30 



IRISH GARDENING. 



FKHRUARY 



The Fruit (irounds. 



Hv A. Iv\kki;k. Caiiii,'or;iii, Niwinarki-l-oii I'crj^us, 

 Co. Claro. 



0\\'1N\". to frost, tVi-qiKMU rains, and ici'iuM-ally 

 unfavourable weather, operations amoni,^st hardy 

 fruits liave been unusually retarded this season. 

 Durinj;- the past five weeks here we have had nearly all 

 kinds of bad weather, includinj,'- thunder-storms, and 

 on the past sixteen days in succession we have had rain 

 to record (a few fine days early in January being the 

 only exception). This seems to have been a very general 

 state of weather conditions in Ireland. Advantage 

 must be taken of every possible opportunity to complete 

 all kinds of pruning ; no injurious effects result from 

 pruning in moderately frosty weather, so push on 

 pruning to a finish on every dry da}', and give the trees 

 an oppoitunity to recover before the sap begins to run 

 again. 



If not already dc"ine head back any trees to be re- 

 grafted later on in the year. First decide on where the 

 scions are to be placed, then saw off the branches three 

 or four inches above the part allocated for the scions ; 

 this allows of making a fresh clean cut with the saw at 

 grafting time. Large trees of unsatisfactory kinds 

 may very advantageously be regrafted with more up- 

 to-date or useful varieties such as are known to do well 

 in the locality. If satisfactory scions are at hand, tie up 

 in bundles, label the different varieties, and heel in deeply 

 on ground shaded from sun. If new varieties are 

 desired most nurserymen will supply scions at a 

 small cost to regular customers, and two or three 

 different varieties may be grafted on the same tree if 

 desired. 



Finish off the nailing and training of all fruit trees 

 on walls at once, and dig the borders as advised in last 

 month's notes. If possible, to spare the ground, do not 

 plant any crop whatever within five or six feet of base 

 of wall ; more healthy, vigorous trees, consequently 

 heavier crops of much superior fruit, will follow a con- 

 tinuation of this practice. 



Spraying. — It is not advisable to use any caustic 

 sprays or washes after the end of this month, so make 

 the most desirable preparations for completing this 

 work as early as possible where it is to be done. The 

 formula I gave last month (one of the Woburn winter 

 washes) I have used here with very good effect. In 

 selecting a spraying compound do not fix on one pro- 

 fessing to kill sundry and all insects, fungus, &c., as 

 such generally prove disappointing. Trees that may 

 have been sprayed last November or December may be 

 sprayed again towards the end of the month ; this 

 renders the spraying much more effectual. 



Planting. — Lose no favourable opportunity of finish- 

 ing off planting ; raspberries and bush fruits may be 

 left to the last. It is a great aid where planting fruit 

 trees, if possible to have two carts (more or less) 

 of thoroughly dry compost under cover of an open shed, 

 &c., so that a quantity may be mixed with the stable 

 soil around the roots a<; planting proceeds. This compost 

 gretitly facilitates planting in unfavourable conditions ; 



it is ^:;oo^\ for tlu- trees, and allows of jilenty of trampling 

 to well firm them. If possible, the bulk ol' compost 

 may In- of new loam, otherwise any good garden soil 

 will Ao, with a mixture of road scrapings, lime rubble, 

 leaf mould, and dry ashes from a fire heap, where 

 garden refuse, &c., has been burnt ; or the last four 

 ingrciiieiits mixeditogether would answer well. Small 

 and nudiuni size trees should be tramped and made 

 firm enough to dispense with any slaking; larger trees 

 must be staked ; a mulch of litter manure may be 

 applied as the planting is finished or left until the 

 approach of dry weather. This mulch should also he 

 applied to any previously pl.tntetl trees left un- 

 mulched. 



BiSH Friits. — Any directions I could now give must 

 be very nearly a reiteration of what I wrote last month. 

 During this month any bushes that may be infested with 

 moss or lichens should be dusted over with fine air-staked 

 lime, choosing a calm day when the bushes are wet or 

 very damp. Use plenty of lime ; it will kill the moss, and 

 also act as a deterrent where birds are likely to attack 

 the buds, and may be advantageously dusted all over 

 the bush. Continue to look over black currants for big 

 buds, while the mitey buds are easily detected, and burn 

 all that may be found. The mites spread or migrate from 

 bush to bush in early spring, so it is obvious that the 

 more attention paid to this destructive process the less 

 of the mite to migrate when the time comes. The mitey 

 buds may readily be distinguished by their roundish 

 and much-enlarged appearance compared with the 

 healthy buds. 



The F"ri it Room. — Apples that are intended to be 

 kept as late as possible in the season would be better 

 carefully looked over, and all that are perfectl}- sound 

 placed in the most favourable part of the fruit room and 

 covered over with sheets of paper, or they may be stored 

 away in drawers or in shallow boxes in dark or nearly 

 dark rooms, where an even and moderate temperature 

 can be maintained ; take care that they are not reached 

 by frost. 



Pears may also be similarly treated. A few varieties 

 of good quality and late keepers that do very well here 

 along with the universally popular Bramley's Seedling 

 and Lane's Prince Albert are — London Pippin, Annie 

 Elizabeth, and Newton Wonder (Alfriston should not be 

 overlooked amongst late keepers) for cooking purposes. 

 We are using a fine batch of London Pippin now. This 

 is a very desirable apple, though not well known ; very 

 rarely fails to carry a heavy crop of fruit that may be 

 equally well used for cooking^and eating. It is also of a 

 very attractive golden-yellow colour, and the trees are 

 the most healthy and vigorous. These will be succeeded 

 by Annie Elizabeth, a very good late-keeping apple. 

 The medium-sized fruits also make very good dessert 

 apples. Of dessert apples Cox's Orange Pippin has 

 kept remarkably well this year — we have them quite 

 firm and fresh up to the present. Our other good, late- 

 keeping apples are — Barnack Beauty, Adams' Pear- 

 main, Sturmer Pippin (Adams' Pearmain is a showy 

 apple, veryjuicy, and pleasantly flavoured). The above 

 arc all apples very useful either for home use or market 

 purposes. 



