IRISH GARDENING 



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The Month's Work. 



The Flower Garden. 



By John Whytock, Gardener to Colonel 

 Crawford, Crawfordsburn, Co. Down. 



January having been most un- 

 favourable as regards weather, owing 

 to the heavy rainfall, outdoor work 

 will, to a great extent, have been 

 abandoned, so that, as stated in last 

 month's calendar, when soil and 

 weather conditions are favourable all 

 outdoor altei'ations that have still to 

 be done should be attended to as 

 rapidly as possible. 



Flower Beds. — A n y beds or 

 borders which do not contain spring 

 flowering plants and which are used 

 for summer bedding should be deeply 

 trenched, if not already done, and if 

 the soil is in poor heart it sbould be 

 given a good dressing of well-rotted 

 manure, working it well down in the 

 bottom of the trench ; but if the 

 soil is inclined to be on the rich side 

 use little or no manure, but instead 

 a dressing of well rotted leaf soil 

 if procurable, for when the soil is too 

 rich tbere is a tendency of the plants 

 growing too much to leaf and the 

 curtailing of flower. All edgings of 

 beds and grass walks should be gone 

 over with the edging iron and 

 trimmed up. 



Such plants as Lobelia, Helio- 

 trope, Ageratum, Verbena and Salvia 

 patens, that have been kept over 

 from last year for stock, should be placed in 

 heat to encourage growth for cuttings. 



Annuals, such as Bicinus, Cineraria maritima, 

 Gaillardias and Dianthus lleddewegii should be 

 sown in pans and placed in a genial temperature 

 to germinate, as they take a long season for 

 growth. 



Violets in frames and outdoors should be gone 

 over and all decayed and damp leaves, also 

 runners, taken off and the plants given a slight 

 dusting of artificial manure ; this will help to 

 prolong the flowering season and strengthen the 

 crowns for transplanting later on. 



Lily of the Valley. — Any old beds that are 

 getting exhausted should be lifted and the ground 

 deeply dug and manured, transplanting only the 

 strongest crowns singly about 1 inches apart in 

 lines a font apart. It pays to make a new 

 plantation or two every year. 



Summer Flowering Chrysanthemums. — Cut- 

 tings of these should be taken now, and inserted 

 in boxes of light sandy soil ; they strike readily 

 in a cold frame. Also towards the end of the 

 month bulbs of Gladiolus, Childsii and ganda- 

 vensis may be planted out in the borders, or 

 prepared beds, as the case may be. 



Trees and Shrubs. — Any planting still to be 

 done of deciduous trees and shrubs should be 

 carried out as soon as possible ; evergreens are 

 better left till the end of March or April. 



Boses. — Towards the end of the month those 

 climbing Boses, such as Beve d'Or, Wm. Allen 

 Richardson, Climbing Mrs. W. J. Grant, Gloire de 

 Dijon, which have a south aspect, can be gone 

 over and pruned, taking out old and very weak 



growth, selecting only those young growths 

 which are ripened well to be laid or tied in. 



Owing to the unusual mild winter a good many 

 subjects are in flower earlier than usual this year 

 in the rock and flower garden : here I notice 

 Rhododendron praecox, with its bright, rosy lilac 

 flowers, also R. Cunninghami, Azara microphylla, 

 which flowers on the under side of the small 

 dark glossy leaves and has a fine aromatic 

 perfume : Andromeda floribunda (Lilv of the 

 Valley Tree), Erica hybrida. Daphne Mezereum 

 and its variety alba: also D. Laureola var. 

 Bhilippii, an evergreen dwarf bush, which throws 

 out a sweet scent in the early morning and 

 evening ; Berberis japonica, a very handsome 

 bush, with its large glaucous leaves and fine 

 heads of yellow flowers. The Witch Hazels 

 (Hamamelis) are also now in flower with their 

 chocolate and yellow flowers. In the grass a 

 good many bulbs are now in flower, amongst them 

 are the Winter Aconite, Scillas, Snowdrops, and 

 the violet-flowered Crocus Imperati. 



The Fruit Garden. 



By I). McIntosh. Gardener to Alderman Bewley, 



Danum, Bathgar. 

 Early Vines. — If every necessary attention has 

 been given the bunches when in 'flower, a good 

 set will be the deserving reward. Now, endeavour 

 to maintain a moist atmospheric night tem- 

 perature of 60°, and throughout the day take full 

 advantage of the sun's influence on every favour- 

 able occasion. Syringe the walls, borders and 

 paths before 8 a.m. with lukewarm water. 

 Admit a little air from the top when the ther- 

 mometer reaches 72°, but at all times avoid a 

 cold draught coming in contact with the tender 

 foliage. Shut up the house early in the after- 

 noons, damping down well before doing so. All 

 laterals should have their points pinched out 

 above the first leaf. If the borders are in need 

 of moisture, give a good watering with warm 

 water, and repeat this operation in a week or ten 

 days, but this time give liquid manure im- 

 mediately after. The bunches should be ready 

 for thinning about the end of the month. It is 

 wise to commence early with this operation, as 

 the berries soon become crowded and make the 

 work of thinning doubly tedious. The bunches 

 must not be touched with the hands when 

 thinning the berries. A thin, forked stick about 

 S inches long should be used to hold the bunch 

 and turn it about while being thinned. The art 

 of thinning is to leave the berries room enough to 

 swell without being squeezed together tightly, 

 yet thick enough to hold the bunch in its natural 

 position when cut and laid on the table. 



Outdoor Beaches and Nectarines.— The 

 pruning of these trees should be done during this 

 month. Commence by cutting out all dead and 

 badly ripened wood. Afterwards, look carefully 

 over as to the balance of the tree and thin out the 

 undesirable branches and shoots that would seem 

 too thick if retained. Leave four to six inches 

 between each shoot, so that Avhen tied in position 

 there will be plenty of space to sling in the young 

 wood of the current year. It is impossible to 

 obtain a good crop of fruit unless the wood is 

 well ripened and the fruit-buds fully matured. 

 When the pruning is completed apply to the 

 trees a dressing of Gishurst compound, diluted 

 according to directions. This will very largely 

 do away with insect pests during the period of 

 growth. 



