i88 



IRISH GARDENING 



and clean by having the grass swept and all fallen 

 leaves removed; edges of beds, if in thegrass, trimmed; 

 walks cleaned and rolled. Shrubberies can have the 

 surface soil pointed with a digging fork, burying all 

 leaves which may be lurking beneath the plants ; this 

 should follow afier pruning and regulating have been 

 done. There are few plants which bloom ni the open 

 during December, but if the garden is kept clean and 

 all unoccupied beds and borders turned up to the in- 

 fluence of the frost, the few things which are in bloom 

 and those with bright berries will be seen to greater 

 advantage. The past year has been unfavourable to 

 many plants which delight in warnilh and bright sun- 

 shine, the unusual amount of rain causing luxuriant 

 growth to the detriment of the bloom. Other plants 

 have benefited by the moisture, having made splendid 

 growth, which will mature and set with abundance of 

 Hower bud-.; this refers to the many delightful flowering 

 shrubs and trees. 



The Fruit Garden. 



By L. Childs, Gardener to the Earl oi Meath. 

 Killruddery, Bray. 



H.ARDV FRUIT GARDEN.— If the planting of 

 various kinds of fruit trees which I recom- 

 mended in my notes for November are not yet 

 completed, you should lose no time in carrying out the 

 work whenever weather conditions are fa\'ourable and 

 the soil in good working order. At any rate, make 

 sure that you have no unnecessary delay in finishing- 

 all plaining operations during the old year when 

 possible. Then give them a mulching, and make sure 

 that they are staked and planted firmly in the ground. 

 The pruning of all established trees on walls, &c. , 

 should also be done at once, for il is a mistake leaving 

 your pruning until spring-time, when you will be sure 

 to have plenty of other important duties to require 

 your attention in every direction. Be careful to collect 

 and burn all prunings, for I venture to say that neglect 

 of this work is responsible for the increase of scale 

 and American blight in many gardens. You will 

 obviously be courting trouble and giving untold labour 

 for the future if you are careless in these matters. 

 Having finished your pruning, attention should now be 

 directed to the ne.xt most essential matter of cleaning 

 and spraying. Use some good insecticide for this 

 purpose in Knapsack spraying machine. For pre- 

 ference use Cooper's \'l fluid for winter cleaning. But 

 !n case of .American blight take the precaution of 

 going over the trees a second time, and use a brush if 

 necessary, (ov it will not be found an easy matter to 

 eradicate this tenacious pest. Afterwards scatter 

 some fresh lime over the beds, and carefully fork it into 

 your borders. Pruning, tying and cleaning work all 

 completed, nothing more will be needed until you give 

 them another spraying in spring-time. 



EAtiLY Vines and Peachrs.— Start the above very 

 gently. Little or no heal will be required for some few 

 weeks, unless just foi' keeping out the frost. Spra\' 

 over the canes and trees during bright weather, and 

 make sure that you leave no plants about that are 



infested with mildew'. Everything should be scrupu- 

 lously clean at the commencement of the growmg 

 season. Directions have already been given in previous 

 numbers for the renovating ol unsatislactory borders 

 coiUaiuing the roots of early vines, and attention may 

 now be directed to the borders oC late vines. If there 

 has been any trouble with shanking, this is direct 

 evidence that there is something wrong, and that 

 special care and attention is needed when the roots 

 extend into outside beds. These should be treated 

 first. Then if you find most of the roots too deep down 

 in the border take out a trench at its extreme end and 

 gradually work the soil away up to a point near the 

 stem ot your vine, doing as little damage as possible. 

 Then coil the roots and protect with damp mats. See 

 that the drainage is made perfect and relay the roots. 

 Next cover them up again with fresh material of turf, 

 grass downwards, mixed with old mortar rubble and 

 broken bricks as the work proceeds. Cut away 

 portions of damaged roots and carefully preserve those 

 which are most fibrous, and topdress with some good, 

 chopped soil, bonemeal and wood-aslies being added. 

 Tread the bed tolerably firm, and apply a thorough 

 watering a few days afterwards. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



By Wm. TvnijALL, Horticultural Instructor, 

 Co. Kildare. 



THIS is one of the slackest months of the year in 

 the vegetable garden, the principal work being 

 to get the digging and trenching finished, if 

 the weather permits, so that the soil will be exposed to 

 the good etfeots of frost, &c., for the first couple of 

 months of the coming \'ear before the general cropping 

 is begun. .Ml leaves and weeds should be cleared oft" 

 and either burnt or placed in a heap to decay, so that 

 every place in the vegetable garden is clean and tidy 

 at the close of the year. 



The forcing of rhubarb and seakale must now have 

 attention so that a constant succession is m.iinlained. 

 and if a supply of good dry leaves (oak and beech are 

 best) and stable manure, turned .'i couple of tunes before 

 using, can be had, there should be little trouble in pro- 

 viding a supply treated ;is recommended last month. 



The weather for the past couple of weeks has been 

 so mild that cauliflower plants and lettuce wintering in 

 frames will require plenty of air to prevent daniping, so 

 that the plants will grow sturdy and strong. 



Potatoes intended for early pl.mting should now be 

 placed in sprouting boxes, selecting meiiiuni-sized seetl 

 that will not require cutting. Until the sprouts start 

 growing it is not necessary to give much, light, so that 

 the boxes can now be placed one over the other for 

 some time till the sprouts start to grow, when more 

 light can be given. 



Seed catalogues will soon be arriving, and during the 

 long evenings of this month the seed order should be 

 made out, selecting those kinds that have been found 

 to do best, as dilTerenl soils have a great eff^ect on 

 many varieties of vegetables. 



-Again at Xmas did we weave 



The Holly round the Christmas Hearth." 



— -Tt'/ii/vsii/i's fii Miinnridiii . 



END OF VOLL'MF VTT. 



