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IRISH GARDENING. 



February 



placed over the crowns. These will not be slrongr 

 enougfh for forcing till the second year, but development 

 is greatly assisted by the use of liquid manure during 

 Ijie growing seasonand by not pulling the stalks too hard. 



Pricking off Seedlings. — Celery and cauliflower 

 seedlings sown last month must be pushed on as 

 rapidly as possible. When fit to handle, prick off celery 

 into boxes with a layer of rotten dung in the bottom, and 

 fill witli fine, rich soil. If possible, place in frames on 

 gentle bottom heat. If pricked off directly into a frame 

 that has been prepared with gentle bottom heat, and with 

 fine, rich soil near the glass, celery plants will develop 

 faster and better than any other way. Cauliflowers 

 sown last month can be best treated in the same 

 way. The same can be said of lettuce. Brussels 

 sprouts and onions should be pricked off into boxes, and 

 when restarted into growth, in a lightsome position, in 

 gentle heat, they can be removed to frames, ventilation 

 to be attended to in every case. 



Seeds in Heat.- Sow for succession tomatoes, celery, 

 lettuce, &c. , as recommended in last month's calendar. 

 Pot on tomatoes when a couple of pairs of leaves are 

 made, using fine, porous soil, and placing well up to the 

 glass. 



Forcing Department. — Cover seakale and rhubarb in 

 the open with pots, barrels, &c. , and fermenting material 

 if necessary, to keep successional supplies. Asparagus 

 will now force readily with bottom heat in frames and 

 pits. French beans may still be sown in pots, and 

 mushroom beds made in houses. Sow carrots and 

 raddishes in hot beds for succession. 



Roses. 



By O'DoNEL Browne, M.D. 



NOW that it has been decided beyond all doubt 

 that the Royal Horticultural Society has 

 decided to hold a rose show on July the 20th, 

 I feel I ought to write a few hints to any novice who 

 may aspire to showing at that show. Firstly, then, let 

 us commence some time in February, when the soil's 

 condition is suitable, to very gently prick up atiy caked 

 beds, or, better still, only use the hoe and strive and 

 keep the top inch or so in a fine and crumpley condition. 

 See to your wall roses, and tie in the best ripened shocits 

 at the end of the month. In the summer-flowering 

 Rambler section do not use the knife save to remove any 

 dead or over-crowding shoots. Defer your pruning of 

 H. P.s. and H. T.s. until the end of March, and your Teas 

 until about the second week in April. Prune all your 

 roses harder than you have done so in former years, 

 and only keep well ripened shoots. When you notice 

 the remaining eyes, after pruning, commencing to swell 

 and push into growth, which they will do about the 

 middle of April, go over your trees and remove some of 

 those growing inwards towards the centre of the 

 plant. Do not be hasty or rash — a little now and then 

 is better than one great clearance. Try and distribute 

 the flow of sap evenly about. When you notice the 

 foliage just appearing keep a sharp look out as often 

 as you can for the worm in the bud. Find him as early 

 as you can. If you get any buds — i.e., eyes bored into — 

 that shoot is useless for show purposes, and you must 

 select either one of the two side dormant eves or an eve 



lower down which looks outwards. Should green-fly 

 make its appearance you must check it as soon 

 as possible. Wall and pillar roses are the most 

 commonly affected. By the middle of May go over 

 and judiciously thin any in-looking eyes, shaving 

 them clean off with a sharp knife to the level of the 

 wood they spring from. .About the beginning of June 

 you will notice tiny flower buds set on your bed plants 

 (wall roses will have got theirs 'ere this). The earliest 

 of these will be too early for July 20th. It has been 

 reckoned that from once the bud (flower) is set until it 

 is cut is in or about twenty-eight days. What we want 

 is a bloom just "set" about mid-June, therefore the 

 shoots to mind are the middle and late setting ones, 

 and not the extra early ones. .Allow some early ones to 

 develop, and try and encourage some of the latest also 

 to grow. On the top of each flower shoot you will 

 notice a crown bud and several, generally two, side 

 buds. Some varieties, like Her Majesty and Mildred 

 Grant, have only one bud. Carefully look at the crown 

 bud first, note if it shows any irregularity or if it is mal- 

 shapen. Provided it is alright, then leave it and one 

 of the lowest side buds, and remove all the others. If 

 it (the crown bud) is not correct, remove it and retain 

 two side buds. Do this with all plants for exhibition 

 flowers. When later in June or early in July j'ou notice 

 how matters progress as regards your chances for 

 having flowers on f/ie 20th, remove one bud and let the 

 remaining one come on by itself. It is a trouble to 

 stake every shoot, but it is the safest procedure. 

 Watch for mildew and attack it as early as you can. 

 I have said nothing about how many shoots carrying 

 flowers you should keep on your trees, but a safe number 

 is four. Over thinning will make some blooms come 

 coarse, but some varieties like it well. 



The hardest, and yet the most important, point to 

 grasp is not to have all your shoots crowned by buds of 

 the same age ; try above all things to have a succession 

 in age ; then should the weather suddenly change it 

 matters not so much. Do not forget your hoe — there 

 cannot be too much hoeing done. In the way of extra 

 feeding it would be well to dress your beds early in 

 F'ebruary, and again at intervals, with some artificial 

 compound manure to give your trees help. These 

 manures must be used judiciously, but beware of your 

 foliage when applying the manure. If it should be 

 showery weather when applying the manure so much 

 the better. Experience alone can guide you when and 

 how much to apply, but do not be stingy, your roses 

 will repay you a hundredfold. The question of shading 

 flowers is a most interesting one, and cannot be gone 

 into now, but shade you must if you want perfect flowers. 

 Get some shades from a maker, any seed shop can 

 supply you now, and whilst you have time get 

 to work, and make some over your fires at night. 

 Make them larger than those usually sold, as you may 

 have an extra large flower to cover just before a show, 

 and wind will shake a flower just sufficiently to damage its 

 petals vuiless it is staked or the shade is big enough. 

 Have plenty of shades handy ; it is really surprising how 

 man)- you will require some days when rain threatens. 

 The person who cuts the best flowers is the one who 

 works hardest and most often, and who does not spare 

 himself until the show is over. 



