IRISH GARDENING, 



173 



taken up from the soil during their one and only demand upon the soil of any fruit crop we grow, 



season of growth, the fruitfulness of perennials and for that reason they ought to be liberally 



depend very largely upon the amount of organic treated in the way of tood. Phosphoric acid 



food (starch, &c.)' stored in the root or stem and potash are specially drawn upon, and care 



during the previous year or years of growth. should be taken, therefore, to supply them with 

 So far as fruit trees 



are concerned it : 

 be remembered 

 suitable compoui 

 phosphoric acid, 

 and lime are es 

 in establishing 

 plumpness and 

 hardness of 

 stem expressed 

 by the term 

 " ripeness of 

 wood," as well 

 as in contri- 

 buting to the 

 successful 

 ripening of the 

 fruit and seeds. 

 Added nitro- 

 gen in such 

 cases is not 

 nearly so im- 

 portant as in 

 the case of 

 rapidly - grow- 

 i n g vege- 

 tables, and 

 should, indeed, 

 only be sup- 

 plied when the 

 trees, by lack 

 of vigour, 

 show the real 

 need of it. 

 An excellent 

 method of 

 adding nitro- 

 gen to a soil 

 growing fruit 

 trees is to dig in a 

 growing, leguminous 

 crop (such as vetches) 

 in the spring. 



Stone fruit require a 

 liberal supply of lime ; 

 gooseberries and cur- 

 rants in certain soils 

 require, perhaps, a little 

 help in the way of a 

 soluble, nitrogenous 



manures containing 

 these essential sub- 

 stances. For roses and 

 perennial plants in the 

 herbaceous border 

 compounds containing 

 phosphoric acid are 

 particularly re- 

 qu i red, and 

 bone - meal is 

 one of the best 

 forms in which 

 to supply it. 

 It should be 

 dug into the 

 soil when 

 planting, and 

 applied as an 

 annual s u r- 

 face dressing 

 every autumn. 

 As n i t r o- 

 genous man- 

 ures tend to 

 produce a 

 luxuriance of 

 foliage great 

 care should be 

 observed in its 

 use for other 

 than such 

 crops as we 

 grow for the 

 production of 

 shoots or 

 leaves. As to 

 the quantities 

 to be supplied, 

 practical gar- 

 deners will understand 

 why we hesitate to give 

 particulars as to quan- 

 tities. Feeding plants 

 is an art not to be 

 learned through books 

 or magazine articles, 

 as both soils and crops 



The Original Irish Yew 



At present growing in the Grounds of Florence Court, where it was differ SO materially in 

 planted about 1767. Photographed October, 1908. ^^^^.^ COmpOsition and 



-nanure ; raspberries, requirements, while both are modified by tillage, 



blackberries and loganberries are benefited aspect, and general conditions of weather. But 



even more so with such help, while, in most fundamental principles can be stated, arid if 



cases, strawberries will be all the better by a these be understood and remembered the 



judicious use of soluble compounds of all observant cultivator can, with a little clear 



three — nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. reasoning, apply them to his own particular 



Grapes in bearing make, perhaps, the greatest crops and locality. 



