IRISH GARDENING. 



room plant. When in good health do not be too eag-er 

 to re-pot it. Pots of hardy bulbs such as tulips, nar- 

 cissus, and hyacinths ma\- be readih" brought forward 

 in the window in early spring. Select good bulbs, pot 

 in early autumn, and plunge out of doors until well 

 rooted (about six or eight weeks). 



Tuberous begonias are good in light windows, but 

 must be sparingly watered as growth starts. During 

 the summer thev are very thirsty subjects. Arum lilies 

 are good for roomy windows. Strong plants of these 

 are preferably rested in their pots disring summer ; 

 weak plants or divisions may be strengthened by being 

 planted out in late May in rich soil, potting them up 

 again at mid-September. 



For baskets and hanging pots Oxalis, Tradescantia, 

 Campanula isophylla and isophylln alba and Aspai-agus 

 sprengeri are excellent. 



Cacti in variety are at home in a dry air, such genera 

 as Phyllocactus, Epiphyllum, and Echinopsis being often 

 seen in windows. Give little water in winter. 



Last, but not least, the pelargoniums must never be 

 lost sight of on account of their great usefulness. Re- 

 member that these enjoy an abundance of sunlight. 



Current Topics. 



By PETER BPOCK, Orctiard Terrace, Enniskillen. 



Notes from Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Glasnevin. 



By R. M. POLLOCK. 



Cypripediums. 



These Cypfipedium insigne, or Lady Slipper orchids, 

 are, perhaps, better known to the general gardener than 

 many of the others. Among the very good collection 

 which has been collected from time to time by the 

 Curator of the Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, are some of 

 the best of the yellow forms. Amongst these are 

 Cvpripcdiitui insigne Sanderce, Laura Kimball, Mrs. 

 F. \V. Moore, Ernesti, Chantini, Lindeni, Citrina and 

 others. The accompanying photograph shows a plant 

 of Cypripediiini insigne Sanderce with four good flowers. 



Cypripedium Maudi.-e. — One of the most beautiful 

 of them all. A hybrid between C. La-wrencianum 

 Hyenaum and Callosuni Sanderce ; colour, a clear 

 green on a pure white ground. In 1901 it was ex- 

 hibited before the Royal Horticultural Society, when it 

 was awarded a first class certificate. 



Among the spotted forms of C. insigne are the fol- 

 lowing — Black Prince, Gilbertii, and Harefield Hall, 

 very beautifully marked with chocolate, and of which I 

 enclose a photograph. 



Early Daffodils. 



The following daffodils will be found useful where 

 early flowers are wanted : — 



N. pallidus prcBcox. — Sulphur yellow (see note in Irish 

 G.\RDENING, April, 1906). 



N . minor. — A very pretty, small, yellow trumpet, not 

 more than six inches high. A good clump can now be 

 seen outside the large greenhouse. 



A'. Cervantes. — Taller than the two above-named 

 yellow trumpet, one of the earliest tall yellows. 



A'. Ard Righ, Henry Irving, and Obvallaris, all good 

 doers, and excellent for early grass work. All three 

 are good yellows. 



Golden Spur, bedded out, makes a good show. This 

 is a good, strong daffodil, and should be in every 

 garden. 



N. cyclamineiis. — A very dainty species, with bright, 

 golden, reflexed flowers. A few bulbs have been 

 naturalised in the grass around the new rockery, and 

 seem inclined to establish themselves. 



THE close of the year is a fitting time for retrospect 

 and studying the lessons obtained during its 

 course ; the beginning is the time to formulate 

 our ideas to improve on past efforts. Carefully defined 

 plans at the opening of the year are a great assistance 

 through the year's work ; still partial failures or dis- 

 appointment may occur through no want of fore- 

 thought, but it is from such failures the best lessons 

 may be learned. 



It is the general opinion of the oldest gardeners and 

 farmers that the past year was colder than 1879, some 

 asserting that it has not been equalled for the past 65 

 years. The absence of sunshine and consequent low 

 temperature during May and June had a chilling and 

 retarding effect on vegetation. The warm spells ex- 

 perienced during the latter half of July, and again in 

 September, came in the nick of time to save some im- 

 portant crops from failure. It rallied the apple crop to 

 such an extent that two of the largest growers of 

 Bramley in this county (Fermanagh) secured the 

 heaviest crop they have ever obtained. The success 

 of those growers in such an adverse season is due to 

 the efficiency of winter spraying, thereby saving the 

 blossom from the ravages of caterpillars and apple 

 sucker. The latter pest appears to be causing as much 

 if not more damage in recent years than frost ; its 

 effect on the blossom so nearly resembles injury by 

 frost that failures are sometimes attributed to the 

 wrong cause. Fruit growers are gradually beginning 

 to recognise that to get full crops of fruit they must 

 spray, and in neglecting to do so they incur the risk of 

 both quantity and quality being considerably reduced. 



The favourite winter spray fluid last spring was com- 

 posed of 3^ lbs. sulphate of iron (green copperas), 5 lbs. 

 caustic soda 98 per cent., i gallon paraffin, 19 gallons 

 water, prepared as follows : — Dissolve the sulphate of 

 iron and caustic soda, each separately, in half the 

 water ; add the paraffin to the sulphate of iron, and 

 churn vigorously for a few minutes, then add the caustic 

 soda, and one minute's churning will thoroughly mix. 

 A worn out brush-head, with two strong slats nailed 

 crosswise, makes a capital substitute for a churn dash. 



A desire for experimenting is a healthy sign of pro- 

 gress. There is some speculation at present as to 

 which of the winter spray fluids is most effe.'tive on 

 fungoids and the eggs of injurious insects. This point, 

 however, can only be decided by further experiments. 

 A favourite for trial among new winter spray fluids 

 appears to be Cooper's VI. This is a proprietary pre- 

 paration, ready for diluting with water. It is recom- 

 mended by Mr. Walter E. Colling, M.Sc, F.E.S., 

 Birmingham University, in his " Report on the Injurious 

 Insects and other Animals observed in the Midland 

 Counties during 1906," as a winter spray fluid of great 

 penetrative power. Several experiments will be tried 

 in this county to test its effect on American gooseberry 

 mildew during the dormant period. 



The sprouting of seed potatoes for early and main 

 crops passed the experimental stage very satisfactorily 

 last season, the result in many cases amountmg to 

 nearly double the yield of better matured table potatoes 

 than from the old svstem. 



