IRISH GARDENING 



II 



largest stones should be iised ; the tendency is 

 to do just the opposite — vi/.., to select the largest 

 at the conuiieneemeut of the work — that is, the 

 lower part, and Iln<l tliat we have nothing left 

 for the upper parts but small stones. Before 

 the stones are set in place, the soil in which they 

 are to lie should be very firndy tamped down 

 with a heavy block of wood, so as to prevent as 

 far as possible the sinking and settling down of 

 the stones, by which great displacement of the 

 whole upper fabric would occiu". As the work of 

 making the rockery will occu^jy several days, it 

 is a good plan to give it a good watering every 

 evening, the last thing before knocking off work. 

 This help« the soil to bind \i\) and the stones to 

 settle. Any displacement of uewly-laid rocks can 

 be rectified next day, and the soil will have drained 

 enough during tlie iiiglit to ;illow of work, without 

 converting it into mud. (ireat care must be taken 

 not to make a, mound with stones sticking out 

 of it, like the almonds in a plum-i3udding, such 

 as is seen in many old-fasliioned gardens, or in 

 the front '" gcirdens " of many suburban houses. 

 Real rock-gardens are now so common that the 

 proper form can easily be studied by anyone, in 

 the various public parks and gardens ; and, 

 further, as full instructions can be got in many 

 publications, cheap and dear, on rock-gardens, 

 we will not go further into the ma,tter here. 

 (To be cunt'mucd.) 



A Mild Season. 



Up to the end of December the weather liere has 

 l)een exceptionally mild, and vegetation is too 

 forward. We have experienced this state of affairs 

 too often in Ireland to he deceived^ and know full 

 well that ere the end of April we may have many 

 ))itter days to come through. Nevertheless we 

 cannot ignore the present condition of things and 

 must take what steps we can to mitigate the evil 

 of too early growth. One resvdt of the compara- 

 tive mildness has been seen in the sustained 

 activities of slugs and other pests which prey on 

 tender green shoots. The rock garden is a favour- 

 ite resort of slugs, snails, woodlice and such like, 

 and only constant watchfulness will save some of 

 the choicest gems from destruction. Many plants 

 there are making soft young growths, and even 

 some Saxifragas are coming into flower. Nothing 

 will save them but making things unpleasant for 

 the pests which devour them. If possible, a 

 systematic hunt should be made periodically 

 under all the strong growing plants where the 

 enemy luiks l)y day. Round those plants most 

 often attacked — viz., Prinndas Saxifragas, 

 Gentians, &c.— shower plenty of tobacco powder, 

 hellebore powder, Sanitas powder, soot, lime or 

 even l)roken glais, crushed bricks, in fact, any 

 sharp material available. Many herbaceous plants 

 are threatening to push up their growths, and 

 these will certainly be eaten over unless pro- 

 tected by a ring of sharp ashes or sand. 



Fruit trees on wall?, especially Pears and 

 Peaches, are in a dangerously forward condition ; 

 in fact, Pears in the open are bursting the bud 

 scales. Little can be done for the latter, but nets, 

 tiffany or any similar protecting material, should 

 be kept ready to hang over the wall trees. 

 Possibly a spell of cold weather will supervene 

 and check this forward movement ere much harm 

 is done, but we nmst keep a watchful eye on all 

 our plants and take what steps we can to save 

 t^P'"- ' Watchful. 



The Menace of Silver Leaf. 



Repokts received by the Food Production Depart- 

 ment indicate the increasing seriousness of Silver 

 Leaf disease in fruit trees. In some localities it 

 has become almost a scourge, and some of the 

 most valuable varieties of Plums, especially 

 Victoria, are threatened with extinction unless 

 drastic measures are taken to check its extension. 

 The disease occurs also in Apples, hut less 

 frequently. 



Unless active steps are taken to combat it. 

 Silver Leaf spread? relentlessly. It cannot be too 

 widely known therefore that if the affected trees 

 are systematically and energetically dealt witli it 

 is possible very largely to control the disease. Ihj 

 inoinpthi cuttiiKj out silvered J)r(i iifhcs (iinJ hi/ 

 ri (JO roll sly reinoriiifi all dead, trees, <ir ficcs irliieh 

 hare hejutt to die hack, it lias Jieeii pmred in. 

 praetiee tliat flir spii'ad uf the disrase is cli cil.-vd . 

 No other treatment can as yet be advised. 



In view of the urgent need of combating Silver 

 Leaf, the Food Production Department strongly 

 urge fruit growers throughout the country, 

 especially in the important plum growing districts, 

 to take energetic measures to destroy all tree? 

 which have liegim to die back, and to cut out the 

 silvered branches of trees otherwise healthy. It is 

 worth some sacrifice to take this in hand at once, 

 for the fungus fructifies chiefly in autumn, and 

 the longer the dead wood bearing the fimgus is 

 allowed to remain the greater is the risk of in- 

 fecting other trees. As it is unlikely, however, 

 that this work can be completed before the leaves 

 fall, all silvered branches and trees which are 

 dying hack should be conspicuously marked at 

 once, so that they can be removed as soon as 

 opportunity permits. 



In carrying out these operations the following 

 points must be borne in mind : — 



1. The minute threads of the fungus are often 

 to be found in the tissues of the wood consider- 

 a))ly further down the branch than the level at 

 which the silvered leaves appear. Affected 

 branches ?hould therefore be cut back to a point 

 where no brown stain in the wood can be found. 



2. All wounds made by severing branches should 

 be pared over and covered with Stockholm tar. 

 In the ordinary routine work of the garden also 

 care should be taken to avoid injuring nlum trees 

 and to apply Stockholm tar to all wounds. 



3. Dead or dying trees should be completely 

 grubbed up. Exposed 3tumps on which the fun- 

 gus can frTietify should not be left in the ground. 



4. Severed branches and trees that have been 

 grubbed up should he removed from the planta- 

 tion immediately and he used for firewood. Small 

 branches should be burnt on the spot. If it is 

 neceisary to keep the firewood for any time, it 

 should be stored as far away as possible from fruit 

 trees and preferably in a shed. 



The success of the above measures largely de- 

 pends uT)on the co-operation of all fruit growers, 

 including the owners of fruit trees in private gar- 

 den?. Neglected fruit plantations are not only a 

 great danger to other trees, but also to those 

 orchards which are maintained in a proper and 

 sanitary condition. In view of the threatening 

 character which Silver Leaf disease has assinned 

 it is earnestly honed that an active campaign 

 against it on the lines indicated above will be 

 commenced and maintained in all parts of the 

 country. — Journal of the Board of Aqriculture, 

 October, 1918. 



