:S6 



IRISH GARDENING, 



othovs sliidicd. iiiul classified, (li.sc types, aud 

 described «>vei' luilf jt <lo/.en well marked vaiiela! 

 sections. Ill America much attention lias heen 

 •jiveji to the section known as Cut'iimis .Melo rar. 

 cliito. and there are several loi'iiis known as 

 oraii>j;e melon, melon a|)i)le. vine ))eacli, vc^ct al)l<' 

 oraii're, {larden lemon, lar^ily cultivated. Tliese 

 varieties <lilTer I'lom our cultivated melons in 

 l)ein^ comi)aratively scentless, and ratlier un- 

 palatable if eaten in a raw slate. They an; used 

 cooked as a vegetable, or for making i)reserves, 

 and are said to be excellent when so used. Here 

 they are rarely grown. .Mr. J'ennefather, of 

 Colbiiistown. grows some each year in frames, and 

 his gardener. .Mr. Fletcher, is a skilful cultivator 

 of these, and secures cKcellent crops. The 

 specimen illustrated has tleparted in a marked 

 nianner from the shape and appearance of the 

 " garden lemon." and is in fact intermediate in 

 shape and. appearance ])etween the " garden 

 lemon " and one of the short, fat, American 

 cucumbers, grown in an adjoining frame, except 

 that the fruit is much more curved than either 

 of these. Mr. Pennefather surmises that there 

 may liave been intercrossing betvveen a melon and 

 a encumber, a sup]iosition which is not at all 

 improbable, and which the appearance of the 

 fi'uit, both before and after it was cut, certainly 

 pointed to. F. W. M. 



The Arboretum. 



DuRiNfi open weather planting may still be 

 carried on, but often at this sea.son sharp frost 

 intervenes when planting cannot be done satis- 

 factorily. Much other work, however, can be 

 attended to. Winter pruning may be commenced, 

 and the removal of old or duplicate trees can be 

 proceeded with svlien the ground is unfit for 

 planting operations. P2ven in quite small gardens 

 or grounds there are often tree's or shrubs to be got 

 rid of, either to make room for others or simply 

 because the shrubberies have become overgrown, 

 srvery advantage should be taken when other 

 work cannot be done to get all rougli work of this 

 kind finished. Firewood is very w^elcome now, 

 when coal is so dear, and many of the branches of 

 shrubs as well as the larger parts of trees can be 

 used as such. Rough trimming may be done on 

 the spot, while the final preparation for firewood 

 may be done under cover during inclement 

 weather, and so no time is lost and nothing is 

 wasted. The more twiggy portions of the 

 branches may, with a little trimming, be made 

 into useful stakes for peas, runner beans and 

 herbaceous plants, where such are grown. The 

 stakes should be graded into sizes to facilitate 

 their use during next spring and summer. All 

 this is work which can be done under cover where 

 suitable open sheds exist. 



Grass edgings may also be attended to except 

 in hard, frosty weather. These get frayed and 

 broken vei'y frequently and destroy the appear- 

 ance of the roads and walks. Nothing so enhances 

 the look of a garden or pleasure ground as well 

 kept walks with clean, well kept grass verges. 

 Roads and walks, too, whether large or small, 

 should be I'epaired where necessary, and fre- 

 quently I'olled when soft, so that an even 

 unbroken surface is formed, pleasant to walk on 

 and, capable of supporting heavy trafific. The 

 abnormal rains during October and, early Novem- 



r.iins .-nid catch pits. 

 .k.'d w i1 li sand and 



(I- <>\ itllowing into 

 \ mil lie seen just at 

 n'lilii \\it\\ be made 

 s III ;ill lubbish and 



t Im\ wciv observed 



licr revealed weaknesses i 

 many of wliicli became 

 lea\-es, result ing in t lie 

 places wheic its ill elTects 

 once. These deficiencies 

 goo<l. clearing the catch 

 opening t lie di-ains vvlierr 

 to he defective. 



The ;irl.oretum. despilr the .lull season ol the 

 >c;i|-. niaint-iins its clianu. and when t lie (danting 

 has been well done there is much to adinii'e. 

 Leaves have fallen slowly this season and showed 

 little autumn colour, but alr<'a(ly many shrubs 

 with (coloured bark ai'e contrasting delightfully 

 with evergreens near by. The ruddy red shoots of 

 Cornus alba, the greenish-yellow colour of ('. 

 stolonifera flaviramea, the bright green of Kerria 

 japonii'a, the reddish-orange and golden barked 

 willows, th(^ while stems of Rub\is biflorus and 

 some others of more recent inti-oduclion, the 

 reddish-orange shoots of Alnus incanus ramulis 

 coccijieus, the white-stemmed birches, the red- 

 twigged limes, and the lively brown of s(nne of the 

 barberries, all conti'ibvite to render the arboretum 

 a highly enjoyable resort even in the depth of 

 winter. 



Where effect is the sole object and no scientific 

 arrangement is required, some care should be 

 exercised in choosing positions for trees and 

 shrubs with coloured bark. There is no doubt 

 that a background of evergreens is useful in 

 emphasising the colour, and so it is that in a mixed 

 shrubbery these shrubs with coloured bark stand 

 out more prominently than if planted in isolated 

 positions. Waterside planting is also effective, 

 since on clear days the reflection in the water is an 

 additional charm. B. 



The Rose Garden. 



Comparatively few* amateurs give much atten- 

 tion to the species of Roses, though many of them 

 are of rare beauty. The reason, no doubt, is that 

 at least some of them are somewhat aggressive 

 and take up leather more space than is usually 

 available in a small garden. A few, however, are 

 well worth inclusion, particularly among those 

 of recent introduction from China. Another 

 drawback from the point of view of the small 

 grower is the comparatively brief flowering period, 

 l)ut this is somewhat compensated for by the 

 usually ornamental fruits which follow in autumn. 

 Some, too, have oi'namental shoots, which are 

 hardly less pleasing than the Dogwoods. Promi- 

 nent among the newer species is R. Moyesii, a 

 strong grower, producing stout shoots, some of 

 which are thickly armed with strong spines. 

 The flowers are a fine dark red and often measure 

 two inches or more across. They are produced 

 on shoots of the previous year, and are followed 

 in autumn by large, red, bottle-shaped fruits* 



R. Hugonis, also from China, is equally desir- 

 able, being a welcome addition to the single yellow 

 Roses. A strong grower, reaching 6 feet or more 

 in height, so far as I have seen it, but with 

 slenderer branches and more graceful habit than 

 R. ^Nloyesii. Flowers produced very early. 



R. omeiensis, gathered on Mount Omi in China 

 by several collectors, but introduced by Mr. 

 Wilson in 1901, is a pretty Rose bearing white 

 flowers and later bright red fruits. B. 



