48 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Miscella 



"■The Swci'i Pea Annual." 



"TllK Swi-i-t \\-:i Annual" I'of i.)i<) has just luu-ii 

 issued by iho National Swoot Tea Society ; it is llie 

 oflioial oi^an of that society, and is sent free to all its 

 subscribers. This new issue makes a g^reat advance on 

 all previous numbers, and contains in addition to the 

 annual report of the society, financial statement, ami 

 list of last \ear's prixe winners, the society's catak\i;ue 

 of sweet pea names, ilescribini;- more than 500 varieties 

 of sweet peas, with the names of their raisers ov dis- 

 tributors, and date of iiitioihiction, aiul those Ih.il 

 have received aw;ir(.is of mi-rit are inilicali'tl. '1 iiis 

 catalotjfue. which has been compiled with great care, 

 and has been brought up to date, should prove in- 

 valuable to all g-rowers and lovers of sweet peas. It 

 also contains a very full report of the Sweet Pea Cun- 

 ference which was held in London in December last, 

 at which important papers were read on "The Imper- 

 fect Seeding of Waved Sweet Peas" and " Sweet Pea 

 Names and Naming," by Mr. W. Cuthbertson (of 

 Dobbies) and Mr. W. J. Unwin respectively, followed 

 b\- very full discussions by most of the leading growers 

 and experts in England. The outings of the society to 

 the Sweet Pea Trial Grounds are also described. 

 There w-ere 350 different varieties or stocks of sweet 

 peas grown in the Trial Grounds at Reading last year. 

 Two visits were made by the Trial Committee, which 

 is composed of experts whose impartiality is un- 

 questioned. Their report gives "awards" to nine 

 varieties, a list of too-much-alike varieties, a selection 

 of the best varieties (in commerce) of each colour, it 

 selects a number of stocks for fresh trial this year, 

 and contains a statement concerning the fixity and 

 purity of the stocks tested. All this should be of the 

 utmost value to growers and seedsmen. The trials 

 will be continued this year, and arrangements have 

 been made for a more extensive and conclusive test of 

 varieties than has been possible hitherto. The society 

 has also appointed a special sub-committee to investi- 

 gate the various diseases to which sweet peas are 

 liable. The society which carries out such important 

 work as this surely deserves the active support of all 

 who are interested in sweet peas. Its membership is 

 now close upon 1,000, and it is to be hoped that it will 

 receive a large accession of new members this year. 

 The subscription is only 5s. per annum, and all parti- 

 culars can be obtained from the hon. secretary, Mr. C. 

 H. Curtis, Adelaide Road, Brentford, Middlesex, from 

 whom also " The Annual " can be had, 2s. post free. 



A Few Hints for Flower Growers.— Those who 

 grow flowers for sale are occasionally much puzzled to 

 know how it happens that colours which have long been 

 popular will sometimes suddenly fall into disfavour, and 

 where good prices have hitherto ruled, the returns drop 

 in a single season to a low ebb. We have been asked 

 repeatedly and for many j'ears past how this comes 

 about; the reply given before* must be given again — it 

 is a change of fashion. We allude to this now because 

 many chrysanthemum growers are finding this year that 



yellows .inil hron/i-s. l.itely such fiivourites, are now 

 r.ither at a discount. I. el any grower wishing to search 

 into the causes of tins pay a visit to town (or a town) 

 and stuily for hersell the winilows or showrooms of 

 high-class house ilecorators and upholsterers. She will 

 find all furniture covered with chintzes, or other stuff 

 chintz - patterned with white grounds, and running 

 designs of flowi-rs in sli.ides of red, pink, and purple. 

 Most of them are reproductions of old French designs, 

 oi- It.ilian or Sp.inish. Well rooms are papered in the 

 same style, and the consequence is that all the demand 

 in the fashionable houses is for pink and purple flowers. 

 Bronze is anathema in such a room. Some may say 

 this is far-fetched: it is absolute fact. At the present 

 moment there is not nearly enough of these fashionable 

 colours to be had in the flower-markets. Those who 

 are catering for next year should provide plenty of these 

 tints ; it will be safe for several jears to come. Hut to 

 be prepared for future changes let the flower-grower 

 remember that the person on whom she should keep an 

 eye is the fashionable house decorator. — Munthly Leaflet, 

 IV. A. & H. I. U. 



Potato Onion. — Potato onions are largely grown 

 in some districts, and should be planted as early in the 

 year as the ground can be got ready for them. They 

 commence to grow early, and are quite hardy. Any 

 kind of soil if deeply trenched and heavily manured in 

 autumn for perference, and then left rough till sowing 

 in January or February, when it can be forked over and 

 levelled. Plant the bulbs singly in rows fifteen inches 

 apart and ten to twelve inches from bulb to bulb. 

 Cover the onions three parts over with soil. When the 

 leaves turn yellow, about the end of June or early in July, 

 the onions may be pulled and dried in the sun for a 

 week, and then stored away for use, either by hanking 

 or»put on a dry, airy loft. The end of May it is a good 

 plan to carefully bend or twist down the tops if growing 

 strongly. No sand is required to be placed round the 

 onions. {Ansiver to a correspondent.) W'. T. 



Eightieth Annual Report of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society of Ireland, with Schedule of 

 Prizes, for 1910. — The present report is a record of 

 healthy life, good work, and substantial progress, 

 reflecting considerable credit upon the council and ts 

 active secretary. The total membership stands at 440. 

 It should stand, however, very much higher, consider- 

 ing the unique service the society now gives to the 

 cause of horticulture and to the development of pro- 

 gressive gardening in this country. A great deal of 

 the anxiety associated with the carrying out of neces- 

 sarily expensive schemes in relation to shows would be 

 removed if the membership was at all in fair proportion 

 to the population interested in gardening. We invite 

 any of our readers who are non-members to write to 

 the secretary (5 Molesworth Street, Dublin) for a copy 

 of this report, and discover for themselves the work 

 that has been done during the past year and the pro 

 gramme of work arranged for the forthcoming year. 

 Three shows, to be held in Dublin, have been already 

 arranged — viz., a spring show in April, a summer show 

 in July, and an autumn show in August, 



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