DECEMBER 



IRISH GARDENING. 



185 



Spraying lawns with iron sulphate to free them from 

 dandelion has been tried, and apparently' with some 

 success, at one of the American Agricultural Experi- 

 mental Stations. On the sprayed areas no dandelion 

 plants seeded, many of the large roots entirely dis- 

 appeared, while young plants coming from seeds were 

 entirely destroyed. 



According to results obtained from tests in a French 

 garden it would seem that many garden plants, and 

 particularly roses, are benefited by applications of salts 

 of magnesia to the soil. It is claimed that in the 

 majority of soils the addition of a little sulphate of 

 magnesia would prove of great value to roses. 



We have received a copy of the catalogue of the 

 spring show of the Clare Horticultural Society, to be 

 held at Ennis on the 14th day of April next. There are 

 three sections — the first, comprising daffodils and other 

 spring flowers ; the second, plants in pots, fibre or 

 glasses ; and the third, collections of vegetables and 

 salad plants— in all twenty-six classes. 



The Garden? — well, you can't expect 



To meet July in dark November. 

 The beds, though showing no neglect. 



I quite admit bear signs of ember ; 

 But though their painted pomp succumbs, 



.'\nd though you miss May's flowerless closes. 

 You'll find the brown chrysanthemums 



And faint delayed autumnal roses. 



The national importance of soil surveys as an aid to 

 the better utilisation of soils has long been recognised 

 by the agricultural authorities of the United States. In 

 this connection, by the way. Ireland is in advance of 

 her sister islands, as already there is a soil surve}' branch 

 in the Irish Geological Survey Office. A very important 

 advance is being made at present in the New Jersey State, 

 where a soil survey is begun in conjunction with the 

 State Geological Survey. This survey " will include a 

 chemical examination to determine the chemical 

 composition of the soils and sub-soils, and the 

 amounts of plant food present ; a mechanical examina- 

 tion to determine the mechanical condition of the soil, 

 its fineness or coarseness, its porosity or imperviousness. 

 &c. It will also include an agricultural examination to 

 determine the nature and quality of crops now produced, 

 and all will be based upon the topographic and geo- 

 logical investigations of the past forty j'ears." 



As several kinds of root diseases are distributed by 

 transplanted plants, and as these diseases are frequently 

 due to the soil of the seed beds being infected, the 

 precaution is taken in some nurseries to first sterilize 

 the soil before sowing the seed. This, if properly done, 

 will prevent such root troubles as may be caused by the 

 presence of minute injurious organisms in the soil. 



Professor Percival having resigned the directorship 

 of the Department of Agriculture and Horticulture at 

 the University College. Reading, the Council of the 

 College has appointed Mr. Ronald Hart Synnot, B.Sc, 

 as his successor. Mr. Synnot. previous to his present 

 appointment, was private secretary to Sir Horace 

 I'lunket. 



Mr. H. M. Russell (U. S. Department of Agriculture) 

 has been experimenting with methods to control the 

 ravages of thrips in greenhouses. The remedies 

 recommended include fumigating with nicotine papers, 

 nicotine liquid extract, and hydrocyanic acid gas, and 

 sprajing with water, nicotine liquids and " Kerosene '' 

 emulsion. 



Mr. Walter Smith, of Holywood, Co. Down, sends 

 the following list of winter flowering plants that has 

 been supplied to him by G. N. Smith of Newry : — 

 Auriculas ; Primula calycina, P. decora, P. Clusiana, 

 P. denticulata, P. marginata. P. rosea splendeus ; 

 Rhododendron pra?cox, R. parviflorus. R. ciliatum ; 

 Saxifraga ElizabethEe. S. Burseriana, S. B. grandiflora. 

 S. coriophylla, S. Salomoni ; Trillium grandiflorum, T. 

 erectum. T. E. album, T. grandiflorum roseum ; 

 Megasea ciliata ; .\mygdalus nanus ; Epimedium 

 alpinum. E. sulphureum ; Dicentra eximia. D. cucullaria ; 

 Daphne Blaguayana. A full list of winter flowering 

 shrubs and plants is given in a book. "Hardy Border 

 Flowers the Year Round. " post free, is. 2d., from 

 William Ward. 21 Callendar Street, Belfast. 



At the annual social gathering o( the Irish Gardeners 

 .Association, held last month in Dublin. Mr. W. S. Hall 

 was presented with an address and handsome gold 

 watch in recognition of his long service as honorarj' 

 secretary to the Association. Mr. Hall retires after 

 holding office for 11 years, and is succeeded by Mr 

 J. J. MacDonough, the energetic honorary secretary of 

 the Dublin Seed and Nurserymen Employees' Associa- 

 tion. 



" The great defect of most professional gardeners is 

 that, however well they have been taught a right 

 routine, they do not know the reason of it. and there- 

 fore cannot apply it to things outside their experience. 

 They have learnt what they know as arbitrary and 

 isolated facts, just as children learn a number of dates 

 from bad teachers of history ; and these facts do not 

 help them to learn anything new. The best gardeners 

 are those who cannot endure that any fact they team 

 should remain arbitrary and isolated. Every plant is to 

 them a living and a reasonable being, and they wish to 

 understand it as the poet wishes to understand men. 

 They like to know the conditions of its native home and 

 to see how those conditions have made its character. 

 They like to see bow far it is adaptable to the ordinary 

 routine of the English garden and whether cultivation 

 will improve it or injure it."— Studies in Gardening. 



Messrs. Hltchinson & Miller, of the Rothamsted 

 Experimental Station, have been carrying on researches 

 on the direct assimilation of ammonium salts by plants. 

 They find that certain agricultural plants are able to 

 produce normal growth when the only source of nitrogen 

 is an ammonium salt. As ammonium salts are readily 

 nitrified under normal soil conditions by certain soil 

 bacteria, the experimenters took necessary precautions 

 to prevent this taking place. It is further discovered 

 that plants which take up ammonium salts exclusively 

 contain a higher percentage of albuminous substances 

 in their tissues. 



