IRISH GARDENING 



53 



for two or three weeks, when the stock may be 

 taken in hand for re-potting. Plants such as 

 past year's seedlings that have proved of sufficient 

 merit to retain and plants in 4-inch pots should 

 liave the ball slightly reduced and re-potted — 

 medium growers into 5-inch and more robust 

 growers into 6-inch x^ots. Plants that have 

 flowered in 5 and 6-inch pots may be divided 

 and repotted into such a size pot as will grow 

 them through the whole season, not exceeding 

 6-inch pots. To divide the plants into two or 

 three parts, as desired, the plant should be laid 



ball completely, and commence giving more or 

 less air daily, with much reduced shading. 

 When the plants are again growing freely give 

 abundance of air, and only shade with scrim 

 canvas or some light material from strong sun. 

 When the pots are well filled with roots com- 

 mence the application of some stimulant, 

 preferably some reliable horticultural manure, 

 using the fertiliser in the powdered state, and 

 when applying, gently raise the foliage (so as not 

 to break the leaf stalks) and apply the powder 

 with a spoon. The fertiliser must be continued 



Water Pool ix the Rock Garden at Curragh (f range. 



on its side, and cut the crowni clean through 

 with a sharj) knife, then carefully divide the 

 ball, removing all loose soil. For re-potting 

 use a mixture of 2 parts loam, 1 leaf soil, 1 of 

 rich decayed manure (rub the manure through 

 a J-inch sieve), a sprinkling of coarse silver sand, 

 a little finely-pounded mortar rubble and bone 

 meal at the rate of a 3-inch pot full to a bucket 

 of compost ; if soot is available, add about a 

 handful to a bucket of compost. After re- 

 potting, place the plants in a cold frame, keep 

 the frame shut up for four or five days and 

 shade from sun. Give the plants a sprinkling 

 of water overhead with a fine rose-can each 

 afternoon, when removing the shading, about 

 3 or 4 p.m. After the lapse of four or five days 

 give the plants a heavy watering to moisten the 



throughout the season at intervals of about a 

 fortnight. Some plants are so persistent in 

 flowering that they commence throAving up 

 flowers a few weeks after re-potting ; these 

 flowers must be as persistently removed, until 

 the time is approaching when the plants are 

 required to flower ; discontinue shading as the 

 summer wanes, and with the advent of long and 

 cooler nights remove the plants to a moderately 

 dry and warm atmosphere. 



Primula Malacoides is an annual primula, 

 and of much lighter habit than Obconica when 

 in flower, producing abundantly dainty sprays 

 of pale mauve flowers, well-gromi plants being 

 very effective for decoration; the flowers are also 

 very useful for decoration in a cut state. 

 Seedlings may be raised through the early 



