140 



IRISH GARDENING 



Apple Growing in the North. 



Armagh holds the pride of place as an apple 

 growing county in Ireland, and year by year the 

 acreage increases, or the farmers have found 

 thai appl.-s are a better paying crop than flax. 

 In the north near Portadown and Armagh the 

 bigger part are grown, and around this disi rid one 

 sees apple t ices everywhere in grass and tillage 

 among the corn crops. 



Although the commercial aspect of fruit 

 growing is su different to growing fruit in private 

 gardens, yet many of the best Ulstermen have 

 round by experience that il pays them well to 

 manure, grease-band, spray, and prune their 

 trees: although nearly all recognise that it is 

 imperative to keep an apple tree open, giving 

 each branch sufficient Light and air. yet it was 

 formerly done by cutting out whole branches: 

 now many are adopting the spur pruning system 

 with good results. The ground generally is a 

 good stiff loam which holds the moisture well 

 throughout the summer. In the low-lying parts 

 the trees are planted on broad ridges. Last wet 

 Winter many trees were planted without holes 

 being dug at all, the soil being thrown up in a 

 broad ridge over 1 he roots. 



Throughout the district one seldom sees a 

 standard tree, the open bush being much easier 

 to manage in every way. The tact soon strikes 

 one how lew varieties are grown in quantity. 

 Bramley's Seedling is the sheet anehor of the 

 northern growers, and is grown more than all 

 other kinds together. bane's Prince Albert is 

 also seen, but is considered lender when com- 

 pared with Bramley for held work. The more 

 tender leal' will not si and the spraying so well, 

 and is more liable to attacks of fly. bul its advan- 

 tage lies in the early fruiting ; on wholly cultivated 

 ground il is much better than on grass. 

 Grenadier has won a, good name as an early sort, 

 a, good healthy grower; it crops freely, and pari 

 of the crop may be marketed very early before 

 fully grown at the end of August. Of course, 

 when ripe it will not keep. 



Medal seems to have been largely planted some 

 years ago, but proved to be very liable to disease 

 and canker, so il has been nearly all eegrafted 

 wit 1 1 Bramley. Worcester I'eannain, Beauty of 

 Bath, and other desserl apples, the growers say, 

 are not a, success, for they do no1 colour very 

 much in the north. In some orchards I here are 



large trees of Martin's Seedling or No Surrender. 

 Although a line apple. .1. \Y . Bagan does nol 



recommend it. A few Royal Jubilee and Royal 



Codlin are grown, while one grower does well with 

 Lord Derby, bul the general idea seems to be 

 t hat it is too liable t o canker. 



Most of the growers favour the planting of 

 maiden trees, some plant their Bramleys on free 



stock. IS ■ IS feet, others now favour IS 2\ 

 feet, for the\ iiinl in 12 to I I years l he trees are 

 almost touching each oiher. The ground is 



chiefly ploughed, and. of course, should always 



be cleaned by potato or ol her crops before 1 binking 

 of planting. Currants are often planted in the 



lines bet ween I he apples, and ma 5 be CUl out when 

 the apples require more space ; between the rows 

 such crops as potatoes, roots. &c, are grown ; and 

 to save expense l he ground is worked by horses 



as long and as near to I he trees as I he branches 

 will permit. Bush fruit is seldom planted 

 between the rows of apples, as. space enough for a 

 cart is required to manure and at tend to the trees. 



Shows. 

 Royal Horticultural Society. 



Held in Lord Iveagh's Grounds, St. Stephen's 



(been. Dublin, on August 2<>th. 



An exceedingly good all round show was the 

 general verdict, and one which we fully endorse, 

 though we had not time to minutely examine 

 everything. It is significant of present day 

 gardening that by far t he greater part of the show- 

 was composed of hardy plants, fruits and flowers. 



The exhibits of strictly indoor produce were not 

 numerous on the whole, though certainly in some 

 classes there was a creditable number of entries. 

 The trade exhibits as usual were meritorious, and 

 in fact they go a tremendous long way to make 

 the show attractive and educational. 



Messrs. K. .Jameson cv: Sons were awarded a 

 gold medal for a most effective display of which 

 t he groundwork was composed of Ferns and 

 Asparagus. Tasteful groups and bouquets of 

 Carnations, Liliums, Geraniums, Larkspurs, and 

 single China Asters were noticeable, while other 

 foliage plants lent beauty to the scene. Here and 

 there were tall plants of Cocos plumosa of graceful 

 habit: the whole well maintaining the linn's 

 reputation. An original and effective design 

 which attracted much attention was a badge of 

 the 5th Royal Irish Lancers. Two groups of 

 ( ierauiums were prominent, a line glowing form 

 of Maxime Kovalesky and a good semi-double 

 pink called Virginia. 



Messrs. ('has. Ramsay & Son had a tasteful 

 and effective combination of hardy and indoor 

 flowers and plants, for which they were given a 

 gold medal. Their principal flowers were bouquets 

 of Roses and Carnations delightfully put up, while 

 masses of Gladiolus America were striking. A 

 large central group of Hydrangea paniculata 

 grandiflora was noticeable. The groundwork of 

 the whole exhibit was formed by a dense carpet 

 of nicely grown ferns, the entire group edged with 

 Gloxinias and low trailing 1 lants of sorts. 



Messrs. Drummond received a gold medal for 

 staging an interesting and attractive exhibit of 

 hardy plants and shrubs: at one end was a small 

 water garden, with aquatic and quaint 

 plants and t he coral berrie 

 overtopping all were huge 

 magellanica, a fern hardy 



Other interesting plants we 



Lit. her 

 of Nert era, depressa, 

 fronds of Lomaria 

 many gardens. 

 < lalceolaria alba, 



Sidalcea oregona, Aconitum Wilsoni, Boenning- 



hausenia albiflora Lachnanthes tincforia is a 



very uncommon, but an ugly, North American 



pla.nf . while Shell ieldia, or Simolus repens should be 

 noted for f he rockery a native of New Zealand, 

 of creeping habit, bearing small white flowers. 

 Sir J. \Y . Mackey, Ltd., had an outside stand to 



exhibit ;i choice selection of bow Is and vases for 

 growing bulbs. Bulbdlin, t heir special composf for 

 bulb growing, has been a great success. A dainty 

 selection of the hybrids of Gladiolus primulinus 

 mixed with Gypsophila showed that these forms 

 are probably the most beautiful of all for cut 



purposes. All show the hooded upper segment 



peculiar to Gladiolus primulinus. but in colour 



they varj from straw to deep yellow, orange- 

 salmon t o light scarlet . 



Messrs. Pennick, of Delgany, brought a. line 

 collection of hardy plants and shrubs, forming a 



bright and showy group, for which they received 

 a. sil \ er medal. 



Messrs. Hogg & Robertson were awarded a. 

 silver medal for a very showy stand of (dadioli 



