NOVEMBER 



IRISH GARDEN.ING 



175 



afford a reslinj^ place for slugs. A sheet of glass 

 supported on a couple of bricks will throw the rain off 

 some tender plant. A piece of slate, if kept at a fair 

 height above the plant, will answer the same purpose. 

 Zinc rings placed round any special subjects are also an 

 excellent means of protection. 



Gener.\l Work. — It will be difficult to keep all trim 

 and tidv in the flower garden during this month. 

 Falling leaves and Iwigs from trees give endless labour. 

 If leaves are allowed to lie thickly and trod on in wet 

 weather, discoloration of the grass and gravel takes 

 place. Leaves should be collected and removed at 

 once, and when stored dry in a shed makes the finest of 

 all leaf soil. Lawns may have a last cut, and the 

 mowers thereafter cleaned and packed away for the 

 winter. Lift dahlia roots, and, before storing, stand 

 them upside down in an airy place to drain any moisture 

 away, and afterwards place in boxes with dry sand, and 

 remove to a cool place where frost can be excluded. 

 In wet weather tuberous begonias can also be turned 

 over, the old stalks rubbed off, and the roots packed in 

 boxes and treated similar to dahlias. Now that most 

 of the plants are in their winter quarters it is good 

 economy to vaporise with nicotine in- anticipation of 

 the appearance of insects. This will destroy both (he 

 green-fly a[id thrips, and if done once a month insecis 

 will give little trouble. At this season chrysanthemums 

 indoors are often crowded together to make what is 

 called a good bank of bloom, and damp settles on these 

 flowers, and mildew follows. Split up the bariks and 

 isolate some of the best specimens. A few large palms 

 and ferns may also be used as backgrounds, and assist 

 to make the effect less formal. 



The Fruit Grounds. 



By \ViLLi.\M R. Spe.scer, Manor House Gardens, 

 Loughgall, Co. .-\rmagli. 



Laying Down of Fruit Grounds. 



THE first thing to be considered by those con- 

 templating the laying down of land for the 

 cultivation of fruit is the suitability of soil. 

 It is useless attempting to grow fruit profitably un- 

 less the soil is suitable, or can be rendered so 

 without very much extra expense. Very heavy and 

 wet soils are bad, being too cold, and damp roots 

 favour canker, spotted fruit, and promote the growth 

 of mosses and lichens, whereas too dry a soil is equally 

 bad, producing little development of tree, small fruit, 

 and in prolonged drought, possibly loss of trees. Either 

 of these classes of soils may be modified by efficient 

 drainage and the incorporation of material which would 

 tend to make the soil porous, in the case of wet, heavy 

 cold soils, and the addition of clay and mulchings of cow 

 or pig manure in the case of light, dry, hot soils. This 

 entails a good deal of extra expense, and if the happy 

 medium can be had this should be availed of. .Apples 

 in particular (they are of first importance) delight in 

 soil of a rich loamy character, which naturally drains 

 itself ; almost all fruit trees and bushes would do 

 equally well, but for pears it may be somewhat heavier. 

 Black currants and raspberries do well in soils of a 

 peaty nature, and may be grown in partial shade. 



Next in importance to soil is situation. An ideal 

 position would be a gentle slope facing south, well 



sheltered from north and east winds, also from western 

 gales, which do untold havoc to apples in autumn. 

 Shelter is of importance. During ths first half of 

 October this year hundreds of tons of our best, late 

 apples have been rendered comparatively worthless by 

 gales in this district, the ground beneath trees of such 

 varieties as Bismarck, Lane's Royal Codlin, Lord Derby, 

 &c., being covered by the fallen fruit time after time. 



"A good belt of evergreen trees would make good 

 shelter, or even a high hedge would prove helpful, but 

 do not allow either to overshadow any portion of the 

 grounds, or allows their roots to rob it of either food or 

 water." 



The grouEids chosen, the next consideration is the 

 preparation of the ground. If a root crop has been 

 grown on the land this year it will greatly facilitate 

 mailers, as when cleared of the crop all that would be 

 required would be to plough over the whole plot or 

 field, and planting can be done at once. If in grass it 

 must be ploughed up at once, and by the usual mode of 

 cultivation be made fit to plant by spring, the larger 

 trees being planted during November in prepared 

 stations. 



To dig holes two feet wide and plant a tree in each 

 at stated distances over a grass field, and allow the rest 

 to grow grass for a hay crop, is as bad practice as one 

 could well imagine. Yet, how often do we sec it done. 

 No wonder trees do not thrive in such places. Many 

 are cut down by the scythe when cutting the hay, and 

 very many die. Maidens, as a rule, are planted in 

 such places. I have in my mind several fields planted 

 in this way, and know the time it takes such trees to 

 produce anything in the way of a crop ; some of them, 

 I think, never will. 



To plant apple, pear, and plum trees open a hole (in 

 the cultivated land) wide enough to receive the roots 

 when fully extended without coming in contact with the 

 sides, throw out the top soil one spade deep, and well 

 break up the bottom. In the centre of hole fix a good 

 stout stake, fill in the soil till almost level with surround- 

 ing groimd, and make firm ; fill in more soil if neces- 

 sary. This will depend on size of tree to be planted. 

 In most cases an apple tree may be planted with its top 

 roots on level with surrounding ground, and pear trees 

 slightly below the level, but may vary according to the 

 character of soils being dealt with, heavy soils requir- 

 ing higher planting than dry ones. Place the tree in 

 position against stake, well spread out its roots, and 

 cover with fine soil. As filling in proceeds move the 

 tree from side to side to help to settle the soil about its 

 roots ; surface roots to be covered with about three 

 inches of soil, and well firmed, afterwards pricking 

 over with point of fork, and making tree secure to 

 stake. To prevent rubbing pass the ligature between 

 the stake and tree before tying, afterwards mulch with 



manure. 



Some people may naturally inquire what distance 

 should these trees be planted apart and how to 

 properly cultivate the intervening spaces. The dis- 

 tance apart to plant apples depends on the variety 

 grown, the mode of training to be adopted, and 

 the stock on which they are grown. For ordinary 

 purposes it will be found that large growing varieties, 

 trained as open bushes, planted at 21 feet apart, would 

 be about right. Grown on Crab stock, these are the 



