192 



IRISH GARDENING, 



Current Topics. 



By Peter Brock, Orchard Terrace, Enniskillen. 



THE chief subject of interest lately has been the 

 Ulster Horticultural Society's Show, held in St. 

 Georg-e's Market, Belfast, on the loth and nth 

 November. This annual exhibition of flowers, fruit, 

 veg-etables, farm produce, butter, and (this year) honey 

 has great educational attractions for anyone interested 

 in any particular section of the exhibits. The practical 

 and business-like way in which the executive conduct 

 this show for the advancement of horticulture in Ireland 

 does them gfreat credit. The uniform progress of the 

 society is a standing- testimony to their efficiency. 

 There is. always sufficient variation in the arrang-ements 

 of one show from another to maintain the interests of 

 visitors from far and near, so that no matter what the 

 conditions of the weather may be this fixture is always 

 well patronised by the public. One can sometimes learn 

 as much reg^arding the character of new varieties, &c., 

 in a few hours at a show like this as it might take years 

 to do at home. Meeting old friends and acquaintances 

 and discussing- various subjects in connection with the 

 exhibits is a source of real recreation to gardeners 

 and fruit-growers, and stimulates their energies to 

 improve and excel in the cultivation of some particular 

 subject. 



It appears, however, that g-reater mutual benefits 

 mig-ht be availed of at such a gathering of practical 

 horticulturists as annually meets in Belfast. There are 

 so manv subjects affecting the interests of gardeners 

 and fruit-growers, such as dealing with fungoid and 

 insect pests, varieties of fruit best suited to different 

 soils, systems of cultivation and pruning-, methods of 

 packing- and marketing, that it would be beneficial to 

 hold a conference comprised of those interested in the 

 improvement of fruit culture. Such conferences as have 

 already been held have to a certain extent failed, owing, 

 I think, to being- controlled by too much of the scientific 

 and theoretical problems which appeared to be beyond 

 the reach of the average practitioner taking part in the 

 debates. It appears that for the same reason the con- 

 ference on spraying-, which took place at Westminster 

 on the 15th and i6th October, was a failure in advancing 

 our knowledge in these matters. We read of the 

 efficiency of so many spraying mixtures nowadays 

 that practitioners should watch closely the results 

 obtained with the different formulas. There being no 

 State-aided experiment stations such as are in America, 

 growers must learn for themselves which is the most 

 efficient. 



I can fully corroborate Mr. Seabrook's statements at 

 page 180 in last month's Irish Gardening regarding 

 the prevalence of apple sucker {PsylJa ninli, this autumn. 

 Old apple trees which have been frequently winter- 

 sprayed and are now as clean in the bark as maidens 

 may be found dotted over with eg-g-s. The wild crab is 

 also badly infested in many places. The remedy de- 

 scribed by Mr. Seabrook is the only one which has given 

 complete satisfaction here in dealing- with this pest. 

 In several cases where an attack of winter moth cater- 

 pillar was anticipated last spring, i lb. of Swift's arsenate 

 of lead was added to 40 g-allons of the quassia mixture 

 for the first spraying:, and increased to 1% lbs. for the 

 second spraying-, before the blossoms opened. The 

 caterpillars or psylla g-ave no trouble, and g-radually dis- 

 appeared. 



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Tree Mallows. — The Lavateras make a fine show 

 of flower in the summer. The common tree mallow 

 (Z. arborea) is a perennial, and may be found in a wild 

 state in the west of Ireland near the coast. The annual 

 species (Z. triin estris) is grown from seeds, and is one of 

 our most beautiful garden flowers. 



Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. 



