190 



IKISII (.ARDININC 



DirKMHKR 



llif l>ii^i;ff IniK Willi ijolili'ii prUi'l as a pfi iiiaiiciil siil>- 

 jeit would bo a Wfkoiiic rolii-l in two si-iist-s. 



Faikv Tai.i s. - Wlio i-oiikl iK'lii'vo so nuK-li l)iauly lo 

 bo ill I'viiloiui- at miil-wintor as wo ilaily soo aroiiiiil 

 Dalkov ? Coilaiiily not iho 

 lulitor, whoso den is in Haby- 

 lon-on-Tliainos, lo wlioio wo 

 soni him atu^to li_\'in_i;" lo inipi'i'ss 

 tho jjaioly of llu" sluubliy voio 

 nioas in niassos of rosy oiinison 

 iMil olhoi- ilolij^hls about 

 Halki-y, lor our liilinj;s wore 

 '/.'/ (si> far) tokl in l".alli, so wo 

 lontludo il was sot tkiwn as a 

 laiiy tak', im at k'ast a froak of 

 laiioy. How wo shoukl liko lo 

 sliow him tho great floworinvc 

 stom of Ajjfave amoricana w liioli 

 has shot up twenty feet in a 

 hltlo ijarilon at Sandycovo, and 

 now boars a massive candola- 

 lira-like lieail of bloom I 



A Rk.MINDKK. — In the pleasure 

 >;rouiuls tile wi-allier ]iro\idos 

 opportunities lor work whieh 

 may not be expedient in oilier 

 directions. If "soft" contem- 

 plated alterations to walks and 

 avenues can be made, and if 

 hard the wheels of barrow or 

 cart can keep above ground in 

 the performance of such work 

 as may not only be necessary, 

 liianktul for monopolising- the dullest 

 twelve. It is the season when the 

 cheerfulness of evergreens in both shrubs and trees 

 emphasises their value where they have been judiciously 

 catered for in the planting, and should a heavy snow- 

 fall occur none will grudge a couple of hours smart 

 work with a prop in promptly relieving them of the in- 

 cubus which may otherwise spell disaster ; and as 

 " December crawls along " surely no funeral function 

 was ever attended with less grief than that of the 

 " Haggard Dame, with skinny frame " as she goes to 

 " The graveyard of the years," . . . 



Goon Prining am 

 Pkopkk Tkiatmem 



\\"Ol NDS. 



but we are 

 month of tht 



' For from lier bier the glad n 

 Will give us back the spring.' 



year 



The Fruit Grounds. 



By A. Barker. Carrigoran, Newmarkel-on-H"ergus, 

 Co. Clare. 



THE planting of all kinds of fruit trees and bushes 

 should be completed as far as possible during 

 this inonlh, autumn and earl}' winter planting 

 being undoubtedly the most satisfactory. No oppor- 

 tunity should be lost when weather and condition of 

 soil allow of proceeding with new plantations, the 

 thinning of young trees where they have become over- 

 crowded, or the lifting and replanting of fruit trees in 

 unsatisfactory condition. I would strongly advise 

 getting all the planting possible finished during the 



lirsi iliroo wo»-ks of Ihis inotilli, wlioiu-\or llii- ground 

 is in III conililiim .U all, .is .ilui llial period lliero conns 

 so\oi,il wooks \\ lion planting wv>iiki be bi'llorlofl alono, 

 .IS Iho ground is usu.illy very wet and cold, with such 

 a coiulition i>f inorliioss prevailing as to roiuior planting 

 \i.'iy uiulosirabk'. 'riiere is also gro.il risk of Irois 

 ilyiiig oiiliiglit, or st.irtiiig .iw.iy very weakly wlioii 

 now growth commoncos, if plaiilod through tho end ol 

 nocombor .iiiil J.inu.iiy. I do ii»>t aiivocalo Iho 

 iiiukliing of now |ilanleil I roes so fri'i|uoiill\' rocoiii- 

 nwndoil ;il Ihis so.isoii, ;is I coiisiilor lli.it both In-i-s 

 ,'tiiil ground roroivo mon- bi'iu-lil from being oxpoM-il 

 lo Iho link' sun .iiid iliy wo.ilhor voiichs.ifod us 

 Ihroiigh till- wiiilor ih.in llioy ilo by being miilcliod willi 

 oillior liltory ov h.ilf-docayod m.inuro, but I would 

 niulcli freely on Iho ;ippi4>ach of ili)- weallior in s|iriiig 

 lime (though I would make an exception in disiricis 

 where severe frosis or poiioils of dry weather prt-vail 

 in the winter, anil ajiply in such localities a light muk li 

 after planting). .My gener.il remarks on pl.intiiig 

 written last month are equally applicable to such 

 operations during this month, so it would bo super- 

 tluous to here repe.it them. Nor iiooil I repeal my 

 ;iil\ico anonl i-iriiniiig--. I hough il ni.ty bo aiUis.ihlo lo 

 horo ;idd ;i low roni.irks on llial voiy trouhlosoino 

 disease "canker," which I ovoilookeil when wriling 

 my November caloiular. This ilisease is much more 

 destructive amongst soin^ varieties of apples Ih.in 

 others, varieties willi thin, smooth bark being peculiarly 

 subject to it, aiul in some districts the disease is 



ExAMi'Lii Ol- Caki-:less Pru.mng— Thk Dkcavi.nc; 

 Snag prkvknts pkopkr hkaling ok wounh. 



specially virulent. King of the Pippins, Cox's Orange 

 Pippin, Ribston Pippin. Stirling Castle, Emperor 

 .Alexander, Wellington, tScc, are varieties I find suffer 

 severely from canker. In the case of young or very 

 old trees badly attacked it is labour in vain attempting 



