8o 



IRISH GARDENING. 



wiiolf bed should bo put on at tlusk or early 

 morning wlu-n tlu' dew is on the plants. 



The Hardy Fruit Garden. 



Grafted Trees. — The grafts should be examined 

 and Avhere the growths are well advanced the clay 

 should be removed and the ties loosened a little. 

 Ru)> off all shoots growing from the stocks below 

 the grafts as soon as they appear. 



Raspberries that were planted last autunni 

 should have the old shoots cut dowai to the ground 

 as soon as the new shoots start into growth. New 

 planted canes that are not allowed to fruit the 

 lirst season after planting become well established 

 in their first year and make strong growrfh. Estab- 

 lished plantations of Raspberries produce as a 

 rule a large number of suckers at a distance from 

 the stool and these should be removed as soon as 

 they appear. 



Gooseberries. — It is advisable to spray Goose- 

 berry bushes with a strong solution of McDougal's 

 Katakilla to prevent attacks of the caterpillar 

 which strips the trees of their foliage. 



The Flower Garden. 



Wallflowers and Sweet Williams may now be 

 sown in rows 1 foot apart, on ground which is not 

 very rich. Sow the seeds thinly. Blood Red, Cloth, 

 of Gold, Vulcan, and Eastern Queen Wallflower ; 

 Pink Beauty, Scarlet Beauty, and Giant White 

 Sweet M'illiam are good varieties. 



Bedding Plants should be placed in frames to 

 gradually harden off. Watch for signs of frost at 

 night that the plants may be protected. Provided 

 the plants are hardened suitably. Calceolaria, 

 Marguerites and ivy-leaved Pelargoniums may be 

 planted in beds or borders. Half-hardy annuals 

 may be planted as they become fit. The tenderest 

 plants — Heliotrope, Dahlias, Carinas and Begonias, 

 must have protection at night until all danger from 

 frost is past. 



Spring Bedding Plants. — Immediately the 

 plants are over clear the 1)eds and prepare them 

 for the summer bedding. Myosotis may he planted 

 thinly in a shady border; they will ripen their 

 seeds and a crop of seedlings will appear. Arabis 

 and similar plants from which it is intended to 

 take cuttings should be planted in a shady l)order. 



Canterbury Bells. — Sow the seeds very thinly. 

 They are very small. Transplant as soon as fit 

 to handle. 



Notes- 



Birds of the Garden. 



Observations in this and other countries do not 

 supply evidence to justify the wholesale condem- 

 nation which certain species of birds receive as 

 enemies of the cultivator. That some species 

 develop in certain districts habits inimical to 

 the cultivator ninst be admitted, but no one is 

 justified in condemning a species in every dis- 

 trict for damage done in some .particvlar one. 



Areas are found where Bullfinches and Tits 

 destroy the buds of fruit bushes, or where great 

 difficulty is experienced in raising, outside, plants 

 of the Brassica family, through the attacks of 

 Greenfinches and Chaffinches. Examples such as 

 these could be multiplied. Yet these birds are 

 harmless in other districts. 



At times it may be necessary to ruthlessly stop 

 the depredations of one or other species, but on no 

 account should war be waged against birds in 

 general, or some species in particular, because of 

 had records established elsewhere. 



Apart from the inestimable value of birds in 

 keeping in check insect pests, their absence would 

 make the garden less interesting and less beauti- 

 ful. A. McL. May. 



Dundoon, Coleraine. March 14. 



Rhododendron Fulgens- 



Few shrubs, it must be admitted, are more beauti- 

 ful than Rhododendrons; none flowering more 

 freely or lasting longer in bloom. Their require- 

 ments are by no means hard to meet where lime 

 is absent. Rhododendron fulgens, one of the 

 Himalayan species, I think is one of the most 

 attractive. It is flowering here now, and its 

 glowing crimson blooms are very striking. 



We have managed to keep it through the very 

 severe weather one gets in this part of Shrop- 

 shire. It is well to cover it with paper or something 

 of the kind in frosty weather. It should Vje 

 planted in a sheltered position away from the 

 fierce rays of the sun. Mulch thoroughly with 

 leaves and keep moist, especially in summer. 



Eileen O'Farrell. 



Shavington Gardens, Shropshire. 



Forsythia. 



As one walks up the avenue past the evergreen 

 and budding shrubs ones eye is caught by the 

 glorious golden yellow Forsythia. Its bell-shaped 

 flowers grow in healthy profusion on long trailing 

 shoots, and Ijeing of good substance last a long 

 time. 



It can be used as a wall plant, but here at 

 Shavington Hall we have it in a sheltered corner 

 where the branches can spread about at will. It 

 forms a very distinct and handsome shrub, and 

 one that is perfectly hardy and ciuite indifferent 

 regarding the quality of the soil or position. We 

 get the best results by cutting hard l:)ack in 

 spring after flowering. There are several forms 

 of this charming shrub. Mizie O'Farrell. 



Shavington Gardens, Shropshire. 



The Land of Big Potatoes. 



Irel.\nd's Western Rival. 



The Edmonton district of Alberta is rapidly 

 making a name for itself in connection with the 

 size of its Potatoes. A farmer at Fallis states that 

 his yield of Potatoes was more than 500 bushels 

 to the acre, w^hile the average size of the tubers 

 is one and a half pounds. This is said to be the 

 rule rather than the exception in this district — 

 Canadian News. 



