52 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Gardeners Chronicle, March 7th, 1908. — In an interesting 

 article Mr. Druery discusses some experiments con- 

 ducted by Mr. A. W. Sutton with various wild species 

 of tuber-bearing- Solanums allied to the potato of 

 commerce. These experiments were conducted with a 

 view to finding out which wild species had given rise to 

 the common edible potato, and also to increase the 

 resistance to disease of the edible potato by crossing it 

 with a suitable wild strain of greater vigour. Various 

 species were grown, including Solanuiii inaglia, S- 

 famosti, S. fcnderri, and 5. ciuberosiim ; but, after a 

 number of years trial, these were proved practically 

 worthless, with the exception of the last named. 

 Solanum etuhcrosuni was received by Mr. Sutton from 

 the Cambridge Botanic Gardens about twenty years 

 ago, and was then considered to be a wild species of 

 Chilian origin. 



^ 



^ 



Hardy Annuals. 



Hardy Annu- 

 als give great 

 satisfaction to 

 the grower. 

 They are easy 

 of culture and 

 not particu- 

 larly exacting 

 as to situation ; 

 the flowers are 

 quickly for- 

 med, and are 

 produced not 

 only in abund- 

 ance but with 

 much beauty of form and great brilliancy of 

 colour. Their uses for decorative purposes 

 are manifold — some are short, even to dwarf- 

 ness, and these may be used as an edging 

 for beds and borders ; while others are tall 

 and broad-leaved, and may be pleasingly 

 utilised as screens to hide unsightly objects. 

 Then again we have those of trailing habit 

 for the drapery of rocks or fast-growing 

 climbers for covering poles or trellises, while the rank 

 and file may be used to fill up any bare spaces of 

 ground in bed, border, or margin of shrubbery. What 

 is more delightfully refreshing than a border of either 

 night-scented Stock or of Mignonette in full bloom, 

 especially in the cool twilight that succeeds a warm 

 summer's day ? While as to colour, those who have 

 grown broad masses of the Californian poppy {Esch- 

 scJioltzia), or of Lavateria triniestris know with what 

 richness in this respect nature has endowed these 

 hardy garden annuals. 



Sowings of hardy annuals may be conunenced at 

 once, or as soon as weather and the condition of the 

 soil will permit. For successional display of flowers 

 intermittent sowings may be continued on until the end 

 of next month. The majority of annuals love an open, 

 sunny position, although there are some, like P'orget- 

 me-Nots, that prefer partial shade. To get the best 

 results possible the plants must, of course, be grown 

 under good conditions as to site, soil, and general 

 culture. The soil is very important. First — assuming 

 that the drainage is right— the soil must be deeply dug 

 and well pulverised, so as to allow freedom of growth 

 for the roots, as the extent of the development of the 

 shoot-system above ground depends upon the extent of 

 the development of the root-system under ground. 

 Furthermore, the presence of organic matter in the soil 

 is a great aid to these rapidly-growing plants, as, in 



addition to other advantages, organic substances hold 

 moisture, and therefore tend to prevent temporary 

 checks to growth during intermittent spells of drought. 

 For this reason therefore, when digging the ground, 

 well-rotted manure should be liberally added and 

 thoroughly intermixed with the soil. 



To secure rapid and uniform germination the surface 

 soil must be fined and made level. As the seeds of many 

 annuals are small, a rough, carelessly prepared seed-bed 

 will occasion the loss of many seeds and seriously 

 handicap even those that succeed in germinating. 



Purchase the best seeds, and sow thinly and evenly 

 over the surface ; then lightly cover with sifted soil. 

 Press the soil down with the back of a spade so as to 

 bring the seeds into close contact with the soil particles. 

 This will check loss of water and also encourage rapid 

 germination. It will be a further advantage to use 

 short branches of evergreens for shade until the seed- 

 lings appear. Should the soil show a tendency to cake, 

 lightly cover the surface with sand or finely-riddled 

 litter. A caked soil is fatal to seedlings, as it seals 

 the surface and prevents that free interchange of air 

 between soil and atmosphere so necessary to healthy 

 breathing of young roots. If watering is found needful 

 use a fine rose. 



Remember to mark the position of groups by means 

 of named labels on which the date of sowing is noted. 

 Keep a watchful eye on the beds, and destroy weed 

 seedlings as soon as they appear. 



The next point is one of much importance. The 

 individual plants must be given room enough to develop 

 to their full size. This is too frequently neglected. 

 The seedlings must be intelligently thinned, and rainy 

 weather or a sunless day is the most suitable for the 

 work. 



Some annuals (poppies for example) cannot bear 

 transplanting, but others can. Of those that can, many 

 may be transplanted even with advantage, as in the 

 process of pricking out the taproot is broken, and this 

 induces the formation of a number of strong laterals, 

 so that the absorptive apparatus of the plant is in conse- 

 quence actually increased in size. 



In sowing annuals in beds or borders the relative 

 heights of the mature plants must be considered. The 

 tallest-growing subjects wall be placed, of course, at the 

 back of the border or in the centre of a bed, while those 

 of lower habit will be kept nearer the edge. Colour, 

 too, must be considered, so that the subsequent dis- 

 play will be one of pleasing harmony, or else a series 

 of monochrome effects produced by sowing broad 

 stretches of yellow, white, red, blue, or other one-colour 

 flowers. To secure as long a continuance of bloom as 

 possible it will be well to prevent the formation of 

 seed pods, as in all annuals the death of the plant rapidly 

 succeeds the ripening of fruits. The production of 

 seeds is the final act in the comparatively short life of 

 these plants. 



As to seleclion of the kinds of annuals to sow there is 

 a wide and varied choice. We need do little more than 

 give a list of those genera that are among the best for 

 garden decoration. Fuller particulars as to varieties, 

 height, colour, &c. , may be obtained by consulting the 

 catalogues of the leading seedsmen. 



The following are good : — Bartonia (B. aiirca best), 

 Calliopsis (or Coreopis), Candytuft, Centaurea (includes 

 Corn flowers and Sweet Sultan), Chrys mthemun (annual) 

 Clarkia (best is C. elegans aud its varieties) Collinsia 

 (C. bicolor thrives well in towns). Eschscholtzia (Califor- 

 nian poppy) Godetia, Gypsophila (C elegans the best), 

 Kochia (Summer Cypress), Lavatera (Z. triinestris is the 

 best). Lupins, Mignonette, Nasturtium (Tropajolum) 

 Nemophila (A^. insigm'stbe best),Nemesia,Nicotiana (To- 

 bacco), Nigella (Love-in-a-Mist), of which A'l daniascena 

 is one of the best, Phacelia {P. campanularia the best), 

 Phlox, Poppy, Saponaria (5. calabrica, good), Stock 

 (sweet scented). Sunflower, Sweet Pea, Sweet Alyssum. 



