DECEMBER 



IRISH GARDENING. 



'83 



attack of the currant-bud mite than any other black 

 variety. 



Whinham's Industry has been the best gooseberry 

 this year ; it is very prolific, and useful for picking- while 

 still green. 



The gooseberry mildew seems now to be held in 

 check by preventive methods. When it does appear it 

 is essential to cut and burn all the tops of the shoots, 

 and to spray the trees at regular intervals with 

 sulphide of potassium solution ; it is made by dissolving 

 I oz. in 2 galls, of water. This may be complained of 

 as an expensive process, but it is the only way unless 

 one wishes to dig up the gooseberry bushes and burn 

 them. If further information is desired regarding the 

 American gooseberry mildew apply to the Department 

 of Agriculture for Leaflet No. 76. 



We are pleased to note that the Ard Cairn Nurseries, 

 near Cork, 

 staged a choice 

 collection of 

 orchids at the 

 last show of the 

 English Royal 

 Horticul t u r a 1 

 Society, and 

 also received 

 an award of 

 merit for a 

 native apple 

 named Ard 

 Cairn Russet. 

 In W. B. Hart 

 land's c a t a- 

 logue it is given 

 as a sweet 

 dessert variety, 

 fit for use from 

 December to 

 April ; in this 

 catalogue quite 

 a small collec- 

 tion of native 

 Irish apples are 

 given which 

 have been 

 hunted up in 



old Irish orchards. Mr. Moore, one of the judges at 

 the last English Fruit Show in London, remarks that 

 the Irish exhibits were good in all respects, size, shape, 

 colour, and gained prizes in the open classes. 



A fruit grower who has had experience in England 

 and California recently visited Ireland, and makes the 

 statement that there is land in this country which will 

 grow as good apples as any he knows in either of the 

 above countries. This may seem very high praise 

 indeed, but those who are competent to express an 

 opinion say that Ireland can produce culinary apples 

 equal to any that are grown. 



Too high praise cannot be given to the LUster Fruit 

 Growers' Association, for, with the help of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, they have demonstrated that not 

 only can the fruit be grown, but it can be packed and 

 graded as well as, or even better than, the Canadians 

 do it. 



Photo by] 



A Wkll-traixed Specimen 



A recent visit to Messrs. Calvert & Lundy, Fleet 

 Street, Dublin, was a surprise ; this firm is now whole- 

 sale agent for Dublin and district for the Ulster Fruit 

 Growers' Association. Mr. Calvert has had a wide 

 experience in handling the better grades of American 

 apples, and is certainly to be congratulated on the 

 manner in which he is able to introduce Irish fruit to 

 many of the best grocers who formerly refused to buy 

 Irish apples owing to the unsatisfactory way in which 

 the goods were placed on the market. 



All goods of the Ulster Fruit Growers' Association 

 have a green label bearing the Red Hand of Ulster, on 

 the palm of which is a cross and the letters U.F.G.A. 

 Upon the label is given the name of the apple, the 

 grade, and the nett weight of the contents. The 

 Association's label is a guarantee that only one kind of 

 apple is in the package and that the contents are just as 



good whether 

 at top, bottom, 

 or centre. 



A great step 

 towards suc- 

 cess is the 

 clean, new, 

 non-returnable 

 package — even 

 these are Irish, 

 being made at 

 P o r t ad o w n. 

 The standard 

 barrel holds 

 about 10 stones 

 of apples and 

 the standard 

 box about 3 

 stones net, both 

 packages being 

 made of sea- 

 s o n e d n o n- 

 odorous wood. 

 Three grades 

 are adopted for 

 apples. The 

 method of grad- 

 ing adopted is 

 by means of 

 rings. For large varieties like Bramley's Seedling those 

 labelled "select" will not pass through a ring having 

 an internal diameter of 3^4^ inches. ' Firsts" are those 



23/ inches 



[C. r . Ball. 



OF Apple— Newton Wonder. 



which will not pass through a ring of 

 diameter, and "Seconds" not to pass through 2^ 

 inches. In addition, the Association's rule is that the 

 select grade must be "fruit well grown, shape normal, 

 practically free from blemish, injury, or disease, skin 

 unbroken, no decay." In the first grade the rule is 

 similar except that surface blemish from scab or spot is 

 allowed up to a total surface area not exceeding the 

 size of sixpence. 



Never have I seen better fruit marketed than four of 

 these barrels of "select" grade Bramley's Seedling 

 and some Newton Wonder at Messrs. Calvert & Lundy's. 

 The fruits were clean, sound, and finer than Canadians, 

 and of course for cooking Bramley has few equals. 



It is satisfactorv to know that the efforts of the Ulster 