IT is gratifying- to note that the springfflower show, 1909, 

 will be held in conjunction with the Royal Dublin 

 Society's spring- show at Ballsbridge about April 

 2 1 St. It should, perhaps, be termed contemporaneously, 

 as the Royal Horticultural Society will be allowed the 

 use of the Arts Industries Hall, and as far as conjunction 

 is concerned that depends to some extent on the final 

 arrang-ements which at the moment of writing are stib 

 ptdicc, but it may be added, sub rosa, that the com- 

 mittee of ag-riculture's recommendations to the Royal 

 Dublin Society's Council will, if passed, place the Royal 

 Horticultural Society of Ireland in a favourable position 

 which cannot but result in a excellent show. Eleven 

 members were present at the council meeting- on Nov. 

 12th, Mr. G. M. Ross presiding-. Interest was g-iven to 

 the proceeding's by the reading of a letter from Mr. C. 

 M. Doyne anent admission of ladies to the executive, and 

 Mr. Doyne, being present, so lucidly expressed further 

 views on the matter as to leave the discussion which 

 followed quite one-sided, all being- in accord with his 

 proposition. As there is neither rule nor by-law to pre- 

 vent such being- un fait accompli, added to which there 

 are two vacancies on the council, there is every pos- 

 sibility of the new departure not only taking- place but 

 being- welcomed by all concerned. Fourteen new mem- 

 bers were elected — viz. , Miss Pratt, The Red House, 

 Ardee ; Mrs. Jas. Rorke, St. Grellans, Monkstown ; Mr. 

 Jas" Shiel, Yeovil, Terenure ; The Rev. J. C. Creed, 

 Moyg-addy, Maynooth ; Mr. A. W. Panton, Greenmount, 

 Howth ; and as practical members Messrs. J. H. Gum- 

 ming, J. K. Robertson, W. Sinclair, T. Byrne, J. O'Kelly, 

 W. Winstanley, W. Walker, A. Campbell, and L. Childs. 

 This accession of new members of late is g:ood as far as 

 it has g-one, but it has to g:o farther, for really there is 

 no valid reason why the Royal Horticultural Society of 

 Ireland should not be a thousand strong, and it is hoped 

 that things will be pushed until that point is reached, and 

 even then, considering the number of keenly interested 

 amateurs and garden lovers in the Green Isle it need not 

 stay at that. Mr. T. Smith, of Newry, sent amongst other 

 thing;s Pyr>!s arbitii/blius " Brilliant," very beautiful in its 

 autumn tints, and an improved variety of Cotoneaster 

 frigida named Montana, very much more profusely 

 berried than the type. From Miss Ross, Dalkey, came 

 some nice bunches of outdoor chrysanthemums with 

 sprays of myrtle still in full bloom, the latter being- cut 

 from a fine old bush some ten feet high, g^rowing- in the 

 open, and quite g-uiltless of any shelter or protection in 

 the way of a wall or anything else. A vote of thanks 

 was accorded to the contributors. The retiringf 

 members of the council, and of which notice with 

 particulars has been posted to all members of the 

 society, are Messrs. George Watson, Jas. McDonough, 

 J. Wylie-Henderson, Rev. Canon Hayes, Edmund 

 D'Olier, and Hugh Crawford, with, as remarked, two 

 vacancies Respecting the latter, will it be Place atix 

 dames? Nous vcrrons. E. Knowldin. 



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Damping off in Coniferous Seedlings. — Experi- 

 ments on the effects of several kinds of chemical sub- 

 stances upon the fung-us causing- this disease has been 

 carried on by the Bureau of Plant Industry Department 

 of Agfriculture, U. S. A. So far the best results have 

 been obtained with a dilute solution of sulphuric acid 

 (or vitrol). The soil was thoroug^hly drenched with a 

 solution of one ounce of the acid to one g-allon of water 

 several days before the seeds were sown, and the treat- 

 ment repeated about a week after the seedlings came up. 

 Of the several species tried, the Norway spruce alone 

 showed ill-eft'ects from the treatment ; a weaker solution, 

 therefore ( i part acid to 500 of water) is recommended 

 rather than the stronger one used in the series of 

 experiments. 



