IRISH GARDENING 



per rent, of phosphate of lime : slowly soluble in 

 water, and the liner it is ground the more readily 

 it goes into solution. In an average sample, at 

 least eighty per rent, of it should pass through the 

 standard sieve. This should be applied at the 

 rate of five or six cwt. per acre early in the winter, 

 and is found to be suitable to all soils, except 

 those which have plenty of lime. Its action is 

 best seen on peaty or clayey soils. 



Superphosphate. — This fertiliser is derived 

 from tri calcic phosphate (Ca,P 2 O s ). by using 

 enough sulphuric acid (II 2 SO,) to liberate about 

 two-thirds of the phosphorus, the greater part 

 being thus changed into monocalcic phosphate 

 (('a,IIP.,O s ) which is readily soluble in water ; 

 but there is also same tricalcic phosphate 

 left in the material, and as this is not nearly as 

 soluble in water it is not so valuable as a fertiliser. 

 A good sample should be dry and iinely ground, 

 if let get damp, or stored in a damp place, it 

 rapidly deteriorates. It is often used as a top- 

 dressing at the rate of three to tour cwt. per acre 

 in the spring, and can also be applied and worked 

 into the soil before the crop is put out. It is the 

 most successful phosphatic fertiliser for light 

 soils, but should not be applied to acid or boggy 

 types of soil. The amount of phosphorus present 

 varies from twenty-six to thirty-six per cent, 

 tricalcic phosphate rendered soluble. It should 

 hardly be necessary to say that, taking the price 

 and freightage per ton into account, the better 

 grade is, without exception, the cheapest. 



Boxes. — These are largely used in gardens in 

 some form or other, but generally either in quart cl- 

 inch pieces or as bone meal. They contain fifty 

 to sixty per cent, of insoluble tricalcic phosphate, 

 and also a small percentage of nitrogen, but their 

 value seems to be over-estimated, and the price 

 is consequently high. Steamed bone flour is 

 better value for its price. 



Potassium Fertilisers. — These help to pro- 

 duce a short sturdy growth, and increase the 

 plant's power of resistance to disease. They rarely, 

 if ever, need be applied to clay soils. All that is 

 required of them is an auent to liberate the stores 

 of potash locked up in the soil. When the supply 

 of potash is short in the soil water, the manu- 

 facture of carbohydrates in the plant is greatly 

 hindered, and it is found that crops, rich in car- 

 bohydrates (sugar, starch. &c), are those which 

 are most dependent on a full supply of potash. 

 They have one serious drawback in that, when 

 constantly applied to some soils, they may de- 

 flocculate it. This is probably the result of a 

 chemical action in the soil between the potassium 

 salt which has been added and the calcium 

 carbonate (CaC0 3 ) present there. 



Potassium Sulphate (K.,SOJ is the best for 

 the garden, a crystalline salt, and readily soluble 

 in water. It is purified before being exported, and 

 contains forty-nine to fifty-two per cent potash 

 i K ._,()). It can be applied as a top-dressing, or. 

 where possible, worked into the soil in the winter 

 or spring. 



Potassium Chloride. -.Muriate of potash 

 (KC1.) contains forty-six to fifty-seven per cent. 

 potash. It should be applied during the winter, 

 and, if ever used as a top-dressing, should not be 

 let come in contact with the plant. 



Kainit. — This is not nearly so concentrated a 

 fertiliser as the previous two. as it contains only 

 twelve per cent, potash, the remainder being 

 made up of common salt (XaCl.) and other salts, 

 and should be applied early in the winter, at the 

 rate of four to six cwt. per acre. 



Single Chrysanthemums. 



By John Whytock, Crawfordsburn Gardens. 



ALTHOUGH the first Chrysanthemum species in- 

 troduced into this country from China about the 

 year 1789 was a single variety (('. indicum). it is 

 only within the past eight or ten years that 

 growers have recognised the value of them for 

 decorative purposes, and taken to grow them in 

 any quantity. But now every year sees them 

 coming more and more to the front until it would 

 seem as if they were going to oust the Japanese 

 or large flower altogether. Trade specialists also 

 are introducing new and improved varieties every 

 year, and we have only to look at the meetings 

 held in connection with the National Chrysan- 

 themum Society to see that whereas only one 

 variety or two at the most of the Japanese type 

 that are introduced get an award, a great many 

 varieties of the singles introduced are taken notice 

 of and given awards. 



The reason of this is the single lends itself so 

 well for all kinds of decorative purposes, and is 

 so graceful either in sprays or disbudded, whereas 

 the Japanese or large flower is very stiff, and is 

 of little or no value as a decorative plant unless 

 for grouping in a large show-house or conser- 

 vatory. Then again, to develop the large flower 

 properly, the plants from the cutting to the 

 flowering stage require very close attention, 

 entailing a great deal of expense, time and work, 

 and in the end producing at the most two or three 

 flowers in a nine or ten-inch pot. Whereas with 

 the single, by stopping the plants about twice in 

 the growing season, you get a bushy plant with 

 from a dozen to fifteen flowers fit for any sort of 

 decoration either for cutting or as a pot plant. 

 So that one can hardly wonder at owners of 

 gardens instructing their gardeners nowadays to 

 grow less of the big bloom and go in more for the 

 single. 



\\ e grow about 500 plants here, all singles, and 

 the treatment they get is : — Cuttings are taken 

 from December to January, generally in ,two 

 batches — the first batch about the first week in 

 December, and the second as soon as the first 

 lot are able to be shifted out of the cutting frame ; 

 in so doing we extend the flowering season a 

 month or more. We take as sturdy cuttings as 

 we can get ; some varieties are inclined to throw 

 weak cuttings, but by placing the old stools in some 

 light and airy place they will become more sturdy 

 in a week or so. Some varieties also are very 

 slow in throwing suckers, and in the case of these, 

 if the surface soil is scratched and a top-dressing 

 of good soil in which is mixed some chemical 

 manure is given them, and they are placed in a 

 light position in a warm house, in a week or so 

 they will start to throw up cuttings. 



As soon as the cuttings are made the heads of 

 them are dipped in a bucket of insecticide wash 

 (I find •• Abol " the best): this helps to kill an\ 

 insect such as thrip or greenfly that may be 

 on the cutting, and also acts as a preventive for 

 rust. They are then inserted around the side, 

 three in a three-inch pot, which has been pre- 

 viously filled with a compost of equal parts loam, 

 leaf soil and sand, given a slight watering and 

 placed on ashes in a frame which has been 

 temporarily erected in a cool house. They are 

 kept fairly close until rooted, after which air is 

 gradually given until they can be shifted to some 

 airy place on a shelf or near the glass. When 



