IRISH GARDENING 



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Notes for Novices. 



Vegetables. — It is important to keep growing 

 crops free from rubbish and decaying matter. 

 Colder and damper conditions will now. more or 

 less, prevail. Plants of endive that have been 

 growing outside will require to be lifted and 

 planted thickly together in a cold frame. Seeds 

 sown last month may be pricked off four inches 

 apart each way. Continue to earth up celery 

 from time to time when the soil is in a fairly dry 

 condition. Thin out late sown breadtlis of turnips 

 that are intended for winter supply, and lift and 

 store surplus roots that are of suitable size for 

 table. A dry and airy shed, free from frost, is a 

 good place in which to store them. As soon as 

 the foliage of seakale can be easily removed, it is 

 well to lift and prepare some of the crowns for 

 early forcing. The whole of the side roots should 

 be trimmed off and the best of them selected and 

 kept in sand or ashes for next season's crop. Lay 

 the crowns to be forced in ashes under a ijorth 

 wall, so that they can be easily removed in 

 batches for forcing according to demand. It 

 requires a strong Ijottuni licat to start the crowns 

 into growth during the jircst-ut montli. Another 

 batch of spring cal)hage may be planted out. 

 Draw a little soil up round the stems of all the 

 plantings to protect them during the winter. 



Fruit. — Late pears should be handled and 

 stored very carefully, as they are soon bruised. 

 They must not be gathered until the last possible 

 moment or they will shrivel after being stored. 

 Pears already in the store should be examined 

 every three or four days, removing any that show 

 signs of having been damaged or that exhibit 

 decay. Allow stewing pears to remain on the 

 trees for as long as possible. Most varieties of 

 apples should be gathered and stored during the 

 next three weeks, as we may expect autumn gales 

 before that period has elapsed. The work of root 

 jjruning or lifting and replanting trees that have 

 become unfruitful through the development of 

 too much growth may shortly be commenced. 

 The addition of fresh soil to the roots of young 

 fruit trees is seldom necessary, but it is decidedly 

 beneficial to older and larger trees. Turfy loam, 

 roughly chopped and mixed with liberal sprink- 

 lings of lime rubble, wood ash and half-inch 

 bones, may be employed. In pruning the roots, 

 shorten severely those that grow downward, but 

 preserve intact all fibrous ones and encourage 

 them to grow near the surface. In filling the 

 trench after the roots have been pruned, make the 

 soil firm over each successive layer. When the 

 work is finished, water the soil freely and apply 

 a surface dicssing of half decayed manure. 

 Standard trees should be staked and tied securely 

 to prevent the roots from becoming disturl)ed in 

 the ground by swaying, caused by high winds. 



F^LOWEU Garden. — As soon as the sumiiiei- 

 bedding is over, the beds should be cleared and 

 got ready for the spring flowering plants. For 

 most subjects the soil will need a liberal dressing 

 of well-decayed manure, which should be foiked 

 well into the ground. A good strain of Polyaiitlms 

 is most valuable for spring bedding, and, as the 

 plants are quite easily grown, should play an 

 important part in the scheme. A mixture of 

 yellow and white varieties associated with .Myo- 

 sotis, make pretty beds. Wallflow<'rs aic always 

 popular flowers, but sturdily grown plants are 



necessary for success. Chrysanthemums grown in 

 beds to furnish cut blooms should, if possible, be 

 protected from early frosts. Glazed lights, fixed 

 firmly over them, offer the best protection, as the 

 blooms will be kept dry, and consequently last in 

 good condition for a long time. Plants not yet 

 showing colour in the flower buds should be lifted 

 and potted. Prepare for this by cutting round 

 the roots some distance from the stem. Water 

 the plants copiously afterwards and syringe them 

 daily. They may be lifted in about a week after 

 cutting around the roots and placed indoors. To 

 increase the stock of Anchusas, lift a few old 

 plants and cut the thicker roots into lengths of 

 about five inches. Place the portions of root in 

 boxes filled with sand, and stand the boxes in a 

 cold frame. By spring each piece of root will 

 have fornuKl a crown that will develop into a good 

 plant. The root cuttings may be placed singly in 

 small pots and grown on for planting in beds or 

 borders. M. D. 



R. H, S. Trial of Tomatoes under 

 Glass, 1916. 



All who are interested in the cultivation cf 

 Tomatoes, and who can spare the time for a 

 visit to Wisley, are invited to inspect the Tomato 

 trial, the results of which are published herewith. 

 The trial was one of the largest ever undertaken 

 at the R. H. S. Gardens, and included 116 stocks. 

 The seed was sown in pots on Feb. 28, and the 

 seedlings pricked out into sixty pots and potted 

 subsequently into G-lnch pots. " After the plants 

 had formed their first truss and had been severely 

 checked they were planted in rows in a large bed 

 made up in the Fig-house — the Figs having been 

 removed to the open in order to make room for the 

 Tomatoes. Five plants of eachstock were grown 

 under trlass, and seven were planted in the open in 

 order that j«ogues and trueness to type might be 

 more thoroughly tested. The yellow-fleshed and 

 " fancy " varieties were grown in a neighbour- 

 ing house. The plants under glass have done 

 remarkably well, and during the next fortnight 

 may be seen at their best. In addition to the 

 varieties sent in by the trade several first crosses 

 raised at Wisley are included. The object of 

 these first crosses was to ascertain whether they 

 would give a higher yield than the parents by 

 the side of which they were grown. Of these, 

 one, a first cross between Sunrise 9 by Merrivale 

 2 was " Highly Commended " by the 

 Coniiiiittce. but it has shown little if any 

 siipci ioi it > in yield over that of the male parent 

 ^birivjilc, which it closely resembles in fruiting 

 halnt. One of the most curious results of the 

 trial was the excellence of the " Winter Coral " as a 

 summer fruiting variety. It will be noted that 

 two yellow fruited varieties have received 

 Awards of Merit. Although these varieties are 

 not of importance from a market point of view, 

 they are well worth the attention of gardeners. 

 The small plum-like Golden Nugget is of 

 exquisite flavour, and suitable for eating raw 

 oi' for use in salads. It is. moreover, remarkably 

 I)rolif!e. Tlw larger yellow tomato " Yellow 

 Sunrise " is a handsome fruit of good flavour 

 and .1 large yielder. 



The following awaids li;i\e been made to 

 Tomatoes by the Council of tlie {{oyal Horti- 

 cultural Society after trial at Wisk'v. 



Award of Merit. — Nos. 103, 104. (iolden 



