IRISH GARDENING 



'75 



brought back to a cooler house, where they will 

 continue to flower for a long time. For succes- 

 sional lots the plants should be kept^cool until 

 three weeks of the time they are wanted. They 

 should then be introduced to a warm temperature 

 for a fortnight, after which a house of^about 

 45 degrees will suit. 



Herbaceous Borders. — This^is.^the month 

 when a thorough overhauling can be made in 

 these borders. The use of hardy plants in the 

 decoration of our gardens is yearly becoming 

 more popular, and the reason for this is not far 

 to seek, for where do we find another class of 

 plants that gives such a variety of form and colour 

 not only for a few weeks, but from February right 

 on to November. In many cases the class of 

 plants to be grown must be determined by the 

 size and extent of the place. What is recom- 

 mended for a good herbaceous border is good- 

 sized clumps of one kind of plant in as large a 

 variety as possible, so as to prolong the bloom over 

 a good part of the year. Again, where it can be 

 done, do away with the formal box edging and 

 introduce the planting of Alpines instead. These 

 in the front line will persist in getting out of 

 bounds, and one or other is always in bloom, 

 which one must stop to admire. The tiny 

 Linarias, Thymes, Sedums, and the little Erinus 

 alpinus are all suitable, and one has got tired of 

 these straight formal box-edged lines. In the 

 border, too, one may introduce such shrubs as 

 Japanese Maples, Prunus Pissardi, Spiraea aria?- 

 folia. They all help to relieve the flatness. 

 Lift the plants that require new positions, 

 reduce old clumps that have got too big, and 

 make the necessary clean up. Plenty of old 

 rotten dung should be worked into the soil before 

 any new planting is done. 



Roses. — The words of the late Dean Hole rise 

 to my memory — 



" If you would have beautiful Itoses in your garden 

 You must have beautiful Roses in your heart." 



If the ground has not yet been prepared, set to 

 work at once ; and if your Roses have not been 

 all the success you hoped for, try again. Roses 

 love good living, therefore a plentiful supply of 

 rotten manure and soil cut from an old pasture 

 should be worked into the ground by digging or 

 trenching to a depth of at least 18 inches or 2 feet. 

 Where the soil is very shallow it can be improved 

 in this way, and in addition to the above add 

 4 ozs. of bone meal to each square yard. Firm 

 soil and Arm planting are great helps towards 

 success, and early planting is half the battle. 

 Spread 3 inches of manure litter over the bed 

 after the Roses are planted. This keeps the soil 

 and roots warm, encourages quick root action, 

 and also acts as a protection against frost. 



Wintering Bedding Plants. — The gardener 

 has now an anxious time in providing winter 

 storage for many things that wil mot stand severe 

 frost. Begonias must be seen to at once. When 

 lifted they should be gradually dried. An open 

 shed, through which plenty of air is blowing, does 

 well. When the tubers come readily away from 

 the stalks it is time to store the roots in boxes, 

 and placed in a frost-proof house all winter. 

 Some dry sand or leaf soil thrown thinly into the 

 boxes will help to keep the roots from shrivelling. 

 Where Lobelia cardinalis will not stand outside 

 it should be lifted and placed close together in 

 boxes and covered with leaf soil. A cool frame 

 or peach case will do to keep it safe. 



Fuchsias, Abutilons, Heliotrope, Pelargoniums, 

 Streptosolen Jamesoni are often used as standards 



now, and take a considerable time to grow as 

 such. These want a cool, airy house and the least 

 possible amount of water all winter. Bedding 

 kept in frames should in mild weather get an 

 abundance of air and kept on the dry side. 

 This strengthens the plants against a spell of 

 frost or damp weather. 



The Fruit Garden. 



By D. McIntosh, Gardener to Alderman Bewley, 

 Danum, Rathgar. 



Vixeries. — Continue with the cleaning of vine 

 rods that are intended to be started in January. 

 The pruning having been completed, remove the 

 loose bark only from the rods, and as the work 

 proceeds special care must be taken not to injure 

 the buds at the end of the spurs. Next wash the 

 interior of the house, including all woodwork, 

 iron supports, wires, &c, afterwards applying 

 the garden engine to complete the operation. 

 If insect pests have been troublesome during the 

 past season of growth, the cultivator will profit 

 by washing the rods two or three times with a 

 strong solution of Gishurst's compound, brushing 

 it well into all cracks and crevices. Allow the 

 house a few days to dry, during which time a 

 suitable compost of soil can be made up, pre- 

 paratory to surface dressing the border. Brush 

 off all rubbish and loose soil from the border, and 

 with a garden fork loosen the hard surface soil 

 down to the roots, which ought to be found in 

 plenty, within a few inches of the top. This 

 loose soil should then be carefully removed and 

 taken clean away. The fresh compost should 

 now be brought in and placed on the top of the 

 roots to the depth of three inches. If wet, allow 

 it to remain loose for several days, when it can 

 then be trodden firm and level over the whole 

 border. The rods may be slung up temporarily 

 until starting time arrives, when they should be 

 bent down a little below the horizontal line with 

 the view of causing the buds to break regularly. 



Peaches and Nectarines. — Early varieties 

 may be attended to during this month. The first 

 item of importance to be done is the pruning. 

 Commence by cutting out all dead wood and 

 weakly shoots. It is a mistake to allow the 

 shoots to remain too thick ; therefore, if it is 

 desired to thin out further continue with the 

 weakest shoots and also those that are badly 

 placed. If the interior of the house requires 

 washing down, this should be done thoroughly. 

 Loosen the shoots of the tree from the trellis, and 

 if thrip or red-spider have been present every shoot 

 should be washed individually with Gishurst's 

 compound, or any other approved insecticide. 

 Be careful not to injure the blossom buds, which 

 are so easily knocked off. In tying up the tree 

 first secure the main branches with tar-twine, 

 observing at the same time the proper balance of 

 the tree. The smaller shoots can then be placed 

 and tied in neatly with raphia. A nicely trained 

 peach tree is always a source of admiration. 

 Prick over the surface-soil with a garden fork, 

 and then remove the loosened soil outdoors. 

 The compost for the top-dressing of the border 

 should consist of good fibrous loam, freely mixed 

 with lime-rubble and a sprinkling of bone meal 

 and soot. Having been laid on, tread it firmly 

 when in a reasonably dry condition. 



Planting. — If the weather be favourable for 

 this operation, now is a very good time to com- 

 mence. Whatever kind of fruit trees or bushes 

 it is desirable to plant, the ground should have 



