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IRISH GARDENING 



their growths for another year. When growth is 

 completed and the plants carefully hardened off 

 by giving abundance of air they may be plunged 

 outside to get thoroughly ripened up before 

 winter. 



Pyruses, some of the Primuses. Laburnums 

 and Wistarias, which Mower on spurs will 

 require just the same treatment as orchard-house 

 trees. Pinching and thinning of the young 

 growths must be regularly practised to ensure 

 the formation of spins. 



It will be obvious that as the pots gel full of 

 roots, feeding will have to be done, otherwise the 

 growths will gel weaker each year and incapable 

 of flowering. Basic slag sprinkled on the 

 surface in autumn is a site and effect-' w manure, 

 while well diluted liquid from the cowshed is 

 effective in spring, when the young shoots are 

 growing. Later on light dressings of super- 

 phosphate help to firm the wood and plump 

 up the (lower buds. Heavy doses of any manure 

 should never be applied — little and often is the 

 safe rule and this only when the receptacles 

 are well filled with roots. 



A word might be said about early-flowering 

 evergreens for forcing. These are not numerous 

 and belong chiefly to the Rhododendron family. 

 They differ slightly in their requirements from 

 deciduous subjects, and require generally a 

 composl of peat a little leaf-mould and enough 

 sharp clean sand to keep the compost sweet 

 and open. Good fibrous loam, free from lime, 

 may be mixed with the peat, especially if the 

 Rhododendrons have been grown in loam. A 

 beautiful early flowering ^>e<-jes is R. nobleanum. 

 It flowers outside in January when the weather 

 is mild and therefore there is no difficulty in 

 having a beautiful display inside at that time. 

 or even earlier, and the blossoms develop much 

 better under glass. The pretty little R. 

 racemosuni would no doubt, make a nice show- 

 in the greenhouse ami others of hybrid origin 

 like Doncaster, Cunningham's White and Rosa 

 Mundi would he w or1 h a t rial. 



Deciduous subjects are more numerous and 

 will be found mostly among our spring and early 

 summer flowering trees and shrubs. 



The Amelancbier or Snowy Mespilue forcjes 

 readily and bears abundance of white flowers 

 which, however, are somewhat fleeting. 



In the Peach family (I'ruiim,) there are 

 several subjects of greal beauty, notably the 

 double varieties of Prunus persica. .\il are 

 lovely, and special mention may be made of P. 

 persica Clara Meyer, a beautiful pink, whicb 

 may be rather lighter in colour when flowered 

 inside. P. pseudocerasus, the popular double 

 cherry; is beautiful in the greenhouse ; Waterer's 

 variety and J. II. Veitch are two of the best. 

 P. triloba H. pi. and P. japonica II. pi. are pink 



and white respectively, and make a charming 

 display when forced. 



The early flowering shrubby Spiraeas are 

 useful and easily brought into flower. Most 

 of the species have been described in former 

 issues under the tree and shrub notes. Some 

 of the best are Spiraea Thunbergi. S. arguta, 

 S. trilobata, S. Van Houttei and S. pruni- 

 foliafl pi 



Wistarias and Laburnums are of similar ha hit. 

 and are generally grown as standards. 4 to 5 ft. 

 or more high, in this way their pendulous 

 racemes of blue or white and yellow flowers are 

 displayed to the greatest advantage, and never 

 fail to enlist a host of admirers. 



Tree Paeonias are, of course, fairly well know n. 

 and seldom do so well as when pot grown and 

 flowered indoors. Their large, handsome flowers 

 are exceedingly attractive, and at once attract 

 attention. 



Forsythias, too, which flower naturally very 

 early, are easily induced to Mower quite early 

 in the year. The best, and most graceful is 

 F. suspensa, which is also) the best outside 

 species. 



The flowering^currant develops remarkably 

 tine flowers in the greenhouse, and will 

 flower when quite small, while a useful yellow 

 flower is the double Kerria japonica. 



Nothing need be said here about Deutzias, as 

 their requirements are well known to gardeners, 

 and no better specimens could be wished for 

 than those shown annually at the R. H. S. 

 Spring Show in Dublin. Perhaps though one 

 might suggest a trial of the newer hybrid 

 varieties, such as I), campanulata, 1). kalmiae- 

 flora, D. Lemoinei. &c. These have larger 

 flowers than I), gracilis, and make a, very tine 

 show where they do well outside. Deutzia 

 crenata Pride of Rochester should_£make a 

 handsome greenhouse plant. 



There are one or two shrubby Pyruses which 

 can be readily forced notably the free and 

 beautiful P. floribunda and its hybrid 

 P. Schiedeckeri, both with pink apple-like 

 blossoms. 



Hard and fast rules cannot be laid down 

 regarding cultural treatment to suit all the 

 shrubs mentioned when grown foi forcing. 

 Some, as stated may be forced for several years, 

 others may require to he planted out to recu 

 perate, while the amount, of pruning necessary 

 will lie regulated by the amount of growth made 



and the nat uraJ habit of the plant. 



The gardener who once gets together a set, of 

 shrubs for Forcing will soon find himself as keenly 

 interested in keeping them up to the mark as he 

 is in his fruit trees, and where huge conserva- 

 tories have to be furnished in spring he will 

 find them of great value. B. 



