IRISH GARDENING 



107 



size of the pot, but it will do an 8-ineh pot no 

 harm to stand 15 to 20 minutes in water if it 

 has been allowed to get really dry. 



Fruit trees on walls carrying heavy crops will 

 benefit by a few good drenchings of liquid manure. 

 Summer pruning of fruit trees, with the exception 

 of small bush fruit, may be done during the month. 

 On wall fruit stop (take the top off) all shoots 

 not required for filling in and forming the tree. 

 Tie those required as nearly in their places as 

 possible. It is easier to bend them while they 

 are young and soft than to wait until they get 

 linn. For bush fruit — apples, pears, plums, 

 &c. — merely take the lead out of the shoots : this 

 will encourage the lower eyes to the shoot to fill 

 and avoid bare branches in the tree. Extract of 

 Quassia used as directed on the tins is the simplest 

 means of keeping fly oft' fruit trees. It renders 

 the leaves distasteful to insects. The Quassia 

 Chips can be bought and boiled in a gallon of 

 water, then add another 9 gallons of water, and 

 use this with a sprayer. But why make it on the 

 premises when as good can be bought ready for 

 use ? 



Delphiniums. 



By J. W. Besaxt. 



The perennial Larkspurs are among the noblest 

 dowers of summer, and wherever hardy flowers 

 are grown they are now considered indispensable. 

 So much improvement has been made on the 

 older varieties, both in colour, form and also in 

 time of flowering, that we may enjoy glorious 

 masses of colour from early June till August and 

 even later if due attention be paid to cutting 

 down the earliest spikes before seeds have formed. 

 Good cultivation, however, is absolutely essential 

 if the best results are to be had over the longest 

 possible period. Delphiniums are gross feeders 

 and abhor a dry, poor soil. Rich, moist soil is a 

 necessity if long strong spikes of large, well- 

 formed flowers are to be obtained, and where the 

 natural soil is poor trenching and heavy manuring 

 with well-rotted manure is essential. This condi- 

 tion of the soil must be maintained by renewed 

 applications of manure every autumn or spring 

 as the circumstances necessitate. In light or 

 medium warm soils autumn planting is successful 

 as the new roots which are then forming, not only 

 in the case of Delphiniums, but in a large per- 

 centage of hardy herbaceous plants, can grow 

 uninterruptedly until cold frosty weather sets in 

 and are then in the best possible condition to 

 begin operations in spring, immediately the sun 

 begins to warm the soil again. On the other 

 hand, plants which have been left undisturbed in 

 autumn form new roots, just the same, and when 

 lifted for replanting in spring obviously must lose 

 many of the autumn-formed roots — damage 

 which must be repaired before the plants can 

 begin to grow freely. If, however, the soil be 

 heavy and retentive of water it quickly becomes 

 cold towards winter, and young or newly-divided 

 plants suffer considerably planted in such a 

 medium, since the young roots are unable to 

 make much headway in it and decay, not infre- 

 quently results creating disappointment in spring. 

 In the case of heavy cold soil, therefore, spring 

 planting may be preferred. An endeavour should 

 be made, however, to render tenacious soils freer 

 and warmer by trenching, and thus aerating, and 

 by the application of lime as the work proceeds. 



The most popular position allocated to 

 Delphiniums is the herbaceous border. With 

 varieties ranging in height from 2 A feet to 6 or 

 7 feet magnificent displays are possible. The 

 possibilities of Delphiniums for beds are just 

 beginning to receive attention. Some of the new 

 kinds, with branching spikes, continue pushing 

 up fresh shoots over a long period, especially if 

 kept supplied with water in dry weather and 

 liquid manure in the case of established plants ; 

 examples of this kind are found in Belladonna. 

 Persimmon and others of that set. 



How long a clump of Delphinium may remain 

 undisturbed must be determined by the grower. 

 who knows the capabilities of his soil, and can 

 note the behaviour of his plants. Some growers 

 advocate lifting and dividing every three years 

 or so, but it is certain that in a good soil they will 

 remain vigorous twice as long if care be taken to 

 thin out the weaker shoots in spring. This is a 

 most important point, and the thinning should be 

 done in no half-hearted way. Half a dozen tall 

 strong spikes, with finely developed flowers, are 

 infinitely more effective than a score of weak ones. 



Delphiniums are easily propagated by seeds 

 and by division. Seeds, if sown in autumn or in 

 spring in gentle heat, will give flowers the follow- 

 ing autumn if generously treated. When large 

 enough to handle comfortably in spring the 

 seedlings should be pricked off in boxes and kept 

 close in a cold frame until large enough to plant 

 out after being well hardened off. They should 

 be planted in beds of light rich soil and kept 

 well watered in dry weather, and will soon make 

 good plants. Division should be done in spring. 

 before the shoots have made much growth. A 

 few plants of the desired varieties may be lifted 

 and shaken quite free of soil, when the young 

 buds or " eyes " can be easily seen. A strong, 

 sharp knife, carefully inserted between the 

 prominent buds, will sever them readily with a 

 tuft of roots attached. The roots, if necessary, 

 may be shortened to allow of the " eyes " being 

 potted up. when they may be put in a frame and 

 treated as the seedlings. If only a few extra 

 plants are required the clumps may be divided 

 into two or three pieces and replanted in the 

 open ground. 



The difficulty in recommending varieties is in 

 knowing what to leave out. Their number is 

 legion and tastes differ. A few good ones are 

 mentioned below. 



Arago. double blue and violet ; King of 

 Delphiniums, gentian blue, white centre ; 

 Felicite. pale blue, with black centre — these are 

 tall growers. 



Varieties of medium height are Lamartine, 

 violet blue : Moerheimi, white : Persimmon, sky 

 blue, white eye ; Mrs. Thompson, pale blue, with 

 brown centre. 



Dwarfer sorts are Belladonna, Cambridge blue ; 

 Mrs. J. S. Brunt on. sky blue : and grandiflorum, 

 a species which, with its white variety, should be 

 occasionally raised from seeds, as in heavy soil 

 they are apt to die out in winter. 



^* ^* ^^ 



Iris variegata var. " Iris King." 



Among the rhizomatous-bearded Irises this is a 

 remarkably fine variety. The flowers are large 

 and of good form, the " standards " old gold 

 coloured and the " falls " deep velvety maroon. 

 It is quite one of the best Irises for a border to 

 flower towards the end of .Tune. — B. 



