IRISH GARDENING. 



H3 



School GardenincT. 



o 



By L. J. HUMPHREY, Special Instructor in School Gardening under the 

 Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland. 



ALTHOUGH school g'ardens in Ireland are not so 

 numerous as mig-ht be expected from the agriciil- 

 tural character of the country, there are a number 

 of such o;ardens in connection with schools of various 

 kinds. Nearly all of them are worked on the indi\ i- 

 dual plot system, a plot bein<j- placed in charg-e of one 

 oi- two pupils. The size of the gardens varies, but a 

 garden of about a quarter of an acre is a most satis- 

 factory size for a country school. In a school where 

 a number of classes can be held the garden could be 

 larger. Such a garden is the one illustrated — that in 

 connection with the Kingstown Technical School. 

 This garden is the first in the coiuitry in connection 

 with a school of this character, and, being just over 

 an acre in area, it provides abundant oppoitiinily 

 for practical 

 instruction in 

 gardening. 

 The p o r t i o n 

 shown in the 

 photograph is 

 worked by 

 scholars from 

 the elementary 

 schools, while 

 other portions 

 are devoted to 

 the cultivation 

 of fruit, vege- 

 tables, and 

 flowers, much 

 of the work 

 being done by 

 students who 

 join under the 

 usual condi- 

 tions applying 

 to Te ch ni cal 

 students. One 

 of the features 

 of school gar- 

 den work in 

 Ireland is the 

 readiness with 

 which the stu- 

 dents at girls' 

 schools have 

 taken up the 

 work, and the 



instruction is not confined to the cultivation of flowers, 

 fruit and vegetables being grown in all such gardens. 

 Several schools of Domestic Economy now include 

 gardening as one of the subjects, and the practical out- 

 door work forms a healthful and pleasing chang-e from 

 the routine of indoor work. The teaching- is intended 

 to be of a thoroughly practical character, but with the 

 elementary school students lessons in Nature Study are 

 given to illustrate the theory of the subject. 



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Spanish Brciom {Sparfium jnnceion). — What a lovely 

 plant this is in the border or shrubber}', with its switch- 

 like shoots, carrying its wealth of g-olden flowers 

 from June to August ! If its seeds are gathered before 

 the\' are quite ripe, and sown at once, they will produce 

 thrifty seedlings next spring. Old, straggling- plants 

 should be severely cut down in the autumn, so as to 

 encourage the formation of strong- shoots the following- 

 year. The plants will thrive in any poor, dry soil or 

 sunny bank, being provided with deeply penetrating- roots 

 that search for water to great depths in an open soil. 



Photo hif] 



School Garden, Technical School, Kingstown. 



Royal Horticultural Society 

 of Ireland. 



TlIK luonthlv meeting of the coimcil was held at 

 the society's offices, 5 Molesworth Street, on the 

 . 2ist ult., the following members being present — 

 Messrs. G. M. Ross, E. DOlier, D. Houston, J. W. 

 Henderson, J. McKellar, W. I'. Gumi, Ernest Bewley, 

 H. r. tioodbod}-, and F. W. Moore 



Various accounts relative to the last show, as recom- 

 mended for payment by the Finance Committee, were 

 adopted, as were also the items comprising the prize list. 

 Respecting the latter, prize winners are requested to 

 notice that all prizes in the sweet pea classes will be paid 

 by the National Sweet Pea Society direct. The recom- 

 mendation of the judges, that gold medals be awarded 

 to Messrs. W Drimimond and Sons and Alex. Dickson 



and Sons, Ltd., 

 with silver 

 medals to 

 Messrs. Chas. 

 Ramsay and 

 Sons, W m . 

 Watson and 

 Sons. Dicksons 

 (Chester), Jas. 

 Carter & Co., 

 Browett and 

 Sons, Pennick 

 & Co., and 

 Hogg & Rob- 

 ertson, for fine 

 trade exhibits, 

 was also rati- 

 fied, the coun- 

 c i 1 unani- 

 mously voting- 

 a gold medal to 

 .Mark McDon- 

 ald. Esq, M.B., 

 Portaferry, in 

 recognition of 

 his fine stand 

 of border car- 

 nations The 

 following- were 

 duly elected 

 members of 

 society, viz.: — 

 Mrs. Bewley, 

 Sandford 

 Grove, Dublin ; Mrs. Moore, Kilternan Grange, Co. 

 Dublin ; Mrs. Hely - Hutchinson, Donabate ; Miss 

 McDonnell, Gleann-Mor, Droghcda ; and R. J. C. 

 Maunsel, Oakley Park, Celbridge ; with Mr. Robt. 

 Duthie, Phoenix Park Gardens ; Mr. Jas. Dent, Lut- 

 trellstown ; Mr. W. King, Ballywalter Park ; and Mr. 

 Thos. Shaw, Santr)', as practical members. It should 

 be understood that the subscriptions of members 

 joining the society now clears them till January, 1910. 



Mr. Thos. Smith, of Newry, contributed some interest- 

 ing- specimens for inspection, notably Spirea lethleheu:!, 

 apparently a much glorified form of the old and well 

 known 5. donglassi, with rosy, crimson spikes and hand- 

 some foliage ; also the \ery quaint Hungarian Fox- 

 g-Iove, Digitalis lanafa, and that remarkable Spanish 

 chestnut-like Casianopsis chrysophylla. Two good border 

 flowers were also evidenced in Rudbeckia pinnaiu and 

 Potentilla hopivoodiana. 



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 " He who has more learning than goodness is like a 

 tree with many branches and few roots, which the first 

 wind throws down." — Falmud. 



W 7'ilh' Coohc. 



