64 



IRISH GARDENING 



i...i_ 



fUttings to make ii]) tlic rtMiuirpd .stork, am 

 oil those t.'iat are rooted. 



Autuum-.'^owii Sweet I'l'a.s may l)e out out 

 and staked at (iiiee. lying u]) tlie growtlis securo 

 ft^aiiist wind; rallier delay tlie operation if con- 

 ditions are not suitable, and feed with liquid 

 li.anure now that the pots are filled with roots. 



Violets in frames will still ))e flowering freely, 

 l)Ut towards the end of the month provision mnst 

 he made for next winter. If cuttings were not put 

 in earlier, l)reak np some of the old plants into 

 small pieces, with a few roots attached, and plant 

 out on borders. Choose a position sheltered from 

 north and west winds; on such a site. Red Spider 

 vill give less troid)le. Single-flowering varieties 

 require at least a space of 15 inches, and tli" 

 <loiibles 12 inches. Plant in ))eds of 5 lines, with 

 a 2-foot alley between each; cleaning and picking 

 the flowers can thus be done without trending 

 ainongst the plants. 



Rock plants wintered in cold frames may be 

 placed in their respective corners, and any altera 

 tions in progress comj)leted as soon as possible. 



Plant Bamboos this month, just when they are 

 starting into growth; also Coniferae planted now 

 })rove more successful than at any other season. 

 Give a good watering the day previous to lifting, 

 and, when planted, a thorough soaking to settle 

 the soil amongst the roots. On bright days, accom- 

 panied by drying winds, some of them may flag 

 a little, but a good spraying overhead in the 

 evening will freshen them up, and is a means of 

 promoting root action ; mulch with decayed leaves 

 or cut grass from the lawn to retain the moisture. 



Buddleia Veitchiana, Ceanothus Gloire de Ver- 

 sailles, Hydrangea paniculata, and such shrubs 

 that flower on the new growth should be primed 

 back to a few buds of the previous year's growth. 



Clip Yew and ('. mdcniccnpa hedges about the 

 end of the month. Look over any trees and shrubs 

 recently planted, and tighten the soil round them 

 ii' shaken; stake them if found necessary. 



Obituary, 



Mr. John Hay Gumming. 



News of the death of Mr. J. H. Gumming, over- 

 seer of the Royal Diil)!in Society's premises, 

 P>all.sbridge, whicJi took place at Wells, Somerset, 

 March 10th. came as a painful surprise to his 

 manv friends in Dublin. It was not only by his 

 sterling integrity of character and devotedness 

 to the onerous duties of his office at Ballsbridfro 

 that Mr. Gumming had earned the unqualified 

 esteem of the execr.tive of the Royal Dublin 

 Society and all who came in touch with him, 

 l)ut his cheerful response to any appeal in the 

 interests of gardeners and gardening, showed how, 

 first and foremost, he was a gardener in the truest 

 sense of the word. This was evident, in that the 

 v>riter never asked him in vain on behalf of a 

 gardener " out " requiring temporary work, as 

 indeed, did many others, with like results. Mr. 

 Cumming's love of gardening soon became evi- 

 dent in various ways after his appointment at 

 Ballsbridge, fifteen years ago, when formerly 

 bare walls became picturesque, beds, narrow 

 borders, and even some bare, bleak corner became 

 brightened up with flowers, which had been 



nursed up in a little nook, seri'cned off, and where 

 lie sj)enl many an hour when free of (hity. But, 

 since his appreiit iicshij) at (ireen Park. Liberton, 

 llie latter his native place, nrai- Edinl)urgh. luid 

 subsequently at .\iddrie, linn as foreman at 

 Moncrieff, i'ertshire, and at Castle Wemyss, until 

 he came as foreman to Abbotstown, Castleknock, 

 Mr. Cunnuing had had a hard, .sound training 

 in the be.-t of Scottish' gardens. From Aljbots- 

 town our friend was appointed gardener to 

 Viscount Gough, St. Helen's, Booterstown, during 

 which time he was a keen and successful con- 

 testant at the Dublin and other shows, and was 

 also on the Council of the R.H.S. of Ireland. 

 These were the tiays of the Chrysantheunun, at 

 the height of its glory, and we believe it was due 

 to him that the Gardeners' Cup, value 2U guineas, 

 V as instituted in the interests of the popular 

 flower. On Viscount Gough parting with St. 

 Helen's, Mr. Cinnming went as gardener to Lady 

 Mary Stewart, Grantully Castle, Perthshire, 

 where, during nine years at the rouiantic, old 

 Scottish residence, he carried out many improve- 

 ments. Then came his appointment at Balls- 

 bridge fifteen years ago, and the quiet, unob- 

 trusive manner in work, entailing vast changes 

 and alterations, scarcely led one to realise, per- 

 haps, what that work was. It is evident now. 

 That work, however, was considerably accen- 

 tuated in restoring the premises to their pristine 

 condition after the upset of the long military 

 occup;ition. His work is done. Farewell, old 

 fiiend — a good friend to Irish gardening and Irish 

 gardeners. We feel our loss. The greater loss is 

 for his wife arid family, to whom, in our brief 

 and imperfect notice of the good life, well spent, 

 we tender our sincere and heartfelt sympathy. 



K. 



Mr. James Rourke. 



li is with sincere regret we have to record the death 

 of Mr. James Rourke, who was Assistant Super- 

 intendent of Parks and Botanic Gardens, Glas- 

 gow. It was only in June of 1915 we announced 

 Mr. Rourke's appointment, and only at the end 

 of Janmxry we heaixl from him by letter. 



Only 49 years old, Mr. Rourke was a native 

 of County Cork, where he first commenced gar- 

 dening, subsequently entering the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens, Glasnevin, thereafter going to Kew, 

 from whence he proceeded to Glasgow as foreman 

 of the Botanic Gardens there. After some 18 years 

 as foreman and superintendent of Botanic 

 Gardens, he was appointed assistant to Mr. 

 James Whitton, V.M.H., and his untimely end 

 will be deplored by a lartre circle of friends 

 throughout the British islands. To his sorrowing 

 wife and family we respectfully tender oui- 

 deepest sympathy. 



The Canadian Potato Crop. 



Last year there were 131,952,000 bushels of Potatoes 

 grown in Canada compared with 102,235,000 bushels 

 in 1918. The value of the 1919 crop is estimated at 

 124,707,000 dollars as against 104,.'54G,000, value of 

 the 1918 yield. The Province of Quebec was the 

 largest producer last vear, with 57,280,000 bushels. 

 Ontario produced lfi,.ir).S.O(lO 1)ushc1s.— Cr/7ir(f/(Vrn. 

 Neivs. 



