122 



IRISH GARDENING 



Fruit Crop, 1912. 



AS was anticipated from the abnormal heat ami 

 y~\_ drought of last autumn, and the way in which 

 most of our fruiting plants and trees ripened 

 up their wood, we had a record year of fruit blossoms. 

 Old growers inform me that they never saw such a 

 wealth of blossom as appeared on the trees this spring. 

 In the plum and damson growing districts the planta- 

 tions were white with blossoms, and the apple growing 

 districts looked very well when the trees were covered 

 with flowers. 



Bush fruit plants suffered very much from the effects 

 of last autumn's drought and heat, with the result that 

 raspberries did not grow a good succession, and those 

 that did grow were weak. Strawberries suffered most, 

 and as the plants in most cases were weakened, there 

 were many deaths in a number of plantations. 



In a number of plantations gooseberry bushes were 

 killed outright by drought last autumn. Apple trees 

 of various sizes also suffered to a more or less degree, 

 as many trees which bore a large crop last year and 

 previous yeais are bearing a very scanty one this year. 

 The crop up to the present date, which may be taken 

 as the 15th July, has been about an average one, and 

 the prospects of an average crop may be looked forward 

 to from most of our late fruits. 



The spring frosts of this year were very se\ere on 

 the apple, gooseberry, strawberry and raspberry plants 

 and very young fruit. May of 1912 will be long remem- 

 bered in Ireland by fruit growers as a disastrous month. 

 The most destructive frost was on the night of the 12th 

 of May, when the thermometer registered 10 degrees 

 of frost. 



This month and April were two very dry months, less 

 than three inches of rain falling during the two months. 

 June, however, was very cold and wet. No less than 

 three inches of rain fell in Co. Dublin, and in Kilkenny 

 6.32 inches was recorded, this being the wettest June 

 since 1884. 



The frosts of May appear to have been general all 

 over the country, though more severe in some parts 

 than in others. In Co. Down and Co. Meath not only 

 the young fruit of apples was destroyed, but also many, 

 and in one case the whole, of the young shoots. Frost 

 did much more harm than insects this year, as many 

 flowers and trees fairly free from injurious insects failed 

 to set many fruits even though the flowers were hand 

 fertilised. 



Apples, taking the country as a whole, .are about an 

 average crop. In the north and west it is much below 

 that of last year, and the staple apple, Bramley's 

 Seedling, will be a below average crop. In the south 

 the crcfp will be a good average one, and dessert 

 varieties are doing well in general. e.Ncepting Cox's, 

 Allington, and Victoria. These varieties bore 

 exceedingly well last year. Many ol' the apples, 

 even when well set and commencing to ssvoll, dropped 

 off during the hot days and cold windy nights of 

 May. 



Old and well-established trees of the early cooking 

 apples are bearing a good crop in many districts, 

 especially Leinster. As regards cropping of various 



varieties, they are very irregular this year. In one 

 district they are bearing fairly well, and in another 

 bearing very few fruits. 



The following varieties, however, are in most cases 

 bearing good crops :- Stirling Castle, Bramley's Seed 

 ling, Bismarck, Lane's Prince -Albert, Lord Derby, 

 Irish Peach, Beauty of Bath, Lady Sudeley. James 

 Grieve, and Worcester Pearmain. The fruit will have 

 to swell rapidly during the next two months or they will 

 be below the average in size, many of them being at 

 present small, and do not appear to be growing freely. 

 Pears in general are one of the best crops of recent 

 jears. The blossom, which was very plentiful, opened 

 early during mild weather, and the fruits were well 

 set before the cold nights came on. Though many of 

 them dropped off, enough remained to form a good 

 crop. In few districts is the crop a bad one. The 

 varieties Fertility. Clapp's Favourite, Bcurre d'.-\manlis, 

 Pitmaston Duchess. Williams' Bon Chretien and Doy- 

 enne du Cornice are in most cases bearing good 

 crops. 



Plums in general are bearing a good crop, much 

 better than last year. Only four per cent, of the cor- 

 respondents return a bad crop. Trees in the plantations 

 which I have seen are bearing from good to very good 

 crops. The variety bearing best is \'ictoria, it stand- 

 ing out from the others as a cropper. Orleans, Belle de 

 Louvaine, Czar, River's Early Prolific, and the Old 

 Horse plum are bearing good crops in general, and 

 most varieties are bearing well on walls. Damsons, 

 especially the old cluster variety and young trees of 

 Bradley's King, are also bearing well in general, 

 whether under cultivation or in gi-ass. Trees of the 

 Bullace are not bearing such a g-ood crop. 



Cherries are a good crop in general, especially whcjo 

 grown for market purposes, in Counties Wicklow, 

 Dublin. Meath, and Derry. They did not suffer so 

 much from frost as in previous years, nor was the black- 

 fly so destructive. The fruit was in most cases of a 

 very good quality. May Duke and Black Heart bore 

 good crops. 



Gooseberries are a 'good crop .'ind the berries are 

 larger and colouring much belter, and are of a better 

 fi.'ivour than usual. Whinham's Industry is bearing the 

 heaviest crop. Good crops were also on the F'arly 

 -Sulphur varieties. White Lion, Ironmonger, Crown 

 Bob, Whitesmith and Keepsake arc all bearing well. 

 Good prices have in general been obtained in the 

 market for good samples. 



Currants are in general an average crop. The blacks, 

 which promised very well, suffered very much from the 

 frosts ot May, and the harsh, dry winds were very 

 severe on the young shoots and foliage at that period, 

 with the result thai little growth was made, and aphis 

 played havoc with the young foliage and flower trusses, 

 m.'iiu' of the flowers being killed, and the young fruits 

 dropped olT. Good prices are being obtained for good 

 samples in the market. 



Raspberries in the commercial plantations are an 

 average crop. They are, however, much better than 

 was anticipated. The canes produced last year were 

 short and weak : they were, however, well ripened and 

 are bearing good crops for the size of the canes. The 



