IRISH GARDENING. 



109 



while some, like the one mentioned at the top 

 of this note, are of larger- size, suitable either 

 for the rockery or border. A. gigantea is prob- 

 ably only a selected form of A. latifolia, which 

 vaiii's considerably and has broad, deep green 

 leaves growing in close tufts, and from among 

 which arise tall, naked stems carrying a com- 

 pact head of lilac-pink flowers. In the form 

 noted above the flowers are of a fine deep pink, 

 very effective and lasting for a considerable 

 time. These larger growing species are ex- 

 tremely useful in a small garden, taking up 

 little space, the leaves persisting for a long 

 time, rendering the plant evergreen, and pro- 

 viding plenty of flowers for cutting or for the 

 decoration of the garden. 



Thrift. 



County Galway Horticultural and 

 Home Industries Society. 



The above society will hold its Sixth Annual 

 Exhibition of Fruits, Flowers, Aegctables, and 

 Home Industries on Tuesday, lOth August, at 

 Ballinasloe. 



The prize schedule, with rules and regulations, 

 is now before us, and we note that entries close 

 on 1st August. 



Classes A. and B. are open to all Ireland, and 

 include money prizes and challenge cups for 

 flowers and vegetables and numerous special 

 prizes offered by the trade. Class C, open to 

 tenant farmers not exceeding £30 valuation, 

 contains prizes for window boxes, hardy flowers, 

 annuals, vegetables, &:c. 



Class D., for cottagers and artizans, is similar 

 to that for tenant farmers, while Class E., open 

 to all, includes prizes for farm produce, home- 

 made bread, jam, honey, bottled fruits, &c. 



The exhibition deserves every siiccess, and 

 the society is to be congratulated on a very fine 

 schedule, and we trust that the weather con- 

 ditions may be favourable and the entries 

 numerous. 



Trials of Autumn-sown Cabbages 

 at Wisley, 1915-16, 



Thk t'oUow ing awards have been made to Autumn- 

 sown Cabbages liy tlie Council of the Koyal Hor- 

 ticultural ,S(ieiet\ jiltei' trial at Wisley : — 



First Class ( ',.,t ilicates— No. 85, Ellam's Early 

 Dwarf, sent by Messrs. Barr & Sons. Award of 

 Merit — No. 33, First and Best, introduced by 

 Hurst (S: Sons, sent by Barr A: Sons ; No. 29, 

 Barr's Eclipse, introduced and sent l)y Messrs. 

 Barr : No. 73, Sutton's Harbinger, raised, in- 

 troduced, and sent by Messrs. Sutton A; Sons. 

 Highly Commended (XXX) — No. 22, Flower of 

 Spring, sent by Messrs. I{. Veitch k Son ; No. 71, 

 Sutton's April, raised, introduced, and sent by 

 ^Messrs. Sutton & Sons ; No. 102, Spring Beauty, 

 raised, introduced, and sent by Messrs. Bath, 

 Ltd. ; No. 24, Sutton's Flower of Spring, intro- 

 duced and sent by Messrs. Sutton & Sons ; No. 

 34, First and Best (lluist's), introduced by 

 Messrs. Hurst, sent by Messrs. Barr it Sons. 



Commended (XX) — No. 30, Early Favourite, 

 sent by Mr. J. P. Farr ; No. 31, Sutton's Favour- 

 ite, raised introduced, and sent by Messrs. 

 Sutton & Sons. 



Notes taken at Kew, 



The rock garden here is most interesting at 

 present, as is the Alpine house, which is a mass 

 of bloom, the ovitstanding features of which are 

 Androsace coccinea. Primula Rusbyi, P. tibetica, 

 and Saxifraga " Dr. Ramsey," undoubtedly one 

 of the most effective of the Aizoon group, its 

 heavily spotted eye gives it an almost pink 

 eft'ect. Sax. cochlearis and Sax. Kolenatiana, 

 with pink flowers, are also remarkably good. 



In the rock garden Dianthus frigidus, Wahlen- 

 begaia dinai'ica. like Pumilio, but paler in colour, 

 and iNleconopsis aculeata, an early-flowering 

 variety about one foot in height, with mauvish- 

 blue flowers, were noted, and for larger effects 

 Aster subcaerulens, Veronica austriaca, Erigeron 

 multiradiatus, Pentstemon confertiis, Dianthus 

 " Spencer Bickham," Thymus odoratissimus, and 

 Saponaria Weinmanniana. 



Saxifraga Hausmanni in full bloom and some 

 fine flowering spikes of Sax. longifolia blooming 

 on rocks above a patch of ^thionema Warley 

 hybrid and a very good Dianthus Caryophyllus 

 made a very pleasing corner. 



Calochortus lilacina and C. Benthami, 

 flowering near the path, were also noted. 



M. E. 



Prevention of the Early Summer Out- 

 break of the American Gooseberry 

 Mildew, 



Experiments which have been coiiducted during 

 the last three years at Wisley on the American 

 gooseberry mildew have this year been produc- 

 tive of striking results. By use of a modified 

 form of Burgundy mixture an outbreak on the 

 foliage and berries of over one hundred bushes, 

 comprising several varieties of gooselx.-rry, ex- 

 posed to infection has been completely pits- 

 vented. 



The mixture was used according to the fol- 

 lowing formula : — Strength I. — Copper sulphate, 

 81 ;J ozs. ; washing soda, 91^ ozs. ; soap, 100 ozs. ; 

 water, 100 gals. Strength II. — Copper sulphate, 

 40 1 ozs. ; washing soda, 45 1 ozs. ; soap, 100 ozs. : 

 water, 100 gals. The chemicals were dissolved 

 separately, the solutions mixed when quite cold, 

 and the soap added last. Both strengths proved 

 effective. 



S])raying took i)lace on May 20th at 5 p.m. 

 (W'illett's time), when the bushes were just dry 

 after gentle rain in the afternoon. 



In the critical experiment the sprayed and 

 unsprayed bushes were situated in a square of 

 one hundred square feet area, outlined at the 

 angles by old bushes to provide somces of infec- 

 tion. There are within each square thiee un- 

 sprayed bushes and one sprayed busli of the 

 same variety. Of the sixty squares over forty 

 are now infected with mildew, some very lieavily, 

 tlie outbreak occurring chiefly in tlie berries. 



