IRISH GARDENING 



169 



lioeiiig, &c., but that is necessary wlien soils are 

 manured with dung. 



It has been found that tliey are not useful under 

 the following conditions : — 



' (1) Tf the soil is very stiff clay. 



(2) Tf it is conversely nothing but sand. 



(o) If it is at all inclined to be sour. 



(4) If it has not been manured with dung for 

 many years, and is consequently poor. 



A Closing Word. 



It is for readers to carefully consider the ques- 

 tion, but though they must decide for themselves I 

 may, jjerhajis, be permitted to urge strongly that 

 artificials should be given a good trial by readers 

 this winter when dung is so scarce. If the land 

 has been well manured the previous season arti- 

 ficials will give excellent results in the next year, 

 so long as the soil is of moderate quality. Much is 

 .said against them, ))ut artificials are really useful 

 in the winter so l^ng as they are not applied indis- 

 criminately. But it is the home-made mixtures 

 that are useful here. The proprietory articles are 

 useful in the growing season only, not in the winter 

 months. Perhaps some reader will care to try a 

 reci])e which was given me some time ago as good 

 for use in winter. If they will report the results 

 in this pai)er at the end of the year 1 shall be very 

 glad to know of them. The mixture consists of 

 four ])ints basic slag and two each of kainit and 

 cyanomide, and the directions are that it is to be 

 scattered freely over tlie surface of land in Janmiry 

 and ckVg in^ 



Ouo cannot say too unich on the importance of 

 individual experinu^nt. Why not make a r.ew year 

 resolution, readers, that you will make some defi- 

 nite experiment with one or more fertilisers this 

 season and report your results, thus adding a little 

 to the connuon stock of knowledge? 



Notes from my Rock Garden. 



By Amaranthe. 



By November all new .spring plants and bulbs will 

 have been safely put in their blooming quarters. 

 Many already have been; in fact, the earlier this 

 is done the ))etter. Campanulas especially benefit 

 by early autumn planting, so that they will have 

 jnade as much growth as possible ))efore the slug 

 period arrives. 



For summer-flowering plants I have found any 

 fine weather in winter suitable to plant, but 

 this cannot always be relied upon, as we never 

 know when one of the long frosts of some years 

 back may not come upon us again. However, I 

 have found that no plants are a certainty at any 

 time without looking after and poking amongst. 



NQveml)er should finish off any remaining im- 

 provements of structure or soil, and as much plant- 

 ing as possible done, taking strongest seedlings and 

 l)est-rooted cuttings- for'their special niche in good 

 soil, or adding to clumps or a patch of carpeting, 

 which is so necessary to the making of a good 

 effect. The season opens again so wonderfully 

 soon in the Rock Garden that it is all-important 

 to make preparations for its success. Even at the 

 present moment one sees buds on many plants, 

 chiefly the Primidas. I can recall with pleasure 

 a large clump of P. rosea surrounded by frozen 

 snow, the clear, deep, pink flowers showing to 



great advantage were a sight not easily to be for- 

 gotten. 



Flowers always speak of hope, and hope in the 

 garden means spring, when one looks forward to 

 bunches of Primroses and powdery Auriculas 

 kissed by the sun. To numy the earliest ex- 

 experience of garden sweetness comes from these 

 flowers clutched thoughtlessly in hot handfuls 

 from trim beds. 



The Kock Garden gives us more scented foliage 

 than flowers. A plant to be grown and easily 

 struck from cuttings is Hyssop, the royal ))lue 

 flowers making a good show, while the whole has 

 an agreeable ])erfume. 



Plants of Barr's dwarf Lavender come in use- 

 fully in the same way. A plant of a couple of 

 years' growth makes a nicely-shaped bush that 

 improves each year. 



Many of the Dianthi are unscented, and quite as 

 many, or more, very sweetly scented. 



Sanguinaria canadensis (Blood Root), a charm- 

 ing old-fashioned plant of faint i)erfume, deserves 

 more prominence, the prettily-shaped blue-grey 

 leaves and large, pure white blo.ssoms, with yellow 

 stamens, are very attractive. I have just been 

 adding more tubers to the group already here. It 

 is a plant that requires a certain amount of care, 

 such as replanting every few years and an occa- 

 sional top-dressing of leaf soil ; otherwise it may 

 die out. 



Yucca glorfosa in the Rock Garden, Killinkv 

 Castle. P. 164. 



