IRISH GARDENING. 



41 



po.ssi1)le. The ])eds must be deeply dug, and 

 have jileiity of thorouglity rotten manure or 

 leaf-mould incorporated in the soil, as Begonias 

 are gross feeders and love moistura. 



Pot Culture. 



Tlie cultivation of Begonias in pots presents 

 no great difficulty. Double varieties are most 

 favoured for this purpose, and make a very 

 lovely display. The tubers may be started in 

 boxes, as described for '' bedding out," but 

 instead of being left to grow on in the box they 

 are transferred to pots when the young shoots 

 are a few inches high and the leaves beginning 

 to expand. In ]Dotting, the surface of the tuber 

 should be just below the soil, and a pot just large 

 enough to allow of an inch or so of soil between 

 the tuber and the pot is quite big enough. In 

 the case of small young tubers, a larger pot will 

 be necessary, as the roots penetrate to the side 

 of pot — one a couple of inches wider should do 

 for the season. Larger and older tubers may 

 be put in larger pots according to size, but as 

 a rule too large pots should be avoided. In 

 potting, it is most important to allow at least 

 half an inch below the rim for water. 



A suitable compost is made up of loam, leaf- 

 mould, rotten manure, and sharp sand in about 

 ecpial proportions. If the town dweller has 

 difficulty in obtaining the necessary ingredients 

 he can usually purchase a bushel of prepared 

 compost from a local nurseryinan or market 

 gardener for a couple of shillings or so. 



Water well on first potting, and subsequently, 

 as often as the soil is becoming dry, sprinkle 

 lightly overhead and shade from bright sun in 

 the middle of the day if the plants are under 

 glass. If a small greenhouse is available, a pretty 

 display can be made, or the pots may be stood 

 outside when danger of frost is over and moved 

 into the dwellinghouse when coming into flower. 



When frost has cut down the plants in beds 

 they must be lifted and laid to dry in a cool airy 

 place out of reach of frost. When the shoots 

 fall away and the tubers are quite dry they may 

 be stored away in a box and covered with dry 

 sand until the following spring. Pot-grown 

 plants must be dried off towards the end of 

 autumn, or when the flowers are becoming 

 smaller and fewer. Practice. 



Rhododendron praecox. 



This lovely early-fluwering hybrid has been in 

 bloom now for some weeks, and is vei^y wel- 

 come at this season. The flowers are rosy 

 purple, the leaves roundish and dark green. 

 It is a hybrid of Rhod. ciliatuni x R. dauricum, 

 the latter of which was in flower a month ago. 

 R. ciliatuni is flowering ;i1 ])r(Si-iit out of doors, 

 but all these early-fl(>^\.'l•illg species and hybrids 

 ai*e de]iendent on weatJiei- cniulit ions. 



The Arboretum. 



The weather u]) to the middle of February, when 

 these notes are being written, has been of the very 

 worst kind for pruning. Days of piercing cold 

 wind, accomi^anied by heavy showers of sleet 

 and snow, made it impossible for men to carry 

 on the work with any comfort. The soil, too, 

 was Wet and unfit for working most of the time', 

 but eveiy opiKirtunity was taken of a dry day 

 with a little snnsliine to jjush on with any planting 

 of deciduous trees or shrubs for which places 

 had not previously been found, and which it was 

 desirable to get into permanent quarters. 



Pruning. 



Tills is being proceeded with as rapidly as 

 possible whenever the weather is at all suitable, 

 for despite this cold snaj), there is considerable 

 evidences of growth betokening some movement 

 of the sap, so that any pruning still remaining 

 should be finished up at once. Early flowering 

 shrubs and small trees like the Winter Sweet and 

 Prunus Davidiana may be shortened back now, 

 es])ecially the former where growing against a 

 wall. When growing thus the shoots are gener- 

 ally much longer than when grown as a bush in 

 the open ; they must, therefore, be cut back to 

 one or two eyes. After some years wall-grown 

 plants are ai^t to produce too many long sappy 

 shoots, and these are useless for flower production. 

 This tendency may be corrected by root pruning, 

 doing one half of the tree at a time. Short, well- 

 ripened shoots are much the best for flowering. 

 Prunus Davidiana, the earliest flowering Almond, 

 makes long slender growths when young and 

 vigorous ; these, when well ripened, flower well, 

 but if too soft will usually flower only at the end. 

 After a year or two, however, the plants will 

 settle down, as it Were, and produce shorter 

 shoots, which will flower nuich better, and less 

 ])runing will be required. This Almond looks 

 particularly well standing up among evergreens 

 at the back of a shrubbery. Another fine Almond 

 flowerinar in February is P. amygdalus persicoides 

 with large pale pink blossoms, which are very 

 attractive. It seems to be one of the hardiest 

 and most vigorous of the Almonds, and flowers 

 well every year. Prunus cerasifera, the Myro- 

 balan or Cherry Plum, is also flowering well, 

 bearing abundance of small white flowers. Loni- 

 cera Standishii, the early, fragrant, white 

 flowered Honey. suckle, is frequently[grown against 

 a wall for the protection of its blossoms, which 

 are delightful to cut and place in a vase. It 

 flowers very often from Christmas through 

 February, and may now be shortened back if 

 getting too far out from the wall. As a rule, it 

 does not require severe prvining, but may 

 occasionally need to be dealt with to keep it 

 within bounds. It is quite hardy, and grows just 

 as well in a shrubbery, where, however, the flowers 

 are more apt to be spoilt by frost and cold winds. 



Many people confuse L. Standishii with 

 L. fra-?rantissima, a somewhat similar shrub, 

 which, however, is nearly evergreen, and the 

 leaves are shorter than those of L. Standishii, 

 without the long drawn out point of the latter. 

 L. fragrantissima flowers early, too, but the 

 flowers are less conspicuous, due to the presence 

 of the foliage. There is considerable growth on 

 many of the Clematises now, and the late flower- 

 ing species, of which C. Jackmanii is an example, 

 should be cut back without delay. The early 



