IRISH GARDENING 



127 



pests. \N'liere ants are troublesome place For- 

 malin in water and saucers; this will drive them 

 away. The following are a few of the best varie- 

 ties for dessert grown here on walls : — Oullin's 

 Golden Gage, Dennistone's Superb, Early Trans- 

 parent Gage, Angelina Burdett; Kirk's, Reine 

 Claude Violette, Jefferson. Green Gage, and 

 Loe's Golden Drop; and the best culinary varie- 

 ties are Early Prolific. Victoria. Magnum Bonum. 

 Nydale, Pond's Seedling. Diamond, Belgian 

 Purple, Prince Engelbert, Monarch, President, 

 and Primate; and the best Damson is undoubt- 

 ably. The Merryweather. As each tree is cleared 

 give a thorough good spraying with an improved 

 insecticide. At tlie slightest sign of Silver J^eaf 

 the tree should be burned and the soil cleared 

 away to the drainage and another variety of tree 

 planted. I think the clearing out of the soil is 

 most important. 



Apple Trees. — Continue to keep the ground well 

 hoed and cleaned around the trees. The c-rops are 

 very slight this season, but the trees are making 

 beautiful fruiting buds for next season. Watch 

 the. varieties as they become fit for gathering; 

 any extra large specimen will require support. 

 Tie a piece of strong raffia to the stem of the 

 fruit, and fasten on the branches. This is a better 

 method than pieces of netting, which often leave 

 the imprint of the netting on the fruit. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Grounds. 



Climbing Roses. — The Climbing Roses are 

 flowering exceptionally well, and making a lot of 

 growth this season. As soon as the different 

 varieties go out of flower they will require to have 

 the thin and weak shoots removed, also the old 

 fldwering shoots, tying in the strong growths to 

 furnish next year's flowers. American Pillar is 

 beautiful, but do not overdo it, as the colour is 

 sometimes treacherous when planted with other 

 varieties. Paul Transon and Lady Waterlow, 

 l^emon Pillar, Lady Gay, and Paul's New Scarlet 

 are all good varieties, and worthy of a place in 

 any garden. If these Roses are not doing very 

 well with any readers of these notes I would 

 advise them to give them a little artificial feed- 

 ing once a fortnight. Anyone contemplating 

 planting Roses this autunui would do well 

 ))eforehand to find out what varieties succeed in 

 their neighbourhood, and to pay a visit to the 

 nurserymen and see the different varieties in 

 flower. Keep each variety by itself; by this 

 means a very much finer effect is gained. If 

 plenty of room is available, try planting from 

 1(J to 15 plants in a circle, giving each plant a 

 12-foot pole. When established, interlace the 

 growths, using a centre pole for strength. 



Dahlias. — Continue to keep all Dahlias securely 

 tied, as rough winds soon break the soft growths. 

 Do not allow too many growths, and remove all 

 seed vessels and faded flowers; this will cause 

 increased floriferousness. Where earwigs are 

 troublesome place some hay in 4-inch pots and 

 set them on 4-feet stakes; examine, and kill the 

 pests every morning. 



F^ATHYRUs IjAtifolius. — The beautiful, everlast- 

 ing Pea, White Pearl, is worthy of more extended 

 culture for covering trellises, &c., and grouping 

 in the mixed borders; its flowers are also useful 

 for foundations to wreaths and crosses during late 

 sunnner and autumn. Grandiflorus is the best 

 coloured variety. 



SuMMEj; Bedding Plants. — The flower-beds are 

 now at their best, and will need to have faded 

 flowers removed and dead foliage. It is a good 

 plan to go over the beds where possible once a 

 week when clearing up the edgings, &e., and 

 endeavour to keep them bright as long as possible. 

 Keep all tall plants well staked, and carpeting 

 plants pegged and pinched back to keej) them in 

 bounds. Correct any mistakes made in colouring, 

 &c., and any alterations should be carefully macle 

 a note of; do not trust to memory. Cuttings of 

 Zonals and Ivy leaves should be inserted in a 

 sandy compost, choosing well-ripened shoots; if 

 large quantities are required, use a stock-size box 

 to hold 50 cuttings; by this means they are easily 

 counted and handled. Next season's bedding 

 Fuchsias will require a shift into 6 and 7 inch 

 pots, and kept well pinched, and growing steadily. 

 A visit to the People's Gardens, in Phoenix Park, 

 will provide the lover of summer bedding with a 

 magnificent sight. I have not seen anything to 

 equal it in the J.,ondon parks, and all concerned, 

 from the chief, deserve the heartiest congratxda- 

 tions. 



Spring Bedding. — See that the beds containing 

 the plants for next spring bedding are kept well 

 hoed and watered if necessary. Put out plenty of 

 Forget-Me-Nots and Wallflowers, and watch mil- 

 dew does not attack the former; prevent this by 

 dusting the foliage with flowers of sulphur. 



Border Chrysanthemums. — Summer flowering 

 Chrysanthemums will require a certain amount 

 of disbudding. Keep them securely fastened to 

 the stakes, and give a little artificial manure once 

 a weeR. When the flowers open they should be 

 protected from heavy rains and also hot sun. If 

 Aphis is troublesome, spray with Nicotine Insecti- 

 cide. 



W.4TER Gardens. — Keep the water garden in an 

 interesting state by removing all dead flowers and 

 foliage of Water Lilies, &c. ; also remove, all weeds 

 and any scum that may appear on the surface. 

 Many of the plants growing on the margin of the 

 streams, lakes, &c., will require thinning and 

 keeping within bounds. Primulas for this pur- 

 pose may now be sown. 



Violas and Pansies. — The seed-pods of these 

 ])lants will require to be kept picked off. and 

 should the plants show signs of exhaustion, give 

 a little artificial manure every 14 days. 



Herbaceous and Mixed Borders. — Try and keejj 

 these borders as attractive as possible, removing 

 all dead shoots, and strong growing perennials 

 constantly tied. Young seedling Delphiniums 

 raised last spring from seed will now be throwing 

 up their spikes, and continue to flower for some 

 time. Where various stocks of different plants 

 are being raised in frames and nursery qiuirters 

 they will require to be kept well supplied with 

 water, and syringed occasionally, to induce them 

 to nuike good crowns and pieces for planting 

 during the coming autunui. Any of the Phlox 

 that burn with the sun should be carefully shaded 

 with pieces of scrim erected over the clumps, and 

 taken away at night and in dull weather. 



Seed Sowing. — Where seeds of any particidar 

 alpine or herbaceous plants are ripening, and 

 required for raising fresh stock, it is advisable 

 to sow the seed in the majority of cases as soon 

 as it is ripe. Use a frame -carefully shaded and 

 a sandy compost; keep the whole moist, and admit 

 air sparingly until the seedlings appear. Prick 

 oft' into prepared beds as soon as ready, and 



