinion as to the best or most suitable land ; 

 the condition or richness of the land at time of 

 ])lanting the larger fruits ; though i)ersonally I 

 do not advocate the addition of large quantities 

 of farmyard manure to land jvist previous to 

 planting young trees, whether orchard trees, 

 garden trees in quantity, or for odd trees, such as 

 additional trees, or replacing exhausted and un- 

 desirable vai>ieties, I strongly advise that all 

 y(jung trees, from maidens to what are termed 

 fruiting trees several years older, should be 

 ])lanted in ground that has been brought into 

 lii-st-class condition through previous cropping 

 and manuring. In the formation of orchards, 

 land cleared of jjotatoes is generally in a very 

 suitable condition for planting ; this should be 

 well harrowed and cleared of all weeds. Land 

 cleared of a corn croj) and in very good heart is 

 also a suitable medium, but should previous to 

 ])lanting be gi»ubbed and harrowed thoroughly, 

 the stubble and weeds gathered into heaps and 

 burned, or be carried away ; afterwards plough 

 the land as deej)ly as possible, or if ])loughed and 

 subsoiled so much the better. Land for new 

 l^lantations in enclosed gai'dens should be deeply 

 dug or trenched, and if necessary dig in a suitable 

 addition of well-rotted manure, also, if available, 

 mortar rubble ; the ashes of fire heaps where 

 wood, rubbish, &c., has been burned are valuable 

 additions, and specially so on heavy soils. 

 Broadly speaking, satisfactory and profitable 

 results can only be ensured by planting good . 

 healthy trees on the best of land — i.e., deep (or 

 fairly deep) rich, well-drained land. Heavy 

 land with a retentive subsoil should Ije drained 

 ]jrevious to i)lanting (or be avoided altogether), 

 as planting on such land without draining almost 

 inevitably residts in cankered trees and virulent 

 attacks of black s])ot on ajjples and ])ears. If 

 deep rich friable land is not available, or even 

 such other land as promises satisfactory results 

 is not available, better defer i)lanting to another 

 season, and in the intervening time get the land 

 into first-class condition. In selecting sites for 

 orchards, shelter or a break against high winds is 

 absolutely indisjjensable, and if none exists, such 

 as high ground, i)lantations or belts of trees, 

 hedges or trees must be planted to j)rotect the 

 trees and fruit fiinn prevailing high winds and 



gales. A double row of beech makes a compact 

 sturdy break wind, or hedge, and can be kept at 

 desired height by clij»])ing annually. 



Almost every grower of large fruits has his 

 favourite varieties, with a consequent wide 

 variation of opinions on a vast number of 

 varieties. There are also many good varieties of 

 local origin useful in their respective localities. 

 The apples in the list I am writing do not con- 

 stitute a very extensive selection, but they are 

 with little exception well tried varieties and 

 ])opular, free cropping, with vigorous constitution, 

 and with proper treatment, right storing, &:c., 

 will give a succession of fruit from .July to the 

 following May. A small number of the varieties 

 may not meet with uiiivcisal a])])roval, but I am 

 quite satisfied that with tlu' little extra attention 

 to their special requirements, i)articular value 

 will well compensate for any extra trouble in 

 growing them. Those that I have mostly in mind 

 are Ribston Pippin, Wellington, and King of the 

 Piljpins ; the two former, given a warm, well- 

 drained situation, and cai'efully sprayed to 

 combat any a^jpeai-ance of scab or canker, rank 

 very highly- — Ribston Pippin as a dessert ap])le 

 and Wellington as a late cooker. King of the 

 Pippins, I am aware, has by some been con- 

 demned, excluded from lists, and by some cut 

 back and to])-grafted with other varieties owing 

 to its scabby ])ropensities : this again may be over- 

 come by careful spraying, and being a vigorous 

 grower, ])rodu(ing regularly heavy crops of showy 

 fruit and satisfactory quality, constitute this a 

 variety well suited for market or home con- 

 sumption. 



I have not included in this list new varieties 

 for the reason princii)ally that very few of them 

 are qualified to supersede older varieties ; also 

 some years must ela se in proving their growing 

 and cropping capabilities for general adoption. 

 The apple Norfolk Beauty- — a comparatively new 

 one — well deserves to be more generally known 

 than appears to be the case, especially for home 

 consumption ; it is a large apple, free cro])i)er, of 

 clean and vigorous constitution, a most admirable 

 cooker, and having one recommendation ((juite 

 an economical one) — i.e., it cooks quite well with 

 half the sugar required with other apples. Rev. 

 W. Wilks I think will ])erhaps eventually super- 

 sede I*easgi Kid's Nonsuch as an exhibition apple, 

 being iniicli the same shai)e as Peasgood's, of an 

 attractive yellow colour, free cropi)er, and of 

 enormous size— for instance, a young tree in a 

 Devonshire nursery ])roduced an apple weighing 

 344 ozs. We have this variety amongst new ones 

 on trial here, and judging by its behaviour 

 it will i)i*ove an acquisition as a cooker for home 

 cons\imption and exhibition, but too soft and 

 awkwai'd formarket purposes; it is also seasonable 

 at a time when there are many of the best 

 varieties tilling the iiuirkets. The des-sert a}>])le 

 Langley Pippin ripens ab(nit the same time as 

 Beauty of Bath, and is, I think, preferable to 

 that variety for home use, being more juicy 

 and of superior flavour. 



Dessert Apples. — (Jladstone, Irish Peach, 

 Langley Pii)pin, Beauty of Bath, l^ady Siuieley, 

 Worcester Pearmain, .laiues Crieve. Beus Ri-d, 

 Wealthy, St. Ednuind's Russett, King of the 

 Pippins, Charles Ross, Cox's Orange I'ippin, 

 Allington Pippin, Rival, Washington, Ribston 

 Pippin, Blenheim Orange, Gascoyne's Scarlet, 

 Adam's Pearmain, Barnack Beauty. 



Cooking Apples. — Early Victoria, Grenadier, 

 Lord (irosvenor, Cox's Pomona, Emperor Alex- 

 aiidi'r, (iolden Spire, Warner's King. Rev. W, 



