4 



1 1< 1 s 1 1 GWii) !•: \ I N c ; . 



DICI.MHIK 



l"i nil Ciiowi-r-." Association aio bi-inn aiipiciiMliil. .iiul 

 i;oo«.i prices roalisiHl. Ajfonts liavo now been appi^inU-il 

 in Belfast and in some centres in tireat Hiilaiii, aiul 

 some finit has been expoiteil to South Africa. 



NovenibtT and Deceinbei' are two months during 

 which thi- ifarden looks com|iarati\ i-ly lUill, so that 

 any cflects whereby lliis perioil can be enliveneil an- 

 worth noting-. The value of the pampas _i;;iass fi>r 

 autumn is ni>l jcenerally appn-ciateil ; in a scene where 

 evergreens abouiul it will, with its lij^fht .mu! fe.itlu'ry 

 plinues, i.ici nuich to lii^hten the l.tndscape. Many 

 ijooil varieties, both white ami pink, aie now in 

 commerce. 



The brown stems of such plants as the tall poly- 

 g-onums and the brown-fadeil flower stems of astilbes 

 should be left ; by cuttinj^ them down it otily j;ivcs the 

 landscape a moie ilesolate appearance. 



The crimsom iloi^wooii stems are now a le.it me in 

 many gardens, but the yellow-stemmed doi^wood (Cor- 

 nus stolonifera var. flaviraniea) is often forj^otten when 

 plantinj;-. 



In ifardens where lime is not pnvscnt in the soil 

 Andromeda Calcs ba.'i (or Leucothoe as it is now called) 

 should be planted. The everj^ieen foliage yets a be.iu- 

 tiful reddish brown colour through the winter ; llio 

 arching branches last over a month when cut. 



Mr. Gumbleton of Oueenstown writes that he has the 

 true Aconitum volubile latisectum, which is very in- 

 teresting ; for the plant X'ilmorin sent out under this 

 name has proved to be a new species, and is calletl .A. 

 \'ilmorini. In flower they are said to bo similar, bui the 

 foliage and growth diff'er. 



Ihe 



Plantinti 



Hedges 



and 

 II 



Care of 



Ry G. O. SuKitKAKn, A. R. C.S.I. 



IF the quicks are strong ones they should be cut back 

 after planting to within two or three inches of the 

 soil line ; in the case of weak quicks, it would be 

 better to leave them for a season before cutting baik. 

 The plants will then require no further pruning for four 

 years, at the end of which lime they should be cut to 

 within two feet of the ground. The object of leaving 

 them unpruned for four years is to get the plants thor- 

 oughly established and in a state of vigorous growth, 

 so that when again cut back they may break very 

 strongly and form a solid base to the hedge. After the 

 fourth year the hedge should receive an annual trim- 

 ming in July or August, and care should be taken to 

 keep it narrow at the top and broad at the base in the 

 shape of an inverted V. If a thorn hedge is allowed to 

 become too wide at the top or at the shoulders it in- 

 variably become bare and gappy at the base owing to 

 overshadowing. Farm hedges are often trimmed with 

 a billhook, while for garden hedges a shears is used. 

 The former tool must be kept very sharp when in use, 

 and should only be entrusted to an experienced man, 

 otherwise the shape of the hedge will be spoilt for years. 

 The treatment of a beech hedge differs from that of a 

 hawthorn in that it should not be pruned or trimmed until 

 it has attained its full height, and then only trimming 



will lu' necess.iry. .Stuh hedges as bei-ch. holly, ei 

 yew may be maile o( a square shape if ilesireil, lot 

 ihesi- plants are all sh.iiU- bearers. 



It is of great importance that the b.ise of a heilj^e. 

 especi.illy of .i young one, slundil be kept clean ami 

 fiCL' from weeils. Not only do weeils rob the heilge of 

 moist uri- ;ind nourishment, but the climi)ing species, 

 siuh ;is cleavers and convolvulus, clanibei- over it and 

 smother the young growths. 



An old hedge, even when well kept, iisu.illy lenils to 

 gel loo bro.id. This m.iy be remedied by cutting one 

 face of the hedge right back to the main stems of the 

 ipiicks, cutting it in half as it were. The uncut side of 

 the hedge still acts as a fence while the other side is 

 making growth, and when the growth is strong enough 

 to (oim a fence the process m.ty be repealed on the side 

 ai liist left untouched. Small gaps in the base of a 

 hetlge may be conveniently filh-d by p!;ints of beech or 

 hornbiMin, which will stand Ihe shade of the hedge 

 aho\e them. In the case of a b.idly neglected hedge — 

 a hedge gone wikl, such as }ou often see along counlr\' 

 lanes in Ireland — more drastic methods of treatment 

 are necessary. There " laying" should be resorted to, 

 as it causes fresh growth to come away from below, 

 and at the same time a fence is provided during the 

 period of growth. The process may be briefl}- described 

 as follows : — 



(i) The briars. &:c.. are cleaned out fiom the bolloni 

 of the hedge, whitli is Irinnneil up roughl}- on 

 bolh sides. 



(2) The \-oungest stulf is cut three-quarter through 



and bent tlown horizontal, while the old stuff' is 

 cut out altogether with the exception of a stout 

 stump every three or four yards. These stumps 

 are left about three feet high, and the laid stuff 

 is twinea through them. 



(3) Stout stakes are then stuck in, about one foot 



apart, on alternate sides of the laid stuff". 

 ("4) The hedge is then "rlthed" — i.e., hazel or thorn 

 rods are pleated between the standards. This 

 keeps the laid branches in position and forms a 

 top rail, so to speak, for the fence. 

 '■I,ay-ng ' must be done before the rise of the sap, 

 .uul a laved hedge may be trimmed in the ordinary 

 way the following September. Often in the south of 

 England a layed hedge is not trimmed, but allowed to 

 grow for two or three years and then laid again. 

 Where shelter for cattle is desired this is jirobahly tin- 

 better plan. 



t^^ e^^ t^^ 



I SMALL speak of trees as we sec them, love them, 

 adore them in the fields where they are alivi-, holding 

 liieir green sunshades over our heads, talking to us with 

 their hinidred thousand whispering tongues, looking 

 down on us with that sweet meekness which belongs lo 

 huge but limited organisms — which one sees in the brown 

 eyes of oxen, but most in the patient posture, the out- 

 stretched arms, and the heavy-drooping robes of these 

 vast beings endowed with life but not with soul — which 

 outgrow us and outlive us, but stand helpless — poor 

 things! — while nature dresses and undresses them like 

 so many full-sized but under witted cbUdren. — Oh'ver 

 Wendell Holmes. 



