IRISH GARDENING 



The Fruit Garden. 



By D. MclNTOSH, Danum. Kathgar. 

 Vineries. — Houses in which the grapes are 

 all cut should be taken in hand at once as to 

 pruning, cleaning and washing down. &c. This 

 is the besi time of the year to do the work of 

 cleaning thoroughly, especially if any insect 

 pests have been present during the past season 

 of growth. Nothing is more annoying to the 

 anxious cultivator than the presence of red spider 

 or fchrip in the early stages of growth, and I need 

 hardly say that when once any of these pests 

 appear they are most difficult to eradicate. 

 Bunches of grapes hanging in bottles in a cool, 

 dry room must be looked over frequently, and 

 the bad berries carefully cut out with the grape 

 scissors. If this attention be neglected, one berry 

 will soon affect another, and the bunch within a 

 few days will become irregular and unsightly. 

 First early vines will be commencing to grow. 

 The night temperature should be gradually 

 raised to 60° by the time the bunches are visible. 

 with a day temperature of 75° when the weather 

 is blight. Allow the atmosphere to become 

 well charged with moisture and syringe in the 

 afternoon of bright days at closing time until 

 the vines come into flower. Hub off all weak 

 shoots that are not wanted as soon as they are 

 formed, leaving only the two strongest shoots to 

 grow on each spur. I ater, one of these must be 

 removed whenever it can be seen which has the 

 best bunch of grapes. 



Labelling. — A matter which will require imme- 

 diate attention after planting is that of s 'curing 

 the names of the varieties planted. It is always 

 well, in the first place to take a plan of the planta- 

 tion, noting each row with the varieties planted 

 in the sane. This plan should be carefully 

 preserved in case of any accident to or loss of the 

 labels in the orchard. The most convenient and 

 interesting method of labelling is to have each 

 variety distinctly named in full, the best label 

 for the purpose being one of cast-iron, with the 

 names in raised characters, plain and indelible. 

 This should be attached to a branch of the tree 

 by lead wire, care being taken to leave a suffi- 

 ciently large loop to allow for the growth of the 

 tree. 



The Best Time to Prune. There is some 

 difference of opinion as to this point, but theory 



has to give way to practice and probabilities to 



possibilities. To those wh<> have large planta- 

 tions to deal with it is not possible to do it all at 

 one time. The work has to be extended over 

 a considerable period, and be performed accord- 

 ing to labour available and as other work will 

 allow. It is usually commenced on the fall of the 

 leaf and continued through the winter months, 

 hut where it is possible to Kef it done in a, com- 

 paratively short period, there is no doubt that 

 the safest time to do it is after the turn of the 



winter ami before any si^ns of growth have 

 commenced. In some seasons when the weather 

 is favourable to late growth, which is followed 

 by immature and badly ripened wood, ami when 

 the pruning under such circumstances is done 

 in autumn, the severe winter following will 

 damage much of the wood and cause pips and 

 vacancies in the trees, whereas if the pruning 

 is deferred until the spring, any such damaged 

 wood can be removed and the sound wood selected 

 tor retention. Therefore, where pruning has 

 to be commenced in autumn, select the hardiest 



kinds and the best ripened w I to operate upon 



first. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



By J. G. Toner, County Instructor in 

 Horticulture, Co. Monaghan. 



Protecting Celery. — -Those who value the 

 supply of this excellent vegetable might take 

 some simple precautions for its protection. 

 Utter is often recommended, but it is not always 

 easy to obtain, nor to keep in place when procured. 

 A few- 9 or 11-inch boards laid along on tempor- 

 ary supports are neat, effective and handy. They 

 may with advantage be slightly sloped to one side 

 so that heavy rain, which often does more harm 

 than frost, may be thrown to the side. 



White Turnips. — Occasionally the more for- 

 ward ones may be pulled and laid in the earth in a 

 convenient place. This will be found a great 

 convenience during frosty weather. They do 

 not lose in plumpness or flavour by this treat- 

 ment. As some growth takes place until winter 

 is well forward, more space is afforded for the 

 development of the backward ones. 



Forcing Vegetables. — Another task for this 

 month is the getting together of materials for 

 forcing. People do not appreciate forced 

 rhubarb when there are plentiful supplies in the 

 open. At the same time there is no doubt that 

 early dishes are highly valued by all who can 

 afford to grow or buy the making of them. 

 Fresh stable dung with a liberal mixture of tree- 

 leaves, w r hen kept together for a while and turned 

 over about three times, is the best agent for push- 

 ing produce like rhubarb and seakale along. 

 The safest method for the amateur is to cover 

 the rhubarb crowns with boxes or small barrels, 

 having the boards of the top end when they are 

 inverted quite loose and only laid on, and then 

 place the heating material IS inches thick 

 around and above them in the form of a cone 

 Seakale, however, is differently treated as a 

 rule. Coal ashes, sand or turf-mould is usually 

 the first covering medium. Such may be at 

 least 12 inches above the crowns of the plaids. 

 It is in this that the blanching process t akes place. 

 The hot material is then laid on as for rhubarb. 



Planning Work. — A suitable time now 

 presents itself of mentally marking out where 

 next year's crops will be located. A better way 

 still is to make written notes. All then comes 

 comparatively easy in the busiest season. 

 Nobody knows so well where the shoe pinches as 

 the wearer. And every garden owner and every 

 gardener' knows better the particular require- 

 ments in each case than anyone can tell him. It 

 is quite astonishing what amount of good produce 

 can be squeezed, so to speak, out of a limited 

 space when such is properly ami wisely made use 

 of. This cannot be carried out to the best 

 advantage unless the plans are well laid and in 

 good time. 



The Hoot Crops. — Parsnips, carrots, and beet 

 require above all a line soil. It must or should 

 he rich too, but the richness should be a, mellow 

 richness. Pine soils do not abound in all gardens. 

 As a matter of fact and regret, they are found in 



comparatively few. If therefore becomes the 



gardener's duty to make moi r less stubborn 



soils as suitable as possible. In dry. frosty 

 weather much in this way can be done. And 

 just by the simple process of digging repeatedly 

 and turning up fresh surfaces to benefit by the 



action of the weather. By such little and simple 

 attentions a world of good is done, and by degrees 

 fairly good samples are unearthed From a hitherto 



grudging material. 



