t32 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Answers to Correspondents. 



Pruning Forest Trees (" Northern Farmer"). — The 

 best time to remove larg'e limbs from forest trees is 

 duringf the last three months of the year. Great care 

 should be observed in removing- the branches if the 

 tree is to be preserved in health and the timber kept 

 sound. Everything- should be done to enable the wound 

 to heal properl)'. The branch 

 should be sawn off close to 

 the parent stem, and it 

 would be wise to pre- 

 vent splintering- or undue 

 tearing- of bark by the 

 weight of the falling branch 

 by, first of all, partially sawing 

 round the under part of the 

 base of the limb. If the 

 cambium region (lying be- 

 tween the wood and the 

 bark) of the wound be 

 smoothed all round with a 

 sharp knife it will facilitate 

 rapid healing. Lastly, the 

 wound should be well 

 painted over with tar to 

 keep out injurious organisms 

 that would tend to cause 

 decay of the wood behind 

 the wound. 



It has been found that tar- 

 ring is of little use if applied 

 to a wound made during the 

 growing season. The moving 

 sap prevents its penetration 

 into the young wood, water 

 finds its way under the layer 

 of tar, and decay is almost 

 sure to follow. If the pruning 

 is done properly the wound 

 will heal up nicely, as shown 

 in the accompanying photograph. 



Palms for House Decoration (" Newry "). — You 

 will find the following satisfactory: — Cocus Weddeliaiia, 

 graceful and lasting if ordinar}- care be bestowed 

 upon it. Corypha australis, Latania borboiiicn, Phceuix 

 rupicola, Kentia Belniorca 'la, plants of from 12 to 15 

 inches high ; may be grown in quite small pots (2^ inch) 

 if attention be paid to watering and keeping the foliage 

 clean. Dracaenas may also be used. D. australis, 

 D. fragrans, D. Linderii and D. goldieana are good. 



Garden Anemones ("Ulster"). — They will grow in 

 any ordinary rich garden soil that is moist and well 

 drained. There are four distinct sections of these 

 double-flowered anemones, the Dutch, the French, the 

 Irish, or St. Brigid, and the chrysanthemum flowered. 

 The range of colour is very wide — white, pink, rosy-red, 

 vermilion, violet and blue, with all possible intermediate 

 shades. You cannot do better than select the St 

 Brigid. They will make a glorious display. They are 

 the easiest, too, to raise from seeds. Plants raised from 

 seed sown now ought to flower next summer. Tubers 

 can be bought and planted in September or October. 

 For last query see advertisement pages. 



Weeds on Lawns. — There is only one way known 

 to us to get rid of weeds on lawns, and that is to 

 persistently pull them out. In the case of the dandelion 

 care must be taken to remove as much of the root as 

 possible, as in this plant the root has the power to 

 produce buds from which new shoots arise. 



Plant for Poor Soil (" K."). — We would suggest 

 the Alpine knot-grass {Polygon itini alpiiium) as suitable 

 for the position you describe — poor, dry soil in a sunny 

 corner. 



Photograph ot a properly 

 pruned stem, showing the 

 healthy healing of the wound. 



Sweet Peas. — Whatever is the reason of failure in 

 growth it is not due to the cause 3'ou suggest. The 

 swellings in the roots sent are normal to peas, and (as 

 explained last month in this column) contain helpful 

 germs that aid the plant in securing its supplies of 

 nitrogen. You will find that the roots of all healthy 

 leguminous plants have similar nodules. 



Watering Pot Plants {" S. O. P.").— The best way is 

 to take the pot out of the vase and plunge it in a bucket 

 of water, allowing it to remain there for a sufficient 

 time to enable the soil to get thoroughly saturated with 

 moisture. Then remove it from the water and let it 

 drain completely before replacing it in the vase. Syringe 

 or wash the foliage occasionally. 



Shrubs (" M."). — (i) Hydrangeas and shrubby ver- 

 onicas may be propagated by cuttings towards the 

 end of the present month. (2) Sweet Peas. See note 

 on removal of flowers under heading Herbaceous 

 Border. 



^* i^^ ^^ 



National Rose Society's Show. 



At the above show, held last month at the White 

 City, Manchester, Mr. Hugh Dickson, Royal Nurseries, 

 Belfast, won the National Rose Society's Champion 

 Jubilee Challenge Trophy ; also first prize for 72 

 roses, distinct varieties ; first prize for 12 roses, 

 one variety, dark, with their magnificent seedling 

 rose Hugh Dickson; first prize for 12 pink roses 

 with Miss Theo. Roosevelt ; also medal for best hybrid 

 in show with Hugh Dickson, and medal for best hybrid 

 Tea in the show with the new Lyon rose. He was also 

 awarded the National Rose Society's Gold Medal for 

 a new seedling rose with his superb single white 

 variety Simplicit}'. This is the first time the National 

 Rose Society's Challenge Trophy has been won by 

 roses grown solely in Ireland. 



^?* C^^ 5^^ 



Correspondence. 



Sir, — On the 19th June last Mr. Howvard, of the 

 creamery at Aughadown, drew my attention to the fact 

 that some shrubs that grew at a place in the neighbour- 

 hood in which he lived were infested with caterpillars, 

 and that late in the evenings sometimes a couple, and 

 sometimes three, cuckoos came to feed on them. At 

 about eight o'clock in the evening I went with him to 

 observe this interesting occurrence. When we got to 

 the place, sure enough he pointed out a cuckoo which 

 was evidently feeding on something. We were near 

 enough to plainly perceive the motion of its head and 

 neck as it pecked. Not satisfied with the view obtained 

 from the distance at which we stood (about thirty yards) 

 I crept on all fours to a position within about twelve 

 yards of the bird, and, before it flew, had the pleasure of 

 seeing a cuckoo naturally feeding at close quarters. 

 When the bird had flown I found in the hedgerow three 

 or four of the common spindle trees literally alive with 

 small caterpillars, and on account of the voracity of the 

 creatures very little entire foliage remained on the trees. 

 These caterpillars were partially protected with webs, 

 and in many cases single individuals suspended from the 

 branches by a thin web, which they had power to extend 

 or contract as it suited them to move up and down. 



I kept some of the caterpillars in a box with leaves 

 on w-hich they were feeding. I enclose some of the 

 resulting chrysalis and moths. I guessed the moths to 

 be the " small ermine." Would you say authoritatively if 

 this is right? " Lusus.'' 



[Yes, the insects enclosed are small ermine moths of 

 the species Hyponomeuta cognatcUus (Hb.) that com- 

 monly feeds on the spindle tree. — Ed. /. G.\ 



