IRISH GARDENING 



T 37 



Notes on Insect and Fungoid 

 Pests Injurious to Fruit. 



Aphides are our most troublesome insect pest, 

 although we have a fair share of most. Canker 

 is our most troublesome and destructive fungoid 

 pest. The weather at the time our plums and 

 pears wen 1 setting was rather unfavourable. 

 They pppeared to set heavy crops, which failed 

 to swell properly. The apples blossomed late and, 

 gave great promise, but were likewise disappoint- 

 ing. Our peaches under glass behaved in a 

 similar way to our plums. It would appear that 

 the badly ripened wood is the cause of our tree- 

 fruit crop being under average, yet our rainfall 

 last autumn was not excessive. — Geo. Bogie. 

 Pakenham Hall, Westmeath. 



Apple and plum aphis and codlin moth are our 

 worst insect pests. Apple and pear scab are very 

 virulent this year. In this locality there was a 

 magniiicent show of all kinds of fruit blossoms in 

 their respective seasons, but the weather con- 

 ditions prevailing — viz.. incessant rains, with 

 sunless and cold days and cold nights — rendered 

 a good crop of the large fruits impossible, — 

 A. Barker. Carrignan, Co. Clare. 



Canker troubles us in some varieties of apples, 

 and occasionally a little American blight, other- 

 wise we are fairly free from insect and fungoid 

 pests in this district. On the whole this is a poor 

 fruit season, pears and plums are very scarce, 

 which I think is owing to the cold and sunless 

 summer of 1912. — E. .T. Rogers. Cahir Park 

 Gardens, Tipperary. 



In most parts of this county insect and fungoid 

 pests are fairly prevalent. Apple sucker and 

 caterpillars of winter moth and gooseberry sawfly 

 are the most troublesome insects. The chief 

 fungoid pests we suffer from are apple and pear 

 scab and the old offender, canker. It is interest- 

 ing to note that the acreage devoted to the 

 cultivation of fruit in West Cork has increased 

 largely this season. Farmers are now realising 

 that the industry is worth taking up on a com- 

 mercial scale. — S. E. Cavanagh, Bandon, Cork. 



Our most troublesome diseases are canker and 

 American blight on apple trees and a few ermine 

 moth. We are almost clear of aphis and cater- 

 pillars this season. All fruit trees blossomed well 

 and seemed to have set a fair crop, but dropped 

 very much when about the size of peas. The 

 weather continued cold, wet, and windy till the 

 middle of June. — P. D. Reid, Cong, Co. Galway. 

 Canker and apple scab are the most troublesome 

 fungoid pests. Insects are not troublesome this 

 season. Old apple trees are bearing very poor 

 crops. Young trees are bearing fairly well. 

 Strawberries are good all round. Royal Sovereign 

 and Leader are doing best, but the new variety. 

 King George, promises to do well, and may equal 

 or prove to be a better one than Royal Sovereign. 

 Loganberry is the best of the other fruit, but 

 Japanese Wineberry is becoming more popular. — 

 E. H. Bowers, Garden House, Roscommon. 



Trees are very clean and free from insect pests 

 this season. American gooseberry mildew is our 

 most troublesome fungus, a heavily fruited 

 plantation having to be destroyed through being 

 hopelessly infected with this pest. There never 

 was a year I should think when fruit trees of all 

 kinds promised so well in February, but owing, 

 in my opinion, to the wet sunless summer of 1912. 

 the fruit buds had no vitality, and failed in 



thousands either at the flowering period or when 

 the fruit was at its second swelling. — T. E. 

 Tomalix, Bessborough Gardens, Piltown, Co. 

 Kilkenny. 



Severe frosts caused bud-dropping on goose- 

 berry and currant bushes on exposed sites, and 

 also damaged apple bloom even before fully 

 expanded. Apple sucker was observed in several 

 districts, and winter moth and ermine moth. 

 Caterpillars were bad on apple trees, also Ameri- 

 can blight on a number of old trees. Gooseberry 

 sawfly was noticed in a number of gardens, but 

 not so severe as in past seasons. A few cases of 

 American gooseberry mildew and black currant 

 mite were noticed. Ordinary mildew rather 

 severe on some varieties of apples. Aphis, except 

 on a plum, has not caused so much damage as in 

 past seasons. Bramley's seedling in cultivated 

 land and in sheltered positions is cropping very 

 well in general. Growths now look clean and 

 vigorous on apples, gooseberries and currants. — 

 .Fas. Bracken, Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary. 



Strawberry Notes. 



The present fruiting season has been a very 

 favourable one. The fruit ripened about the 

 average time. Owing to the wet autumn of last 

 year the crowns were very strong, consequently 

 the crop of fruit was above the average, in this 

 district at any rate. 



We found the following varieties have done 

 exceptionally well this season : — Royal Sovereign, 

 The Bedford, Laxton's Utility, and Laxton's 

 Latest. 



During the fruiting season the weather was 

 very dry, but the plants held out wonderfully, 

 as it was dull. The quality of fruit was exception- 

 ally good, also the size of the berries. 



The value of hoeing has been again exemplified 

 this season, as we have often repeated m our 

 cultural hints. It is one of the great secrets to 

 hoe the ground, whether there are any weeds 

 or not, as it prevents the moisture evaporating 

 from the soil. 



Another point we should like to dwell upon 

 is the firm planting of all strawberries : they 

 cannot be made too firm, providing the soil is in 

 proper condition when they are planted. 



Bedford, Aug. 8. Laxton Brothers. 



List of Trees and Shrubs is the Open 

 at Fota, 1912. 



Pota Island, the demesne of Lord Barrymore, 

 is the home of many rare shrubs and trees, and 

 is one of the (inest examples of what can be done 

 when almost all conditions are favourable and 

 the climate mild. 



There some of the rare Mexican Pines have 

 formed good specimens : Lavateras, Feijoa, the 

 Scarlet Mitraria, and other plants, often grown, in 

 greenhouses, thrive in the open air. 



This list gives the name of the plant and its 

 country of origin, with sometimes a synonym 

 added, the names being arranged in alphabetical 

 order. 



These published lists of plants in the larger 

 gardens are becoming popular, for they help the 

 visitor to obtain a good idea of the collection, 

 and also are a help and guide to other intending 

 planters if climate and such conditions are taken 

 into account. 



