IRISH GARDENING 



'53 



.l^rovvii, ;iikI iIk- plaiiliii):;^ ol so many rostillcJ Iroiii tlio 

 continiic-d heavy crops borne by a low trees thai were 

 tirsl planteil. There is a heavier yield of friiit on most 

 pear trees, but the crops on the trees here are very 

 remarkable. The lower branches arc weighed to the 

 {ground ; the upper ones, which were not supported or 

 the fruit removed, broke with the weight lliey carried. 

 I.ouis Bonne of Jersey grows well here. We cannot say 

 the same for I'vedale's St. tlermain. it is dillicult lo 

 grow and very much subject to c.mker. Beurre 

 Clairgeau does better with Pitmaston Uucliess, 

 Willi.ims' Hon Chnlien, Catillac, \'icar of Wakefield. 

 .\ small pear, Comte do Lamy, is carrying a heav)- 

 crop, and so is Keurre Hardy loaded with nice medium- 

 si/ed fruit, lieurie Diel is a wonderful cropper, .mil 

 grows well here. NlMInK. 



PLUony-ricnvcrcd Dahliiib. 



l>y J.\Mi:s Stam.kv Maki k, ol .Messrs. Hakcis, 

 Woh I'rhampton. 



Dl UlN'li llie last twenty ye.irs conliiuial cliaiigi' 

 lias been taking place in the Dahlia worKl. 

 Twenty years ag"c> Show ;ind K;incy Dahlias 

 monopolised the attention <^i the growers, few plants 

 of other types being grown. .\bout that lime the 

 Cactus type began to bo shown, but were veiy dilYercnl 

 to the narrow-petalled varieties grown at the present 

 lime. The petals were almost flat, except at the tips, 

 and were very heavy in appearance. .As improved 

 forms were put before the public they gradually ousteil 

 the Shows and F"ancies, until at the present time they 

 are rarelv grown, except by the enthusiast who exhibits 

 tliom. Til J large, round heads are totaUy unsniled 'iov 

 cutting purposes, and for garden decoration llicy arc 

 little belter-. 



.Vs the Cactus type became popular-, nurserymen gave 

 their attention chiefly to raising lai-ge flowers for exhi- 

 bition purposes. Their usefulness for garden decora 

 tiori was lost sight of, the result being that the new 

 vai ielies had immense flowers of good form and colour, 

 but with stems so weak that the blooms were not held 

 above the foliage, but were hidden. This gave the 

 Cactus a bad name as a garden plant, and il un- 

 doubtedly deserved all that was said of it. Lately 

 more attention has been paid lo the decoi'ative value 

 of the plant, and the new varieties have stronger stems, 

 cair-ying the blooms well above the foliage, Iheiefoi-e 

 making the plant more valuable for garden decoration. 



But although the Cactus type has been much im- 

 proved, as garden plants they are much inferior to the 

 new l'H:ony-flower-ed sectioir, and are rapidly beitrg 

 ousted by this new type lor gar-den .-irid decorative 

 purposes. 



When this l\-pe was first inti-oduced some five )-e.ir-s 

 ago practically the whole of the trade scotVed at this 

 flower, but, seeing that its rugged appeaiance gave it 

 considerable .artistic claim, our lirm ileter-mined to give 

 it an extensive trial. 



In the following season, both at our luirseries and ;it 

 the various shows where we exhibited them, they 

 attracted great attention. Kncouraged by this we 



determined lo work on these with a view lo improvinj; 

 them, .ind we were so successful thai most of the best 

 varieties in commerce have been introduced by us. 

 These new varieties cover .-i wide range of colour, 

 including many beautiful art shades, and for garderr 

 decoration in the late summer and autirmn morrlhs. or 

 for decorative work during the season, they are unsur- 

 passed, and have fully justified their claim lo be "The 

 Dahlia of the t'entui-y," for while the popularity ol 

 other types has been warring, they have rapidly come 

 to the front, and are now to be found in most of the 

 beautiful gardens Ihrorrghoirl the country. The petals 

 are neither symrnelrlcal or oi the form of any other type 

 of Dahlia, but they may be compared with Pa;oiiy 

 chrnensis, and in some cases with the Clematis. They 

 are borne on long, strorrg stems, standing clear away 

 from the foliage, the flowers being semi-double and 

 the petals being curled and twisted in a pleasing and 

 irregular- manner-. They are most floriferous, the 

 plants becoming a mass of colour, and for garden 

 decoration there is no other plant to equal them. For 

 massing in beds for bold eftect they are unrivalled, as 

 those who saw the beds of l';eony-flowered Dahlias at 

 Hyde Park, London, will fully agree. The big flowers 

 are kept well up by Iheir own stilf stems, aird they are 

 a long way cic.ii- ^\i liu- foliage. These flowers are 

 plentiful, too, .md lasting. There is certainly room for 

 lire P.eony-flowered Dahlia in flower gardening. 



II llic t"hi-ysanthemum is i-alli'd " Oireerr i^'i the 

 Aiiiuinri," the Dahlia rn.-iy be justly called the '- King ol 

 [lie .-Vutumn," for- it is imrivalled tlm-ing the months ol 

 August, .September- ,-ind October-. 



If 1 had to give distinction to .-my twelve varieties 

 1 ■>hould choose the following as being my favourites : — 

 Codsall (iem, Countess of Lonsdale, Lady .Mlison. 

 I. ally .S.-ivilc. Mrs. .A. Worsey, Mrs. Carter Lewis. Mrs. 

 lieo. Drirmrnoiul, Mrs. T. G. Baker-, Red Indian, Rev. 

 Hugh Berners, Rornolo Pia-zzairi, .nid .Sunset. 



.\ few simple hints oir llu' i-ultirre of the I'ahlia ma\- 

 be iirleresting lo your reader s. 



If the reader has a greenhouse or heated frame, he 

 should secirre his plants as early as possible in .April, 

 and pot on into six-inch pots, so that he may have e.xtra 

 strong plants by the end of May. 



The ground should be prepared before planting lime. 

 The soil should be deeply dug, artti a liberal supply ol 

 well-dccayeil manure worked irr. Xexl drive a stout 

 slake where each Dahlia is to be planted. !l is much 

 better lo put the slakes in before plantirrg, as by that 

 method the plants are not disturbed arrd can be afVoidcd 

 support as soorr as possible. Plant dirring the last 

 week in Ma\- or- the first week in Jirne. Make the 

 plants firm and tic to stake. If the weather is hot and 

 dry give occasional waterings till established. 



When the plants are one arul a half lo two feet high 

 pirt in additional stakes lo each plant, keeping Ihc 

 plants tied as they grow, or they may get broken by 

 the wind. 



If growing for exiiibilion the buds and branches 

 must be thirmed. .As soon as the buds form give a 

 liberal supply of liquid manure weekly. If grown for 

 garden decor-;ition they need little thirniing, but are 

 much improved by giving liquid mamrrc occasionally. 



