176 



IRISH GARDENING. 



November. 



The Month's Work 



The Flower Garden. 



By J. G. Toner, Horticultural Instructor, Co. Monag'han. 



THE uncommonly fine and open weather duringf the 

 past month will have greatly facilitated work of 

 every description in outside gfardening-, and by 

 this time all plantings of flower beds and borders should 

 be finished and bulbs and plants of all kinds have had 

 a favourable opportunity of establishing- themselves. If 

 the weather remains suitable the work of planting- or 

 transplanting- deciduous and everg-reen shrubs, roses, 

 &c. , may be proceeded with with every prospect of 

 success. 



In the herbaceous border it may be necessary to in- 

 crease the number of certain kinds, and when clumps 

 or crowns are being; divided it would be well to bear in 

 mind that the outside pieces — the 3'oung-er g-rowths — 

 will make the best plants, and if the work is now done 

 under favourable conditions these will flower much 

 better and make strong^er plants than those so treated 

 in the spring. 



When early flowering- chrysanthemums in the open 

 borders have finished flowering-, the stems may be cut 

 down and the crowns protected —that is, if not lifted and 

 stored under cover — by being- covered to a depth of, say, 

 four inches with turf or leaf-mould. Ashes is g-ood too, 

 but very often when these simple precautions are ne- 

 glected many losses occur. Althoug-h it is not always 

 advisable during the summer months, especially on light 

 and dry soils, to use the g-rass collecting on lawn mowers 

 it will be well to do so on every occasion now, otherwise 

 the cuttingfs will appear most unsightly and untidy. 

 During the dull months too much care cannot be g-iven 

 to making- all the surroundings as pleasing- and present- 

 able as possible. 



Under glass there should now be great reward for 

 employer, amateur and gardener alike, when the glories 

 of the chrysanthemum are put forth in their welcome 

 and brilliant splendour. Great care will be necessary, 

 howevei-, to keep plants and blooms in g-ood condition, 

 watering being- a matter that requires the most scrupu- 

 lous attention ; it should be done thoroug-hly when 

 necessary, and as early as possible in the day, and 

 always have some ventilation. 



Arum lilies that were well tended during- the summer 

 will now respond very soon to a little attention in the 

 way of heat. Few more graceful and eleg-ant plants 

 are to be had at this season than well g-rown arums in 

 five inch pots. Placed in the midst of a few healthy ferns, 

 their purity and simplicity is quite charming. 



Sweet peas, dahlias, beg-onias, &c., have been spared 

 for a long- time this season, but when the inevitable frost 

 comes they should be lifted and stored as advised last 

 month. 



There are many shrubby plants, too, that may now be 

 prepared for forcing, such as azaleas, lilacs, roses, 

 rhododendrons, &c. , and if carefully attended after being- 

 placed in a little heat will serve to make a good show 

 with cinerarias, primulas, &c. , when the bulk of the 

 chrysanthemums are quite over. 



Roman hyacinths, paper white and polyanthus narcis- 



sus and freesias may also be brought on, and very easily, 

 too, if treated as recommended in former numbers. 

 Pelargoniums may be kept quiet in a cool house. 

 Cinerarias and calceolarias in pits or frames will require 

 plenty of air on all favourable days — too much can hardly 

 be given. Material should be always at handy for the 

 purpose of protecting them during frosty spells. They 

 are well worth all the attention they claim, seeing their 

 usefulness and beauty in the spring. 



The Fruit Garden. 



By George Doolan, Instructor in Fruit Culture, 

 Department of Agriculture. 



THIS is usually a busy month with the fruit grower 

 and the gardener. The pruning of the various 

 fruit trees will demand attention, and where new 

 plantations have to be made this is the best time to 

 carry out the work, always with the proviso " weather 

 permitting." Fruit trees of all descriptions can now be 

 procured at a very favourable price through the Secre- 

 tary of the County Committee of Agriculture in nearly 

 all the counties. By sending a post card to the secre- 

 tary a printed form is received on which are given the 

 the kinds and varieties of fruit trees, the price, and other 

 particulars. Advice is also given by the Horticultural 

 Instructors, who will recommend the best varieties to 

 grow in their particular counties. Where such advice 

 is not obtainable the list set forth below gives the best 

 all round varieties to plant. In making an extensive 

 plantation, however, it is best to pay a visit to a reliable 

 nursery and make a selection of the trees required. The 

 names of such nurseries may be found in the advertise- 

 ment pages of this journal. 



Pruning. — This work should now be taken in hand, 

 especially where a large number of trees have to be 

 done. Commence with red and black currants, then 

 gooseberries, and finish with the larger fruit trees. 

 Where gooseberries are subject to attack by bullfinches, 

 defer pruning until F"ebruary as a means of saving the 

 buds. However, where these birds do not abound, the 

 pruning of gooseberries may now be done. The prin- 

 ciples of pruning, when once understood, can be applied 

 to nearly all fruit trees. The great object is to keep the 

 branches sufficiently apart so as to admit air and light to 

 make the wood and spurs firm, hence better fitted for 

 bearing. Take a gooseberry for example. As is well 

 known, it is liable to make dense growths unless pruned ; 

 the result is weak growth and small fruit, and a great 

 difficulty is experienced by pickers when bushes are 

 unpruned. When pruning leave sufficient room for 

 the hand to go between the branches. In old bushes 

 encourage young growth, and cut out old branches 

 occasionally ; the young growths produce the best fruit. 

 Thick, soft growths arising from the base of the bush 

 should be pulled out. In pruning black currants gradu- 

 ally cut out the old branches, and preserve as much of 

 the young growth as possible, as it is on the young wood 

 that the fruit is produced. Red currants differ. However 

 the old wood must be preserved, because the fruit is borne 



