6S 



IRISH GARDENING. 



MAY 



Tlic (^lirvsanthcnnim. 



V. — i'roatnKMU in i\)is. 



Till", inltiiiijs looti-il ;il tlio ciul of" last yi'ai ami 

 till- lH\ifiiiniiig of this year should be ivady this 

 month for their final pottinjj into eight to ten 

 inch pots. These plants are now in six inch pots, and 

 should have been stopped some time last month. From 

 the beyinninij of this month the plants should be 

 exposed night and day, iirotiotion only In-en given il 

 frost makes appearance. Preparation should be staiteil 

 at once for their final potting. About the middle of this 

 month the strongest and best rooted plants may be 

 shifted. The size of the pots will vary according to 

 the variety — some chrysanthemums making stronger 

 root growths than others. See that the pots are clean — 

 if new steep in water for 24 hours and dry in the sun 

 before use. Water the plant about two hours before 

 shifting, and when the repotting is done keep close for 

 a few days. Do not water the soil after potting. 

 Sprinkle the foliage only for the first few days. If water 

 is then required apply il very carefully so as not to 

 puddle the new soil. As soon as the roots commence 

 action stand the plant out in the open upon boards or 

 ashes, and water freely. By placing the pots upon bo;irds 

 or ashes drainage is assisted and worms are prevented 

 from entering. The rows of pots should run north and 

 south. The tallest plants should be placed to the north 

 so that the sun can shine on all. Wire stretched 

 between two posts, one placed at either end of the rows, 

 forms a support to which the stake of each plant can be 

 tied, leaving fifteen inches from plant to plant. Be 

 careful to keep the growing point tied close to support, 

 because at this period it is very brittle. 



Compost for Final Potti.vc;.— This should be 

 rougher than before over the usual drainage. Drain 

 with crocks, put a layer of coarse mortar rubbish, 

 broken oyster shells, or cinders. Upon this place some 

 rough lumps of broken up turfy soil, and press firmly. 

 Upon this place some of the prepared soil. Put roots of 

 plant in position, and fill up the pot to within about an 

 inch of the rim ; plant firmly. The soil used by some 

 of the best growers is made up as follows, and begin- 

 ners will do well to keep as near to the formula as 

 possible until experience teaches : — Chopped up turfy 

 loam, 3 parts ; spent manure, i part ; wood ash, }i 

 part ; river sand, ^ part ; bone meal and soot, a 

 good sprinkling throughout. Mix the whole very 

 thoroughly. 



Bre.AKS. — When a young plant has grown six inches 

 it is advisable to pinch out the growing point so as to 

 hurry on the development of the side growths. The 

 plant, if left to itself, would naturally break— that is, a 

 flower bud would form at its growing point, and below 

 it three or more side shoots would develop— the bud 

 now being pinched out and the side shoots allowed to 

 grow (should the bud be wanted to flower then the side 

 shoots would be pinched out so that the whole vigour 

 of the plant could be used in the development of one 

 flower). It is not really necessary to stop plants at all 

 unless there is a device for getting flowers at certain 



liales. or fov gi-lling large slunv flowersor \o si-i-ure an\- 

 p.ii licular form ol pl;uil for ilecorative purposes. Nearly 

 ;ill chrysanlhemums make two or more breaks duiing 

 iliclr growth. The first liuil forms in May or June is 

 calleil llu- lirsl hri-ak. .Sonu' raily varieties show a 

 secoiul Ol- inU-iinediale huil in July; this is the first 

 ci'own ImkI. In .\ugust the second crown bud is formed ; 

 iliis i-, ihr one that is usually retained for flowering. 

 if ihcM- l.ttlii buds an- pinched the plant makes its 



etlorl 



i! buds. 



K.\Ki,v Fi.viwiiKi.Nt; C!iiuvs.\MHK.Mf.MS. — Plants may 

 i)e purchased direct from the growers and planted 

 straight out into the borders any time this month. 

 Pompoms are very effective as border plants ; their 

 compact dwarf habit make them suitable for planting in 

 the bortlers to the front of the decorative kind. They 

 are the earliest of the early flowering chrysanthemums. 

 Ciood decorative plants for the border are Horace 

 .Martin, a rich yellow ; all the Masse group are specially 

 useful, being strong growers displaying a variety of 

 colours ; Well's scarlet makes a fine border plant ; 

 Champ d'Or Holmes, white, and Perle Rose. The soil 

 for these should be well dug and rather liberally 

 manured with well-rotted farmyard manure. They 

 require a sunny situation, and care must be taken not to 

 have them too crowdeil. and the\- love a buoyant air. 



E. A. 



R 



OSes. 



By ODoNEL Browni:, M.D. 



IT was a pleasure to see our favourite flowers so well 

 shown at this time of the year at the recent show 

 at Ballsbridge. They seemed to come to cheer up 

 our flagging spirits in this most distressing season. 

 Will our out-door roses never get a move on? It seems 

 to me that the}^ are wise, as no sooner does a fine day- 

 come than il is immediately followed by a cold night and 

 a wet day. I cannot remember a year when roses 

 moved so slowly. Therefore, it was, as I have said, a 

 pleasure to sec those clean, perfect blooms at the show ; 

 and what beauties they were I Let me tell you of some 

 of them. 



Competition was very strong in the big class — viz., 

 twenty-four blooms. I thought when I came to judge them 

 that I was in for a hard job, as I had seen some of the 

 exhibitors' faces wearing anxious looks. Certainly there 

 was not much trouble in finding the first prize ; and here 

 let me give Mr. E. D'Oiler and his gardener sufficient 

 praise for his exhibit. Level, even, fresh, and what 

 beautifully formed specimens his roses were ! His 

 strongest blooms were six Mrs. Edward Mawley's, five of 

 them good, one a trifle passive. F"or size, I never saw such 

 fine specimens. I asked the worthy secretary to get our 

 editor to have one of these flowers photographed, as 

 well as the whole stand, so that my readers might see 

 what I am trying to describe. Have they done so, I 

 wonder? Then, again, in his box were two fine blooms 

 of our good yellow Tea Souv de P. Xotting. Ranking 

 beside the Mawley was a big bloom of White Maman 

 Cochet. Funny ! When I think that once Mr. D'Olier 

 told me that Cochet was fiu use under glass. Comtesse 



