58 



IRISH GARDENING. 



APRIL 



R 



oscs. 



By O DoNKi. Hkownk. M.D. 



AT last tliiTf is somctliiiiy doHiiili' to hi- dcuc 

 in OIK'S roso j^aideii, and k't lis hope lliat 

 nothinif will come now in the way of adverse 

 woatlier to further harass the poor rosarian. I cannot 

 understand why everyone will sympathise with a rosarian 

 when they hear of bad luck attendinj^ him — is it kind- 

 ness or do they want to pull your lejf? They need not 

 pull your leg-— if they want to pull anything let them 

 visit their own rose garden, and depend upon it tlu-v 

 will find plenty to pull up. But what is left must he 

 extra well cared for now, seeing- that the growth is 

 commencing. All pruning should have finished, and 

 now let us attend to what we have left. A good top- 

 dressing should be put on — not stable manure, but some 

 artificial to get your trees under weigh. Any of the 

 seed merchants can give you their own infallible 

 mixture, but beware of dosing newly-planted trees with 

 it. Wait until June or July for these, but let old estab- 

 lished trees get a good share, avoiding varieties like the 

 Cochets, Caroline Testout, La France, and any other 

 variety which you have noticed in previous years to 

 have shown a disinclination to be ''stuffed." You can 

 sicken a rose with manure. It seems early to talk of 

 rubbing out shoots yet, but some good authorities say 

 that it cannot be done too early. About the end of 

 April is generally time enough, but it should be done 

 by degrees and not all at once. First remove any in- 

 growing shoots—/.^, those which point to the centre of 

 your tree —and then any which will cross when produced. 

 Nothing looks worse than two or three shoots crossing 

 and rubbing each other. Keep your eye out for our 

 old enemy the worm in the bud ; he has come and has 

 already stopped two shoots on my namesake. If you 

 get a brownish patch of dust on the top of a pushing 

 bud rest assured he is there. Dig him out, crush him, 

 and remove that bud. Now you will see why I said 

 above not to be too hasty in removing your young 

 shoots. Our enemy is keeping you in his own polite 

 way. Why he should select young maiden standards for 

 preference is another query I wish some one would 

 answer for me. Can it be that the tortrix moth has a 

 preference to fly at standard height? Dwarf maidens 

 are rarely attacked ; I do not remember ever having 

 seen one. It is a pity that the grub is not found in the 

 dwarf in preference to the standard, as staved or 

 pinched back dwarfs make finer plants and give more 

 flowers. Let your hoe be constantly used, especially as 

 soon after rain as the soil will let you, and when your 

 foliage begins to form look out carefully every day for 

 the leaf-roller maggot and greenfly. Special attention 

 should be given to roses on walls, as these are more 

 prone to be attacked owing, I take it, to more wood of 

 last year being retained than on dwarf-pruned plants. 

 "Abol" or any of the standard greenfly mixtures 

 applied early for a day or so on appearance of the 

 coming host may save you much worry. Learn to get 

 your pest early when it is yet weak, and your trouble 

 will be minimised. A little careful study every day 

 will come easier than spurts and starts. 



Perpetual Flowering Carnations. 



Wi: lia\i' reci'iveil ;i cop}- of the "Carn.ition \'ear 

 Hook for 1910," issued by the I'erpotual Flower- 

 ing C.'rnation Society. It is full of information, 

 anil will hi- perused with great interest by all carnation 

 growers. It contains, in addition to the annual report 

 and other business matters, a number of authoritative 

 articles on the history, culture, decorative value and 

 hybridization of perpetual flowering carnations b}' 

 leading members of the society. We take the liberty of 

 reproducing one of the shorter articles entitled " Hints 

 on the Culture of the Perpetual Flowering Carnation," 

 by Mr. C. H. Taudevin of Cheltenham : — 



As space at my disposal is very limited I propose to 

 give only those details which I deem to be of greatest 

 importance, therefore I will pass over the propagation 

 and go immediately to the treatment of plants as usually 

 received from nurserymen. 



Potting and Soil. — Assuming that the reader has 

 purchased in early spring a collection of bushy, dwarf 

 carnations in 3-inch pots, these he should immediately 

 pot on into 5 or 6-inch pots, according to individual 

 strength, making sure that the plants have received a 

 good watering i 2 hours previously. This remark applies 

 to every stage of potting on. 



The nature of the soil for this operation is of consider- 

 able importance, yet I am inclined to think that almost 

 any garden soil can be made suitable, provided judg- 

 ment and forethought are used. At Hatherley I have 

 the misfortune to work with the heaviest clay soil in 

 Gloucestershire, with which, however, I get very good 

 results. 



My method of treatment is as follows : — Three parts 

 (barrow or cart-loads) of this heavy garden soil to one 

 of well decayed stable manure, one of burnt soil, and 

 when possible one of sandy soil. To this is added fine 

 cut bone manure in the proportion of one bucketful to 

 each cubic yard of soil ; this heap is turned at frequent 

 intervals, especially during frosty weather, the soil is 

 allowed to mature for 12 months, and if turning has 

 been properly carried out, there will be little fear of 

 "wire-worms" or any other pests. Here I would 

 mention that the compost should not he handled or 

 carted when it is in a wet state. 



At the time of potting, to each barrow-load is added 

 one 5-in. pot of old soot. I oz. fine salt, and about 2 oz. 

 air-slaked lime. This receives two good turns on the 

 bench. 



I have given particular emphasis to the above matter 

 as many gardeners are under the impression that ex- 

 pensive loams and turfs are the only mediums suitable 

 for the successful cultivation of perpetuals. 



Summer Treatment.— The best position during 

 summer is a well ventilated frame in a sunny position, 

 where the lights can be taken off on all favourable 

 occasions. I strongly advocate keeping carnations 

 covered during rainy weather or very dewy nights, for 

 experience proves that if exposed too freely to these 

 elements, disease is likely to set in. Insects are kept 

 at bay during growing-on period by an occasional 

 spray of nicotine, 



