i6o 



IRISH GARDENING 



aiul inspect llio fruit occaslonall)-, iiiaUintf quite sure 

 that they ar'e l<eepin^ properly. 



ThoNC who are contemplating fresh trees oi' new 

 varieties should make out tlieir selections without delay, 

 and order' early. 



Cut away or liurn old trees that are useless, for nice 

 ones are cheap and are far more profitable. Trans- 

 plantingf operations may commence at the end of this 

 month, and if your soil is unsuitable you can t;'et 

 tog-ether- pr-oper materials of various descriptions, in 

 eluding good loam mixed with half-inch bones, broken 

 bricks, lime rvibble, or bonemeal. Then have the 

 places or beds got ready. When lifting your estab 

 lisheil trees of course much will depend on their size as to 

 what distance from the stems \'ou start tligging. Give 

 yourself plenty of room, and open oirt a trench two feet 

 wide and nearly the same depth close to the limit of the 

 r-oot extension. Then use a fork, gradually work- 

 ing the soil loose from the roots into the open trench 

 imtil sufllicient is cleareil for carrying the tree to its new 

 position, wherr all damaged or sti ong roots should be 

 shortenetl and prurreil with a sharp krrife. Spread them 

 out at equal ili-,tance, and cover with soil. .\ow lav 

 out the smaller* fibroirs ones, and make sure they are not 

 bundled together-. If possible select fine weather for the 

 work, and do not forget that the firture life and srrccess 

 of your trees will ver-y much depend on the way pl;rntirrg 

 nper-alions are carried out. 



The bright srrnshine during September did immense 

 benefit to all kinds of fruit trees. 



Ge.\er.\l Kkm.\rks. — Cutout the old fruiting canes of 

 raspberries and loganberries so that lhe\-inrng grouths 

 may get a chance of becoming thoroirghl}- ripenetl. 

 Voirng tr-ees of peaches ami nectarines which have been 

 vmfrultful dirring the year have In most cases made 

 much soft sappy wood. Then It will be necessary to 

 root prune, or perhaps after inspection you nray find ii 

 essential to lift the whole of the roots and replant them 

 In fresh soil. This will Involve a great deal of laborrr, 

 but If it is tlorie iitdicloitsh' it .ahvavs repa\-s for ;in\- 

 extra trouble. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



Hy W.M. ■fvNIiAt.i., Horlictrltrrral Insli-ncl or-, 

 Co. Klldare. 



THE month of Octol>er is gerterally a slack one 

 In the vegetable garden, for as the days grow 

 short so does the work in the garden. Of 

 course there will always be plenty of clearing up of 

 leaves, especially In gardens where large deciduous 

 trees are near. These should receive constant atten- 

 tion, as if many fall on beds of seedling plants and arc 

 not removed much damage may be done. .411 the work 

 recommended Last month and which has not been com- 

 pleted should be finished up as soon as possible, as the 

 weather has been very dry for the past couple of weeks. 

 Cabbage, lettuce, and onion plants in many gardens 

 are very backward, although sown in July and early 

 August, but get them planted as they become fit irt 

 well prepared gr-ound, deeply dug ami well m,triur-cil. 



Ll'.TTfiE. — These shoirld be plartted early in the 

 month, and will give a good succession to those planted 

 in September-. Plant on .-i dry, warm, sheltered border, 

 and if good Irar-dy var-ietles, sm'h as Har-il\' Ciri-ert. 

 Hammersmith, Winter Pe;irl. or .M.-rnsteail l\-irk be 

 selected, few plants will he lost <lrrr-Irrg the winter-. 



Onions. —The grtnrritl t'ov atrtrimn-so\\-n tMiIorts, 

 whether they be Tripoli varieties or those irsually sowrr 

 In spring, .-is .\Ilsa Cr-aig. carr si\-u-i'ely be m;ide loo 



rich, and any plants not large enough for planting 

 early this month can remain in the seed bed till 

 I'ebruary, running the hoe between the lines in dry 

 weather- to keep tlowrt weeds and help to promote 

 growth. 



