IRISH GARDENING. 



149 



stfiiiyht lines by scatterini,' the bulbs at nindoni 

 over the space to be planted, making them 

 fairly thick in places and thinning out in others. 



There are few bulbs nioi'e effective than 

 1 )aff()dils for planting in grass and through thin 

 woodlands. Many varieties ai'e available, the 

 hcaix-est being good yellow trumpets, few of 

 v\'lii('h are good for planting in grass. Few, if 

 any, can beat Emperor, and for early blooming 

 ('.olden Spur, Henry Irving and Ard Eigh. Bi- 

 colors are more plentiful, though Empress is 

 hard to beat still, also Hcji'sefieldii and Yic- 

 toi'ia. Sir Watkin is still one of the finest of 

 tlie lued'am-crowned section, and there are 

 nian.N of the Leedsii section and of the Barrii 

 section which look beautiful when planted in 

 grass and under ti'ees. 



Scilla nutans, the so-called " Bluebell," 

 and the l)lue, pink and white Spanish Squills 

 make a very lovely display after the ])affodils 

 and Snowdrops. 



Ci'ocuses are beautiful in thin grassy places 

 under deciduous trees, but are difficult to ob- 

 tain at present. The Winter Aconite is beauti- 

 ful where grass and other herbage is not too 

 dense, and flowers with the Snowdrops and 

 earliei', while masses of Scilla sib'rica, Scilla 

 bifolia and Chionodoxas are beautiful on the 

 I'ockery and in borders and shrub beds. Mus- 

 cai-is or Grape Hyacinths are effective on banks 

 and by woodland paths, none being finer than 

 Heavenly Blue for this purjiose 



Dwari Rose Culture 



By I). McIntosii, Danum, Bathgar. 



Those who are desirous of planting dwarf roses 

 during the current year have no time to lose in 

 preparing the ground for the reception of the 

 plants. The ideal site should be an open and 

 sunny place sheltered from high winds. Oblong 

 lieds, five feet in width, with grass or gravel 

 paths between each bed, are much to be pre- 

 ferred, as they will prove a great convenience 

 to the cultivator when cutting the flowers and 

 working among the plants. As a great deal 

 de|)ends upon the preparation of the soil, 

 whether it be naturally of a light or heavy tex- 

 ture, to ensure success, a special effort must 

 be made to trench the beds sufficiently deep — 

 say, 14 to 2 feet — and heavily manure as the 

 work of trenching proceeds. A deep loam of a 

 greasy nature is best suited to the rose. There- 

 fore, if the soil be light, incorporate clay or 



loam in additicni to the maniu'e. If the soilbe 

 heavy, add burnt earth, sand, or leaf -mould. 

 ])uring the interval, and while the newly- 

 trenched ground is somewhat settling down, 

 rose plants in vai'iety may be ordered from a 

 reliable nurseryman. The latter end of 

 October or the early part of November is a good 

 time to accomplish the actual planting opera- 

 tion, provided, of course, the weather con- 

 ditions are favourable. Never plant when the 

 soil is over-wet or sticky, rather wait patiently 

 for a more ideal opportunity. Three rows 

 should be marked out in each bed, keeping the 

 plants across the bed, at 1^ feet apart and 

 along the bed at 2 feet apart, leaving a distance 

 of one foot between the plants and the grass 

 edge or path all round. This arrangement will 

 allow ample space and prevent overcrowding. 

 When the holes have been taken out to a depth 

 of 6 inches or so, set each plant into its allotted 

 place, keeping the union of the stock and the 

 bud 2 inches beneath the surface. Spread out 

 each root very carefully, taking particular care 

 that two roots do not cross each other or coil 

 round. Fill in with the finest of the soil and 

 tread it firm. The uppermost roots should not 

 be more than 2 inches beneath the surface after 

 planting. When the planting is completed, 

 some of the more vigorous shoots may require 

 a stake affixed to prevent wind-shake until the 

 plants become established. Spread out light 

 manure to the depth of 2 inches around each 

 plant to encourage root-action and as a protec- 

 tion against frost. The 1st of April will be 

 soon enough to apply the knife for the first 

 pruning. At this pruning it is good practice to 

 cut all matured shoots well back to two or three 

 buds from the base of the shoot. By so doing, 

 this ensures a good foundation to the plant for 

 its future well-being. Always cut back to an 

 eye looking outwards, all the time keeping the 

 aim in view of forming a nicely balanced plant 

 with an open centre. Pick up all prunings and 

 have them removed to the rubbish heap to 

 be burned without delay. Remove the old 

 manure around the plants and merely prick 

 over the soil to loosen the surface and to give 

 a tidy appearance. As soon as the dormant 

 eyes have made about half an inch of growth, 

 a little disbudding should be carried out, so 

 that the plant may not be over-taxed with un- 

 necessary and spindly growth. At this stage 

 keep a sharp look out for an appearance of 

 green lly, which, if allowed to remain un- 

 touched, will soon weaken the strength of the 

 plants very considerably. To kill the pest; 

 ^PVh' Quassia Extract according to instructions 

 given on the tin in good time in order to keep 

 the plants clean and healthy. As soon as the 



