IT2 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Answers to Correspondents. 



Resistance TO Disease IN Potatoes ("A. F. O."). — It 

 is a difficult question to answer. Resistance is relative — 

 not absolute — as no variety seems to be quite disease- 

 proof. As it decreases with the age of the variety it 

 would seem, therefore, to be dependent upon general 

 negative vig-our. For the same reason it follows that 

 reproduction by seed will have a tendency to restore 

 lost powers of resistance. The selection of " seed " is of 

 some importance ; northern g-rown seem to be the best, 

 especially if raised on land not richly manured (nitro- 

 genous manures especially are detrimental), and har- 

 vested before they are fully matured. It would seem 

 that tubers rich in starch are less susceptible to rot, 

 while richness in protein render them more susceptible. 

 Again, red, rough-skinned varieties are said to be more 

 resistant than thin-skinned, white varieties. As to stem 

 and foliage, it is further believed that hard, woody- 

 stems and leaves that are relatively small, rough, and 

 dark-coloured are more immune than those possessing 

 opposite characters to these. 



House Flies ( " M. A. C. " ) — We are afraid we are unable 

 to give you the kind of help you expect, but something 

 certainly might be done if there was united systematic 

 action in the matter of preventing the production of 

 broods in the vicinity of dwelling-houses. We are aware 

 that leafy branches of certain plants (the common elder, 

 for example) are frequently used to keep flies out of 

 living rooms, but the use of such specifics do not strike 

 at the root of the evil. That house flies are irritating 

 intruders is a small matter compared with the more 

 serious fact that they are most mischievous spreaders of 

 disease, especially those that are associated with 

 intestinal disorders, such as summer diarrhoea. The 

 truth is that the eggs are laid and the young broods 

 hatched in animal excreta. If you stand and watch 

 either a manure heap or isolated mass of excreta in warm 

 weather, you will not fail to see the number of flies that 

 alight, walk over the sui'face, and fly off" again — fly off" 

 and perhaps enter a dwelling through open door or 

 window, and if food is exposed straightway alight on it, 

 run over it, and fly off again. The danger arises from 

 the possibility of injurious intestinal germs in the excreta 

 being transported to the food from the legs of the insect, 

 and so when the food is eaten conveyed to the digestive 

 tract of the feeder. There can be little doubt that much 

 injury to health arises in this way. Of course human 

 excreta is more dangerous in this respect than ordinary 

 manure, hence the obvious duty of taking all needful 

 precaution to use earth, or earth and a little lime, in open 

 privies in rural districts. If it were practicable to cover 

 all manurial matter in the vicinity of dwellings the summer 

 plague of house flies would be very considerably re- 

 duced. From what we have said it will also be seen 

 that when flies are abundant, food should be stored in 

 dark places, or else covered with g;<.uze or other suitable 

 covering. 



Garden Peas. — " W. J. H." sends specimens of young 

 peas, and draws attention to a "diseased " condition of 

 the roots, asking for information as to the cause and 

 what remedy to apply. The roots are not diseased, and 



the cankerous-looking swellings are formed by friendly 

 germs that enter the tissues from the soil and help the 

 plant to secure nitrogenous food material. The more 

 plentiful these "nodules," the more thrifty the plant. 

 The roots of all leguminous plants show as a rule this 

 peculiarity. The bacteria " fix " the atmospheric nitro- 

 gen, converting it into a suitable compound for the 

 consumption of the crop, hence the well-known ability 

 of all leguminous crops to thrive in soils comparatively 

 poor in combined nitrogen. 



Names of Plants ( "J. C"). — Olearia niacrodonta, 

 the daisy tree of New Zealand, can be purchased from 

 any of the nurserymen advertising in these pages. 

 " H. P. B," junr. — {\) Rhododendron ferrugineum, {ron\ 

 the European Alps ; (2) Catnpanula glomerata var. 

 Dahurica, the clustered harebell. 



Sage. — You should remove the flower stems as soon 

 as the flowers fade. For winter use, cut the leafy stems, 

 tie in bunches, and store in a "dry, cool place. The 

 plant is not so extensively used as in days gone by. 

 Yet it still forms much relished seasoning herbs in many 

 dishes, but especially strong meats like porks, goose, 

 duck, &c. In the kitchen garden it forms very pleasing 

 masses of colour when in flower. It may be raised 

 from seed or from cuttings. It was introduced into 

 these islands about four centuries ago. Its scientific 

 name is salvia, a Latin word meaning to keep safe or 

 healthy, referring to its medicinal properties. The 

 common name of sage was given to it from its supposed 

 power to make people wise by strengthening their 

 memories. It belongs to the Labiate family. We 

 cannot say if it would "pay" to grow it as a com- 

 mercial crop in Ireland. 



Irises. ( " Lady Amateur of Irises "). — Your case is not 

 exceptional, as we understand that this has been a 

 bad flowering year. The bearded irises require an 

 ordinary, well-drained garden soil, with full exposure 

 to wind and sun. You must on no account feed them 

 v;ith farmyard or other rich manure, the only thing 

 allowable being bone meal well mixed with the soil. 

 They maybe planted either by themselves (which is pre- 

 ferable perhaps) or in the border. They can stand 

 drought. You should consult Mr. Moore's article on 

 Irises in the September and October numbers of Irish 

 Gardening of last year. 



Peach Leaf-curl ("Lurgan"). — The foliage of)'our 

 trees are suff"ering from an attack of the fungus 

 {Exoascus) that causes the thickening and curling of the 

 leaves. Almond is frequently so attacked. An illustrated 

 article on the disease appeared in our August number of 

 last year, and we here repeat the advice there given. 

 The fungus attacks not only the leaves but also the 

 young shoots, which become swollen and often twisted, 

 while the intcrnodes do not elongate normally, and it is 

 in these that the fungus for the most part passes the 

 winter, though its spores may also possibly lurk in 

 cracks or crevices on the twigs, in the bud axes or 

 between the bud scales. In order to get rid of the 

 disease the main thing is to be persistent in the attack. 

 Gather and burn all fallen leaves, so as to prevent the 

 distribution of the spores. Prune back diseased twigs ; 

 the fungus in them works forwards towards the growing 

 points and not backwards. Spray with half-strength 

 Bordeaux mixture in spring just w hen the leaf-buds are 

 beginning to expand. If this is done with perseverance 

 for a season or two the result should be a satisfactory 

 one. 



PEACH-T.^EE dropping Fruit (" Dublin.") — The trouble 

 appears to be connected with a, failure to stone properly. 

 The cause is most likely due to a lack of lime in the 

 soil. We are afraid it is too late now to prevent the 

 mischief, but watering with lime-water (made by disolv- 

 ing freshly burnt lime in water) may be tried. In the 

 late Autumn or in Winter fork into the surface-soil some 

 lime or lime rubble. This may save the crop next year. 