Peas. —During this month peas for the earliest crop 

 next year can be sown, selecting one of the round- 

 seeded, har-dy varieties. William I. Improved I find 

 a most useful variety. It Is best to have the soil dug 

 and maiurred some time before sowing, and in choosing 

 the ground select the driest and most sheltered part of 

 the garden. In sowing, open shallow drills one foot 

 wide and two Inches deep, drawing the soil irp over the 

 peas to cover at least three inches deep. 



C.MLIFI.OWERs. — Transplant Into frames cauliflowers 

 raised from seed sown ir) .Avrgust, and have the plants 

 close to the glass. The soil in the frames should be a 

 gojd, fibrous loam with little manure, made quite firm. 

 The lights need not be put on the frame till frost is 

 .rriticipated, and even then give air in all favoirr"able 

 weather. .Any plants that room cannot be fourtd for- 

 in the frame should be dibbled oirt at the foot of .-i 

 south wall, where the\' ver)- often slatnl the winter- 

 \er\- well. If not severe .and wet. 



Bl ANS. -Broad beans may also be sown if Mazagarr 

 \ar-iety be selected ; It is both bard\- and early. Beans 

 fit for- pirlling shotrlil be bad next Jtrne. Plant in double 

 lines, zlg-;^ag, placing the beans foiri- to six inches 

 apart in the lines. 



I>ki;t .and Carrots should be taken itp and either 

 stor-ed awa\' In a cool shed in sand or pittetl llki- 

 pot;itoes. The roots of the beet should be lifted care- 

 f'ltlly so as not to injure and cause bleeding. .As the 

 ground becomes vacant, trench or dig, leaving the 

 sirrface as roirgh as possible, so (hat frost, snow and 

 t-ain can penetr-ate most fr-eeh*. 



As Parsnips and .SAtstFV are seldom If ever injureil 

 li_\" frost they iire gener.'ilU' left in the groitnd anil r-alsed 

 .'IS requlr-ed for rtse. 



During the past season I have visited very mar)v 

 shows, and after seeing the vegetables at these I have 

 come to the conclusion that the year has not been .'r 

 good one from the exhibitor's standpoint, as I have 

 seen very few collections, lar-ge or small, that did not 

 contain some Inferior dishes of vegetables. .-\t the 

 .Airgust show of the Royal Horticultural Society I'l 

 Ireland I expected. In the crrp class, to see twelve gooil 

 dishes, but this was not so. The first prize winner hail 

 ver'y poor tirrnlps and cucuntber, coiirse runner" beans, 

 parsnips and potatoes, and a mi.xed dish ot tomatoes, 

 while the winner of the second pr'ize had very inferior' 

 mar'r'ows. poor peas .and cairliflowers, the other com- 

 petitor's being even worse. Woukl It not be well If this 

 sticlet\'. In all Its cup classes at least, h.ad cards for 

 the (vrdges to mar'k the points of each dish in every 

 exhii)It. so th.-rt the public .'ind e.vhibitors would 

 know the point v;iUie of each dish, as at present the 

 edrrcatlonal value of these fine exhibits are lost to all 

 who visit the show? Ne.xt month I hope to say some- 

 thing .'rborrt the manv fint? tlishes shown In the first and 

 seconti pr'ize exhibits in thi* cup class at this ,-iirtumn 

 show, .ind .ilso several good dishes I have seen in other' 

 cl.'isses at this sht^w .'mil eNewher'c. 



w^* v^ ^^ 



A TRiro.MA with erect instead of pendrrloirs flowers 

 may seem rather an oddity, but this novelty, known as 

 Triioma aloides erecta superba. Is quite a showy plant 

 throughout September. It is .a remarkably free-flowering 

 variety, growing from three to four feet high, .and 

 bearing Hower-spikes about a fool long. The flowers 

 .-ire a w.'rirn orange st-.-itlet, and ver-\' altr;ictive. 



