«74 



iKisn (^'\Kl)I.^■I^■G 



novi:miu;r 



bamboos, l»y llu- way, an- bfsl MiiUil by lali- spiini; 

 planting, but wlial u host of Ntar\ i-lin.i;>» or nu-ilioii ilii-s 

 our pleasure j^rounds show for the want of a lit lie 

 primarv trouble. With all apoloijies to Wobuni ami 

 eredit to it (or the ust/iil hints disclosed in its experi- 

 mental work, we have a horror of woburnising in the 

 pleasure i^roinuls. 



And a Ni'iSANCt. -What .i nuis.ince the f.illinj^ leaves 

 are now in the shrubberies and pleasure j;-rounds ! 

 What a blcssinir when methodically eolleeteil and stored 

 for use ! Evcrythinjj in plant life seems to enjoy leaf- 

 mould. Personally, we can never see .inylhini;^ objec- 

 tionable in the appearance of any place muler its mantle 

 of fallen leaves awailinif till the bulk are down ItM- 

 collection and storaj^e. We have, in fact, come to 

 reg-ard the leaf harvest as an indispensable factor in the 

 garden economy, but there are two siiles to the story, 

 HS there are to most stories, and we grant that fallen 

 leaves on damp avenues must be kept cleared, or they 

 arc a nuisance. CoUecling methodically, we said, 

 because we see places in which this is done, and 

 regarded cheerfully as mere roiniiio work ^''( the 

 season. No one grumbles at the irouhle ol' i;;iiherins^ 

 and storing a good crop of apples only in the normal 

 wav of all good gardeners. It is in such places, where 

 men of method rule, we find what is known as leaf 

 yards, established in various secluded parts of the 

 shrubberies in which the leaves fallen over contiguous 

 areas are stored at a minimum of labour. And the 

 leaf yard after all is but a very simple matter, being 

 merely some hidden nook easy of access, shut in by 

 the surrounding evergreens, where the leaves can be 

 stored in a manner that they can be turned in winter as 

 opportunity affords, and so ordered that from the 

 annual harvest there is always a stock of the precious 

 material in all stages. 



The Fruit Grounds. 



By .\. BarkkR, Carrigoran. Newmarket-onKergus, 

 Co. Clare. 



NOVEMBER should be a very busy month with 

 the fruit-grower. It is universally agreed that 

 this is the most favourable month of the whole 

 season for planting of all kinds of fruit trees and 

 bushes, for root-pruning, lifting, &c. So where there 

 is m-jch or little of this work to be carried out do not 

 lose a single opportunity for pushing on the work 

 to the fullest extent possible during this month. The 

 very generally favourable weather of September and 

 first half of October, with consequent splendid finish to 

 the fruit crop and fine weather for storing same, should 

 give quite a genial impetus to the work of planting, &.c. , 

 during November. I never saw apples and pears make 

 such marked improvement during above-named period 

 as they have done this year, nor so little of high wnnds 

 to disturb the fruit. Here in September we only re- 

 corded 1.32 of rain (our average September rainfall is 

 3.10), and we had a great number of calm, sunny days 

 which had a very gratifying effect after the melancholy 

 weather of the previous six or seven weeks. In August 

 we recorded rain on twenty-eight days, in September 

 only on seven days. This unusually fine spell of autumn 



we.ither h.is h.i.l .1 most pleasing elTect .m the wood 

 and fruit buds, l-'iiiit buds at this time present a re- 

 mark.ibly well-finished appearance. The advice I ga\ e 

 l.ist month about root-pruning and lifting of fruit trees 

 in uns.itisfactory comlition is I'lpi.-illy applicable iluring 

 this month, ;ind this woik shoukl now be got thri>ugh 

 .IS expeditiously as possible. Here we h.ive alreaily got 

 through ;i good ileal of root-pruning and lifting in ,1 

 very satisf.ictory m.inner owing to the uncommonU' 

 suit.ible weather ci>iulilions. .\n early linish to this 

 work will .illow ol iinini-ili.iti- .ilti-ntion to the pl.inting 

 o( fruit trees anil bushes on tiieir .irrival froni innsery ; 

 for removing trees ,-inil buslu-s alie.itly in h.iiiil, or for 

 thinning such as may h.ive been thickly jilanted with ;i 

 \ie\v to futuie i-xleniling of plantations if trees or 

 husK-s. In casi- of new plantations of fruit ti'ees it 

 may safely be assmned that the trees have been 

 ordered or personally selected, and the grounil pre 

 pared on similar lines to m\' advice given in luisii 

 CiARDKNiNC for .September, and granted this, planting 

 can be proceeiled with rapiilly as soon as the trees are 

 in hand. At pl.ituing be c.irefiil to cut over all strong 

 roots with .1 gooil sli.ii]! knife ov secateur, to ch-ar 

 aw.iy damageil emls and roots broken in lifting tn-es ; 

 also shorten any thick fibreless roots that may be met 

 with. Be careful not to leave the roots too long exposid 

 to drying winds or surr^ and if the roots appear unilulv 

 dry o\\ being unpacked \l is., very advisable to placi- 

 Ihi-ni in water, and allow them a few hours to soak 

 previous to planting, or douche them heavily with 

 water. Pyramids and bushes on Paradise slocks 

 siiould be planted deep enough to cover the union with 

 stock. Trees on other stocks should be planted with 

 roots three or four inches below surface. Pyramids 

 and bushes if well furnished with roots may be planted 

 with.out stakes, provided the ground can be very firmly 

 trampled, otherwise they must be staked at planting. 

 .\il standards or half standarti trees must be securely 

 staked as planted. Pyramids and bushes are most 

 commonly planted ten to twelve feet apart ; standards 

 at fifteen to thirty feet apart, the greater distance when 

 it is intended to grow- other crops between rows for 

 some years, or in grass orchards. Horizontal and fan- 

 trained trees on w'alls are generally allowed fifteen to 

 twenty feet apart, and a few cordons planted between, 

 to remain so long as there is room for them. The 

 afore-mentioned instructions are applicable when 

 planting in ordinary gardens in lines or separate trees. 

 Where separate trees or single trees are to be planted 

 the ground should be in thoroughl}- good comlition, or 

 poor starved ground should be made so by a liberal 

 addition of new loam or good, rotten manure. If the 

 ground be clayey and retentive add also a little lime or 

 mortar rubble and leaf mould. If new trees are to be 

 ]ilanted where old trees have existed for a number of 

 years remove a good quantity of the old exhausted 

 earth and replace with new, or considerably improve 

 the old earth by addition of new materials. New 

 plantations of all kinds of bush fruits may now be made ; 

 these should be planted on good, rich ground, six feet 

 apart each way. Raspberries should also be planted 

 in lines on good, rich ground (raspberries are shallow 

 rooters, but gross feeders, requiring liberal manuring) 

 The lines should be six feet apart and the stools two 



