I. -6 



IRISH GARDENING. 



OCTOBER 



these roots in the foUouiiig- sprinyf will be much tiner 

 than old roots, provided they arc put in a good bed. 

 All roots mnst be dried after one year's floweringf, 

 otherwise results will be poor. I would mention that a 

 speciality of the propagation of this species has been 

 made, and the show-rooms possess sufficient proof of the 

 success that has been attained. It must not be 

 imag-ined that such results have been achieved with- 

 out ambition and enterprise A varied experience 

 at Kew Gardens and Glasnevin Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 in addition to other eng-ag-ements in several of the lead- 

 ing gardens in Ireland, is the secret of the gardener's 

 ability. 



I have not referred to the other flowers generally, 

 but, as a matter of fact, the stock is one of splendour 

 throughout, the most original and expensive sorts being 

 extremely prominent. A staflF of apprentices live on 

 the premises, and are carefully trained and educated 

 to a very high standard of efficiency, so much so that 

 they become qualified to take up responsible positions 

 in all parts of the United Kingdom. My experience has 

 convinced me that the Irish gardener has established 

 himself as a serious competilor- wilh his English .'uul 

 Scottish brethren. 



Notes. 



G.\RDENERS will le.irn wilh much regret the news of 

 the sudden death of Mr. Peter Barr, the well-known 

 florist, which took place on the iSth of September last, 

 after 85 years of strenuous life. Mr Barr, at the age of 

 20, left his native city of Glasgow and came to Newr\', 

 but he did not remain long in Ireland, leaving in about 

 a year's lime to take up duty in an English nursery. 

 As a collector and hybridiser of Narcissi, Mr. Barr was 

 pre-eminent, and his name U'ill be long cherished b\- all 

 followers of the cult of the dafiijdil. 



The publishers of the "Illustrated Poultry Record " 

 send us a copy of the Record Poultry Book, sold at the 

 low pi'ice of one penny. It is intended for the use of small 

 holders and cottagers, and is great value for the mone}". 

 It is the joint work of practical men well known in the 

 poultry world, and its advice may be taken as authorita- 

 tive and sound. 



" Hints and Wrinkles on Tomato Culture for Market " 

 (by J. Stoddart) is the title of a shilling booklet 

 published by the Lockwood Press of London. It 

 represents a series of articles written by a business 

 man for business men, and will be found most helpful to 

 gardeners who purpose growing these popular fruits 

 for market. 



A PLANT alleged to be new, described indeed by 

 the distributor (Mr. J. Lewis Childs of New York) 

 as "Luther Burbank's Greatest Creation," and listed 

 as the " Wonderberry," has been the subject of a 

 good deal of talk and discussion during the past 

 season. We have at the present time a batch of these 

 plants growing in the open garden, and fail to .see any 

 difference between them and black solanum {Suliiniim 

 nigrum)^ a plant common in many districts as an annual 

 weed. Why it was ever introduced as a new plant. 



and least of all as a "Wonderberry," is difficult to 

 understand. It is a plant of wide geographical range 

 and very variable, especially in warmer regions. In 

 this country its berries are always black, hence its 

 specific name "nigrum," but in other parts of Europe 

 they may be green, yellow, or a dingy red. In this 

 country they are believed to be poisonous, although we 

 are told that they are freely used for making fruit pies 

 in different parts of the L^nited States. After growing 

 these " Wonderberries " it is simply amazing that any 

 firm with a reputation to lose should advertise them as 

 " Unsurpassed for eating raw, cooked, canned or pre- 

 served in any form. The Greatest garden fruit Ever 

 introduced, and equally Valuable in hot, dry, cold, or 

 wel climates." 



I.\ the instructive lists of "What we Import," pub- 

 lished in the Sinn Fein daily, we have during the past 

 month repeatedly seen the item "caraway seed"— so 

 niaTn- bags. One day, for example, 100 bags were 

 landed in Dublin, antl on another day 85 bags were 

 landed in Cork. These aromatic "seed" are oi 

 course imported to be used by bakers and cake 

 manufacturers ; but the point is, why do we not grow 

 carawaj' as a crop ourselves ? The soil and climate 

 .ire alike suitable, and the plants are as easy to grow- 

 as most other field crops. Caraway grows wild in 

 many parts of the British Isles, and belongs to the 

 same family as the caiM'ot. It loves a moist soil. It is 

 a blenni il, and therefore flowers and seeds in the 

 second year. The "seeds" are the ripened fruits, 

 each fruit breaking into two parts, as is the custom in 

 the family. The demand for caraway seed is limited 

 we know, but still it ought to pa}" well at present prices, 

 and moreover, why import if we can grow ? 



.\ NEW process for making bread direct from the 

 wheat grain has been invented by two Frenchmen 

 ( Desgoffe and Georges)- The grains are soaked in 

 tepid water (a pint of water to a pound weight of wheat) 

 until they swell up and gel soft to the core. This takes 

 about six hours. The softened grains are then passed 

 through the C3iinder oi a machine provided with a 

 central shaft in the form of a screw that fits looselj' in 

 the cylinder. The inner surface of the cylinder is also 

 in the form of a screw the threads of which, however, 

 run in a direction contrary to the shaft. The space 

 between the moving shaft and the fixed cylinder gradu- 

 ally lessens from the entrance to the exit, so that the 

 grain is gradually crushed finer and finer as it passes 

 along. The yeast or salt may be added before or after 

 "grinding." After passing through the cylinder the 

 moist, crushed mass is kneaded between two surfaces 

 (the "glider ") channelled in opposite directions. The 

 upper one is fixed to the screw, and is therefore movable, 

 and the other to the cylinder, and is therefore at rest. 

 From a central hole in the latter the kneaded dough 

 passes out in a continuous roll. This is collected and 

 set aside in a warm place to ferment, after which it is 

 fashioned into loaves and baked in the ordinary way. 

 The invention appears to be an important one. There 

 is no waste (100 pounds of wheat make 150 pounds of 

 bread). The bread is most nutritious and wholesome, 

 and the cost oi production is considerably reduced. 



