IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME XIV 



No. 



'55 



Editor J. W. Besant 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



JANUARY 

 1919 



Gardening after the War. 



C'^ey, 



X the course of the 

 war there were 

 many dismal fore- 

 bodings that "gar- 

 dening would never 

 be the same again. ' ' 

 It may not, but 

 the possibilities are 

 that it ^\■ill be 

 better and more 

 popular than ever. 

 ^ " ^ "^ It is "the purest 



of human plea- 

 sures," and many who, liefore the war, only 

 ooked on, ha.-e found pleasure and profit in 

 cilling a plot. 



That the utilitarian side will be maintained 

 there can be little doubt, for the need for pro- 

 ducmg more of our own fruit and vegetables has 

 been poignantly impressed on us during the 

 war, and all are agreed that the homeland, 

 mder proper management, can produce ari 

 enormous quantity of food. 



The allotment movement requires to be ex- 

 tended and consolidated. Fixity of tenure is 

 much wanted and proper powers of legislation 

 must be acquired, so that wherever there is a 

 demand for plots land can be made available 

 with as httle loss and inconvenience as possible 

 to proprietors and builders. The demand for 

 houses IS likely to be even greater than the 

 :lemand for plots, and it is unreasonable to 

 3xpect that a field convenientlv situated for 

 3uilding should be given over to allotments At 

 =he same time, the opportunitv should be 

 ?eized of providing each house with a decent 

 garden; there is no place like the rear of a 

 nan's house for his plot. Thus the allotment 

 movement and the housing problem mav be 

 combined m the most satisfactory way 



The fruit industry is one that nnist be fostered 

 md encouraged to the utmost extent. Earlv in 

 ^he war fruit was looked iipon as a luxurv, and 

 ts production met with little favour from those 



in authority; but long before the cessation of 

 hostilities this view had been abandoned, and 

 every effort was being made to increase the pro- 

 duction of home-grown fruit. In Ireland a great 

 deal has been done to promote and encourage 

 fruit growing, and a considerable measure of 

 success has attended these efforts. Much can 

 yet be done by individual effort, and we have 

 alluded to the enterprise displayed in this 

 direction in former issues of this journal. The 

 climate of Ireland is well adapted to the grow- 

 ing of all the most important fruits of temperate 

 climates, and with proper cultural methods first 

 class Apples, Strawberries, Cun-ants, Goose- 

 berries, Raspberries, &c., can be produced, the . 

 surplus not required at home finding a ready 

 market in Britain. 



We may take it, then, that if horticulture is 

 to take its proper place every gardener must 

 determine to produce the utmost his opportu- 

 nities allow ; and we have little fear on this 

 score. In the past the gardener could beat the 

 farmer hollow, at production, his methods of 

 cultivation and cropping being far in advance 

 of those of the agriculturist; but there is to be 

 a tremendous revival in farming, and Me 

 gardeners, whether in private gardens or in 

 market gardens, must see to it that equal im- 

 portance is attached to horticultural products. 



What of the ornamental side of gardening? 

 some will ask. Beyond doubt, this will speedily 

 be restored and in a very short time we shall 

 see our gardens more glorious than ever with 

 flowers, beautiful shrubs, and ornamental trees. 

 Perhaps tender bedding plants will not return 

 just yet, but the herbaceous border will be more 

 important than ever, the rock garden will come 

 back at once to its place in the affections of the 

 many, water gardening, bog gardening, beauti- 

 ful grouping of shrubs and trees will go on with 

 as much enthusiasm as ever, and need not in- 

 terfere at all with food production, for the 

 ornamental side can very often be developed 

 on ground that would not pay to prepare for 



