IRISH GARDENING. 



The Planting Time. 



IT costs as much to plant and grow indifferent trees 

 as good ones, and yet everj' season one sees people 

 planting trees of poor quality from a doubtful 

 source, perhaps also paying heavy carriage upon trees 

 from a long distance which have been a considerable 

 time out of the ground. Many of this journal's readers 

 will presently be extending or planting new orchards, re- 

 plenishing garden fruits, or planting ornamental shrubs, 

 roses, &c. It is all-important with trees which are to 

 be of many years standing that at the outset good 

 specimens be secured, true to name, and from a reliable 

 nursery. The attention ofplanters is directed to one of our 

 home nursery firms, Messrs. Watson & Sons, Clontarf 

 Nurseries, and i8 Nassau Street, Dublin. They have a 

 large stock of trees of all kinds in clean and healthy con- 

 dition, which planters who find time to call at the nurseries 

 (fifteen minutes' tram drive from Nelson's Pillar) may 

 see for themselves, and those who cannot conveniently 

 call should note that the Messrs. Watson attend person- 

 ally to their clients' instructions by post or telephone. 



A visit to Messrs. Watson's Nurseries will convince 

 intending planters that there is no need to go else- 

 where for roses, fruit trees, or indeed most nursery 

 stock which formerly was not to be obtained satis- 

 factorily in Ireland. Long-distance carriage is saved to 

 Messrs. Watson's patrons, and what is perhaps more 

 important with goods of a perishable nature, owing to 

 their nurseries being situated in the metropoHs, the 

 most direct routes are available to the provinces, with 

 the result that the trees arrive in perfect condition, and 

 are replanted before they have the time to suffer. 

 Descriptive catalogues may be had free by post. 



This "Apparatus" 

 has ob'tained repute 

 both in Large and 

 Small Gardens. 



^^^it 



and Pi 



Discounts 



Lists 



Manufacturers of 



PLAIN AND ORNAMENTAL 



SPOLTINO. 



HOT WATER PIPES, 



IKIILCRS. I'lMPS, LAMl' 



POSTS, VENTlLATINfi 



GEAR. 



THOS. W. ROBINSON, LTD. 



BoUer and Pipe Manufacturers. 



STOURBRIDGE. 



Answers to Correspondents — continued. 



Grafting Dahlias ("Gardener"). — Yes, it can be 

 done, and is indeed frequently done, we believe, when 

 plants are wanted for pot culture. .A large tuber of the 

 previous year is selected, and all its buds removed by 

 slicing off the tops. A \'-shaped slit is then made in the 

 side of the tuber, and having selected your shoot, its 

 base is cut into « wedge-shape to fit into the V'-slil 

 already made in the tuber. When the scion is inserted 

 it is bound to the stock with taphia and covered with 

 putty. The plants are put in a hot frame and kept well 

 shaded until union is effected. Care must be taken 

 during the early stages of growth not to let the plants 

 get too much direct sunlight. Grafted plants, as a 

 rule, do not produce tubers, so they are practical!}' 

 annuals. 



Mulching Strawberry Beds ("Fruit Grower"). — 

 Certainly. .After the autumnal cultivation a mulch of 

 strawy manure should be applied. From certain ex- 

 periments carried on for a series of five years it was 

 foiuid that mulching in earl}' winter gave every time a 

 very considerable increase of yield over the unmulchod 

 plots. As a proof that the increase was the result of 

 the strawy soil covering rather than the mamirial matter 

 washed into the soil, it was found, first, that straw alone 

 give as good returns as strawy manure, and, second, 

 that in another plot that received artificial fertilisers, 

 but no mulch, the yield was no belter than on the un- 

 treated control plot. 



==BENTLEY'S-=- 

 CONCENTRATED ALKALI 



A most valuable Winter Wash for destroying 

 Mosses, Lichens, Fungi, and their Spores. 

 Extensively used in the Largest Orchards 

 throughout the Country upon Fruit Trees 

 and Bush Fruits, also upon Forest Trees with 



most satisfactory results. 

 Causes all loose, rough, or decayed bark to 

 fall off, thereby exposing the favorite quarters 

 of the insects, upon which it has a deadly 

 effect wlietlu-rin the active or dormant conditioii. 



Improves the Health, Growth and Appearance 

 of the Trees by destroying Insect Pests. 



Is readily prepared, and being highly concen- 

 trated is most economical. For Applk, Pi;.\r, 

 and Plum Trees, Bush Fruits and Forest 

 Trees — i tin dissolved in ii gallons of water. 

 For -Apricot, Peach, Neut.vrine and Cherry 

 Trees — i tin dissolved in i6 gallons of water. 

 Bentlev's -Alk.vli may be used any time during 

 the tlormant season. India Rubber Gloves 

 should be worn bj' persons applying the Alkali — 



per pair, 6/6 



T to ,s tins, 1/3 each ; 8 tins, I /2 each ; 12 tins, 



l/l each ; .'Otins, I id. each ; 40tins, lOd. each 



Carriage paid on 7 6 Orders and upwards 



SOLB MANUFACTURERS 



JOSEPH BENTLEY, Ltd. 



Chemical Works, BARROW-ON NUMBER, HULL 



