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IRISH GARDENING. 



Answers to Correspondents. 



Food Valie of Potatoes (" Small F"arnier "). — You 

 do not say if you have in mind the value of potatoes as 

 food for man or for farm stock. The value of a food is 

 usually determined by the amount of dig-estible heat- 

 yfiving and flesh-forming- constituents it contains. The 

 digestibility of any particular food depends partly on 

 liie kind of animal using it. Potatoes contain nearly 

 three limes as much heat-g-iving and nearly twice as 

 much flesh-forming substances as turnips (the other food 

 material you mention). It has been found that while 

 60 lbs. of potatoes represent an increase of 1 lb. to the 

 live weight, it takes 109 lbs. of Swedes to g-ive like results. 



The Flame-flower ("A iMere Amateur"). — (1) Why 

 not plantthe Flame-flower {Kiiiphofia)? Itisanexcellent 

 subject for a suburban garden, giving- a brilliant 

 display of colour. Once you plant them in well-trenched 

 and richly-manured soil they will require very little after- 

 attention, excepting to stir occasionally (not dig) the 

 surface of the soil, and if the soil gfets exhausted of food 

 to mulch with well-rotted manure. Autumn or spring is 

 the time to plant. (2) You cannot do belter ihan plant 

 Weigelas, selecting W. rosea, W. flonhil, or W. alba, or 

 all three. They produce flowers most abundantly, and 

 do not object to living near towns. Keep soil well 

 drained and aerated. (3) Either of the firms you 

 mention may be relied upon, but read announcement 

 of the second named in our advertisement pages. 



Herbaceols Border (" Lady Reader"). — A clump of 

 Scabious would suit your purpose admirably. They are 

 not particular as to soil so long as it is deeply dug and 

 enriched with a fair quantity of well-rotted dung. It 

 will add to the healthy development oi the root system 

 if you keep the soil open by the addition of either leaf- 

 mould or gritty road scrapings (or both). You may raise 

 either from seeds or division of root. One of the most 

 eff'ective varieties is Caucasian Scabious {Scabiosa 

 caucasica). Flowers grey-blue, extending from June to 

 October. They are most effective in the border, and 

 really grand for vases. 



Correspondence. 



Crab and Paradise Stocks. 



Sir, — With reference to Mr. Cowan's letter under the 

 above heading in last month's issue, arising out of an 

 extract from " Month's Work in the Fruit Grounds for 

 November," Mr. Cowan does not give suflicient particu- 

 lars to warrant me in advising him as to the best 

 systems to adopt. However, for the benefit of other 

 readers, I would like to explain the reasons for the 

 popularity of the different systems and stocks. 



The chief reason for the popularity of the Crab stock 

 is due to its hardiness, adaptability for cold situations, 

 and endurance of negligent Irealmenl. This stock will 

 thrive and produce heavier ci-ops and better qualit}- of 

 some of the best commercial apples under adverse 

 circumstances than could be obtained from trees on the 

 Paradise stock. It is, nevertheless, a fact that we have — 

 under any circumstances — longer to wait on remunera- 

 tive returns from trees on the Crab stock. Under 

 suitable management at root and branch, trees on the 

 Crab stock are destined to attain to a larger size, and 

 when they fully occupy the space allotted to them, they 

 will in most cases — provided their cultural requirements 

 are attended to— have given by the twelfth or fourteenth 

 year after planting as remunerative returns per acre as 

 bush trees on the Paradise stock. I have under obser- 

 vation two acres of half-standard Bramley's seedling on 

 the Crab stock, planted sixteen years ago. The spread- 

 ing and drooping habit of those trees indicates that they 

 luive cropped well in the past, and this year they have 



produced about 7 tons of first-class fruit per statute acre- 

 On better land in another orchard in the same district 

 there is about an acre of Bramley on the Paradise stock, 

 planted twelve years ago, which show by their habit — 

 although more attention has been bestowed on them, 

 but the occasional negligent treatment was not suitable 

 for the stock -that they have never cropped well, and 

 this year did not yield one ton per acre. It is a well- 

 known fact that for commercial purposes such free- 

 cropping varieties as Lane's Prince Albert give best 

 results — even when restricted to bush or pyramid form — 

 when grown on the Crab stock. The latter stock is, 

 however, sometimes brought into disrepute through an 

 inferior type of the Free stock being substituted in its 

 stead. 



The Paradise stock is unquestionably the best for 

 yielding a quick return from trees grown on the dwarfing 

 system and under more intensive cultivation than would 

 be desirable for developing thrifty young trees on the 

 Crab stock. Being more fibrous rooted than the latter, 

 and with a greater disposition to root near the surface, 

 it is, therefore, more under the influence of nourishment 

 and the warmth of the atmosphere, which places this 

 stock — so long as it is allo-wed suitable cultivation — in the 

 foremost rank for the production of the highest class of 

 fruit. If from frost or other causes trees on the Paradise 

 stock should miss cropping and become too luxuriant, 

 they are easier controlled by root pruning than those on 

 the Crab. V^arieties like Blenheim, Bramley, and 

 Gascoigne's Scarlet, which are shy croppers as young 

 trees on the Crab stock, are, under suitable manage- 

 ment, quite prolific at an early age on the Paradise. 



The principal reasons for the popularity of planting 

 permanent trees on the Crab and temporary trees on the 

 Paradise stocks are — (i) A smaller area will profitably 

 accommodate a greater number of trees for the first few 

 years, and a quicker return is obtained for the cost oi 

 preparing the land. (2) If taken in time, when the per- 

 manent trees are coming into profit, the temporary ones 

 can be transferred to suitably prepared land without 

 receiving more check than might ultimately benefit 

 them. (3) If the space between the trees is judiciously 

 utilised for bush fruits or strawberries, such crops will 

 amply repay the extra labour involved. (4) The average 

 vield per acre of good commercial fruit from varieties 

 best suited to the Crab stock will, when in full bearing, 

 be equal to or exceed that grown on the Paradise. It 

 is altogether a matter of circumstances as to which is 

 the best stock or system to adopt. 



The Paradise stock has been adopted by one of the 

 leading market-gardeners in Cornwall in laying down 

 market-garden land to fruit. The trees are planted 

 12 feet apart each way— some sections with bush fruits 

 and strawberries between the trees for the first few 

 years, and in others bush fruits or strawberries only. 

 There were about thirty acres on this holding planted in 

 this way when I saw it nearly five years ago. The land 

 was deeply tilled and scrupulously clean. Manual 

 labour in Cornwall costs nearly double of what it does 

 under similar circumstances in Ireland. Nevertheless, 

 the Cornishmen occasionally find it very profitable to 

 send strawberries to the Dublin markets, with freights 

 from Penzance and tolls amounting to 6s. 6d. per cwt. 



In conclusion, I should here remind those concerned 

 in the development of fruit culture in Ireland that it is 

 not so much the Crab stock that is responsible for the 

 moss-laden and barren condition of so many farmers' 

 orchards, as it is the apathy and perverse indiff"erence 

 of the owners to learn or adopt more progressive 

 methods, which leads to the production of the worthless, 

 sky-scraper form of tree that is wasting so much land. 

 Remove the prevailing cause (the dirt) from root and 

 branch, and under rational treatment the general con- 

 dition of the trees, and both quantity and quality of the 

 fruit, will quickly improve. Peter Brock. 



Orchard Terrace, Enniskillen. 



