■S' 



IRISPI GARDENING 



Unhealthy Tiikes.— Wlu're a tree lius talleii into 

 ill-health remove the soil, replaeing with a (■oiii])Ost 

 similar to that for i)lantiiig, with the addition of a 

 little coarse artificial manure. See if the roots are 

 had. If so. cut them hack to the healthy ])arts. 

 Make the new soil thoroughly firm. Where young 

 trees are making too strong a growth lift them 

 bodily and cut l)ack the coarse, long roots that are 

 causing this state. 



Figs. — Figs have ripened very good fruit this 

 season. Any trees that are growing too rank uuist 

 have their roots restricted before they shed their 

 leaves. Add plenty of lime and mortar rubble to 

 tlie soil, and thoroughly ram and firm the border. 



Pe.\ches. — As the latest varieties become fit for 

 use, pick and send into the house. These very late 

 varieties are seldom fit for dessert, but help to make 

 compotes. &c. When the fruits are finished prune 

 and clean the trees as advised for earlier trees. 

 Watch that no trees suffer from water. Although 

 ihe foliage is falling. Peaches must never be 

 allowed to get dry. 



Gener.\l Work. — Keep all fruit plantations free 

 from weeds. &c. Clean away all prunings and 

 rubbish. Give Apple trees a dressing of basic slag. 

 In wet weather clean all nails, prepare training 

 sticks, mix soil for planting and top-dressing; 

 clean the sprayers, and get everything in readiness 

 to push forward the work on fine days. Prepare 

 Gooseberry and Currant cuttings. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Grounds. 



The Rock Garden. — Many of the alpine plants 

 are short-lived, and require to be constantly pro- 

 pagated from cuttings or seeds. Many cuttings 

 will require cold frame treatment through the 

 damp, winter months. Any treasures that are at 

 all doubtful should l)e potted up and replanted in 

 the spring. Keep all dead leaves picked off and 

 the soil gently pricked up. especially after heavy 

 rains. 



Naturalising Bulbs. — As soon as the turf is in 

 good condition all bulbs will be l)etter in the 

 ground. If the soil is very poor, especially at the 

 base of trees, dry banks, &c., it is better to i)lant 

 them in a prepared compost. Try and get a 

 natural effect in all plantings, and avoid straight 

 lines in the pleasure grounds. Of course, growing 

 for cutting in the reserve garden is a different 

 matter, and lines are more easy to work. Whatever 

 is done, work on as large a scale as possible. 



Sweet Peas. — Sweet Peas will require sowing for 

 early flowering. Sow the seeds singly in o-inch 

 pots, or, if clumps are required, sow five seeds in 

 a 5-inch pot and winter in cold frames I do not 

 advise outside sowing owing to the dampness, and 

 slugs are most troublesome. Keep plenty of soot 

 about in the frames, and constantly prick over the 

 top of the pots and rake the ground luider the pots. 

 Give plenty of air on all possible occasions. 



Spring Bedding. — As soon as the sunnner display 

 is finished clear the beds and give them a thorough 

 trenching. This will prove of great assistance next 

 sunnner when the beds are being prepared for 

 the summer plants. Use plenty of good manure 

 and leaf soil, and get them replanted as quickly 

 as possible, doing each section in turn, and finish- 

 ing one before starting another. Clear away every 

 night before leaving, and put all bulbs under cover 

 away from rats and mice. Leave a few in case some 

 of the bulbs do not stai't away. Place a label to 

 each section of beds. 



P/EONiES. — Do not delay the planting of Pseonies, 



otherwise the next season's disjjlay will i)rove very 

 small. Where the ])lants have outgrown their 

 positions it is advisable to lift and dividi- them 

 with two forks placed back to back and ])ressed 

 outwards. Allow five or six eyes to each plant, and 

 place them in deeply-worked l)orders and just 

 below the surface. Place a little long litter over 

 the beds dining severe frosts. 



Ahundo CoNSi'icuA. — Remove the plumes when 

 tliey turn shabby. This is vastly sui)erior to the 

 old Pampas gra.ss, which is only just throwing up 

 its spikes, and constant rains soon spoil tlu'm. 

 These plants are very effective when grouped 

 against a good background near the water. 



Late Cuttings. — Propagate plenty of Violas, 

 Pentstemons, Lavender and Rosemary. Use cold 

 frames and place the cuttings in fairly thick in a 

 sandy comi)ost. Give a good watering in and shade 

 from direct sun. 



Salvia Patens. — Lift and store the tnlters of this 

 Salvia where it is not hardy. It is a good jjlan to 

 save good quantities of this beautiful blue plant, 

 as it is so useful anywhere. 



Dahlias. — Before the frost destroys the Dahlias 

 see that they are all correctly labelled. As soon 

 as they are cut down by frost lift and store in a 

 frost-proof storehouse, l^eave twelve inches of the 

 old stems and securely fasten on the labels. 



Perennial Asters. — This most valuable plant is 

 now in full beauty and most useful for cutting 

 before the indoor Chrysanthenunus are ready. 

 Every garden should have its Aster border — th<;' 

 larger the better. Planted in groups according to 

 height and colour, Vi^ell staked, and with the 

 Amellus section massed in front, it forms a sight 

 not easily forgotten. Next month I will give a list 

 of varieties, heights, &c., and I woidd ask readers 

 not to be content with a few old varieties dotted in 

 the mixed borders. 



Summer Flowering Chrysanthemums. — These 

 plants are now flowering very freely, and notes 

 nuist be made of the most satisfactory varieties. I 

 find here that if the plants are lifted when they 

 have finished flowering, boxed up and kept in 

 frames, and then divided in the spring and re- 

 planted, they make fine large plants. If rooted in 

 Febi'uary or March, grown on singly, and potted 

 into 5-incli pots and planted out in May. they do 

 not get away well, although on trenchetl and well- 

 jjrepared ground. 



Planting Shrubs. — Nearly all Shrubs may now 

 1)6 safely moved. It is advisable to get any plant- 

 ing finished as early and quickly as possible. Do 

 everything possil)le to get all straight by the end 

 of the year. Should the soil prove dry, give the 

 trees a thorough soaking after replanting. 



Roses. — Climbing Roses should be gone over, 

 thinning the growths, taking away the weak shoots, 

 and tieing in thinly fine, strong, well-ripened 

 shoots. Cuttings of the WichuntidiKt varieties may 

 be easily rooted at this season. Take off the shoots 

 about twelve inches long with a heel and plant 

 firmly in a sandy compost on any Ijorder. 



Climbers. — Most of the well-known climbing 

 plants may safely be planted at the jiresent time. 

 Prepare each station carefully, adding good, rich 

 soil that will last for some time. Till the plants are 

 well established guard the stems, against animals, 

 &c., with small wire netting guards. 



Lawns. — Give the final mowing as soon as the 

 grass stops growing. This has been a very hard 

 year for the machines; the grass was seldom dry 

 and growing fast the whole season. Our machines 

 have been running six days a week whenever the 



