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IRISH GARDENING. 



now ariisiiig by post, which reminds us that to have 

 Roman hyacinths in flower by November the bulbs 

 must be potted now. These bulbs are capital for 

 forcing, and their flowers are very sweet and useful. 

 They should be potted up without delay, as the bulbs do 

 not keep so long: firm as the ordinary Dutch hyacinth. 

 Three to five bulbs in a five or six-inch pot is a useful size. 

 Pot in loam, leaf mould, some well-rotted manure, and a 

 very little sand. Plant the bulbs firmly, allowing- the 

 crown just to appear on the surface. Place the pots 

 closely together in a shady place, and cover over six 

 inches deep with sifted ashes, sand, or bog mould. 

 When the pots are filled with roots, remove to a frame, 

 and gradually inure to the light and a gentle heat if 

 wanted earh-. 



General Remarks.— Beddingthings in general are not 

 growing with the freedom that manj- w-ill expect. We 

 have had cold nights, and theground is still very dry. The 

 hoe kept going through the surface of the soil will help 

 to keep growth on the move. In the violet beds, where 

 red spider has made its appearance owing to the 

 drought, these should be syringed with some insecticide. 

 A good one is quassia extract used at the rate of two 

 wineglassfuls to three gallons of soft, soapy water. 

 Wet all the foliage with this at least twice a week till 

 they are clean and growing freely, and keep all runners 

 picked off Earwigs get troublesome in showery 

 weather, and do much damage to dahlias, chrysan- 

 theminns, and such like. Pieces of bean stalks placed 

 among the plants act as traps, and inverted small 

 flower pots, with a little moss in each and placed on 

 stakes among the foliage, is a good old-fashioned plan 

 of catching these pests. 



The Fruit Grounds- 



By William R. Spencer, .Manor House Gardens, 

 Loughgall, Co. .Armagh. 



W. ALL-TREES. — Leading shoots and those re- 

 quired for filling vacant spaces must not be 

 neglected now, or damage will be done to 

 them ; have them secured to the wall by means of nails 

 and shreds, as already advised. During high winds they 

 often snap oif if not secured in some way. Attend to 

 the watering of wall-trees, and especiallj- to those 

 trees carrjing crops of fruit ; these will benefit greatly 

 by an occasional dose of liquid manure applied after 

 a soaking of clear water, or some good farm-yard 

 manure as a mulch may be applied as far as the roots 

 extend ; it will help to swell up the fruit and benefit the 

 trees. During showery weather, such as at present 

 prevails, some are deceived as to the condition of the 

 roots, and imagine that they get all the moisture they 

 require. If these people would only, during such weather 

 remove a few inches of surface soil and examine them 

 they would find that it has not penetrated very far ; 

 instead, they would find the soil dry and lumpy about 

 them. -All such trees should receive a good soaking. 



Gooseberries. — As soon as the fruit is cleared the 

 bushes ought to get a spraying of sulphide of potassium 

 (liver of sulphur), two ounces of sulphide to three 

 gallons of water. Failing this, they should be sprayed 

 with Bordeaux mixture. .American mildew has become 



so prevalent that those who are in the happy position 

 of being free from it should adopt preventive measures, 

 such as advised. So far the bushes in these gardens 

 ai-e free from it, although it has done considerable 

 damage to bushes in several gardens not more than a 

 quarter of a mile away. It is very doubtful whether 

 the cultivation of the gooseberry for market can, in 

 the future, be carried on with profit to the grower 

 owing to this dreadful scourge. He has to run the risk 

 of his whole crop becoming attacked, and thereby 

 losing it, as he can be compelled to bvirn both bushes 

 and fruit. The extra cost involved by spraying to ward 

 ofif infection has to be considered, and the present 

 price of the fruit, 6s. per cwt. , is not likely to tempt 

 many to invest in its cultivation. 



Raspberries. —The old canes must be cut down close 

 to the ground as soon as fruit is all gathered, and if 

 more than sufficient young ones have been left when 

 being thinned out previously thej- must be reduced 

 to the number required, so that these mav receive all 

 the light and air possible, also the ground cleared of 

 weeds and lightly forked over. 



Strawberries. — If not already done, the old plants, 

 if required for another season, should get a clean over. 

 Have all the decaying and torn leaves removed, also 

 the runners, and finish by lightly forking between the 

 plants as advised last month. Prepare ground for new 

 plantations, and as soon as the young plants are fit to 

 plant get them into their permanent quarters. Do 

 not delay this work, as every week lost now will tell 

 against them in the crop next year. In planting, give 

 strong growing varieties plenty of room between the 

 rows — two feet is a good average width — and plant in 

 the rows one foot apart, every alternate plant to be 

 removed after first crop is gathered. Weaker growing 

 varieties or those of a dwarfer habit of growth may be 

 planted at eighteen inches apart every way. -As so 

 on as got in give a thorough soaking of clear water, 

 and mulch with stable manure of a very strawy nature. 

 This will help to shade the plants and keep the soil 

 moist about them in dry weather, the principal aim 

 being to get the plants into good growths with well- 

 developed crowns before winter sets in. 



Wasps. —These are most destructive to all kinds of 

 fruit during August and September. Traps should be 

 laid for them at once ; these to consist of wide necked 

 bottles half filled with beer or sweetened water, and 

 hung amongst the fruit on the trees. Hunt for their 

 nests, and have them destroyed. Cyanide of potassium 

 is the best knosvn means of destruction, used either dry 

 or in solution. If dry drop a small piece into the 

 entrance to nest, and dig it up next day when it may 

 safely be done ; or dissolve }i lb. of the cyanide in a pint 

 of boiling water ; bottle and keep in a safe place, 

 securelv locked awa\-, when not in use. It is a most 

 dangerous poison, and should be legibly labelled such. 

 To destroy the nests saturate a piece of soft rag or tow 

 with the liquid poison, and with a stick push it into the 

 nest. This is quicker in its action than the first named 

 method, .-ind nests may be dug out with safety to the 

 workman in an hour after being done. 



P'riit Roo.m.— Have the fruit room made sweet and 

 clean in readiness for reception of fruit ; walls should 

 be whitewashed with lime, the shelves washed down. 



