82 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 6, 1888= 
GardeningNotesfrom Ireland. 
Touching a Matter of Trade Interest. 
A Dublin daily paper came out with a leader last 
week, commending one of the Dutch bulb firms to the 
notice of the public. Evidently the Dublin seed 
merchants were as one against the system of running 
advertisements into the editorial columns, as the 
following day another leader appeared commenting 
upon the fact of their previous article having 
“attracted much attention.” The whole gist of 
the “much attention” appears to have been whether 
reliable bulbs could be had from seed merchants in 
Ireland, and the editorial answer was “of course they 
can.” While asserting that it was not their “ custom to 
recommend private firms,” the writer swallowed the 
Leek like a man, for as he had already recom¬ 
mended one Dutch firm in particular, the remon¬ 
strance of the “private firms” had its effect, and 
the names were given of the leading private firms 
in Dublin, who were considered as capable of doing 
justice to their customers. The highly reputed firms, 
however, if they obtained a prominent and gratuitous 
advertisement, were not to be let off with flying colours, 
and accordingly the writer 'has a slash at both 
Irish and English seed merchants and nurserymen, 
for the manner in which they bring out their 
catalogues as contrasted with those of continental 
production. A gentle hint was also given as to the 
prices charged. 
As to the catalogue part of the question I think 
both Dublin and English firms bring out very 
meritorious productions, and I think they ought 
to be the best judges of what is likely to suit the 
public taste. The leading daily paper complains, 
however, that English and Irish catalogues are too 
pictorial and delusive, and enough space is not given 
to descriptive matter. Well, this is news to me. I 
have been looking for years through almost all the seed 
catalogues for the different seasons, and I can say that 
while some of them are highly pictorial, none of them 
are wanting in concise and explanatory literary matter. 
So far I think our seed merchants have no need to go 
to Dutch bulb growers to learn how to illustrate or 
compile their catalogues, whatever they may have to 
rectify in the matter of price or advertising. The 
paper in question admonishes Irish seedsmen in this 
fashion, “Our Irish merchants must realise the fact, 
that in this free-trade era people will buy in the 
market that which is cheapest and best known to them. 
They must beat their competitors in price and, above 
all things, publicity.” There is, it adds, “no other 
safe rule of the road.” 
The Vegetable Grounds at the Rathdown 
Union, Loughlinstown, co. Dublin. 
This place is convenient to Shankhill Station on the 
Dublin and Wicklow Kailway, and is within easy 
distance of the town of Bray, the Brighton of Ireland. 
To those who may have read of the beauties of the 
Yale of Shanganagh, I may say that the Rathdown 
Union is situated almost in its midst, and that from 
various standpoints surrounding it, many glimpses of 
splendid natural scenery can he had. It is always 
useful, from a gardening and farming point of view, to 
look in here at this time of year, and see what Mr. 
Conway—who is the teacher of the boys, and a most 
enthusiastic and practical agriculturist to boot—has 
been doing during the season. Before I deal with the 
various crops of roots and vegetables, I may say that 
all the tillage and other work necessary for the pro¬ 
duction of the vegetables grown here is chiefly done by 
a little army of small boys, who are always under Mr. 
Conway’s superintendence. The work performed by 
these little fellows is admirable, and their teacher may 
well be congratulated on the training they are receiving 
in this department, and although it may hardly come 
within the scope of my observations, I think I may say 
that in all that concerns these poor boys educationally, 
Mr. Conway deserves very great praise for the excellence 
they have attained. In comparing the growing results 
of the root-growths this year with those of last, I fear 
that in some cases, and notwithstanding the drought 
of last season, the average return will be much less this 
year. 
Mangels and Swedes. 
Owing to the cold sunless summer the first named are 
not, I think, equal to what I saw growing in these 
grounds last year ; they evidently want more time to 
grow, which at this advanced period of the season they 
are not likely to get. Numerous varieties are grown, 
and all are of fair average growth taking the season 
into account. Those sown on the 5th of April are 
solid and good, while others not sown till later on are 
only of medium size. Yellow Globe, Oval Yellow and 
Long Red are decidedly fine crops, while Oval Red, 
Long Yellow and Tankard are not nearly so good. 
Among the later-sown varieties is one known as Gate 
Post, which was sent here on trial from Sir James 
Mackey s seed establishment in Upper Sackville Street. 
Nothing could illustrate better how much inferior the 
growth of Mangels is now as compared with those of 
last year. I remember seeing on exhibition last year, 
at Sir James Mackey’s, roots of enormous size of this 
very variety, and here they are only of a medium size. 
Unlike Mangels, the Swedes are certain to turn out a 
very heavy crop, chiefly for the reason that they can 
he trusted to have a longer time to complete their 
growth. They are grown here not as cattle food, hut 
to help out the usual vegetable supply. Some of the 
varieties grown were supplied for trial by Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons, Reading. These were all doing well, 
as were others supplied by Messrs. Drummond & Sons, 
Dawson Street, Dublin ; Messrs. W. Tait & Co., Capel 
Street, Dublin ; and Sir James Mackey. The varieties 
consisted of Dwarf Top, Defiance Purple Top, Bronze 
Top, and the very useful White-fleshed Swede. Of the 
softer varieties of Turnips many are grown, such as 
Dale’s Hybrid, Poster’s Hybrid, Green Top Aberdeen, 
Devonshire Greystone, &c. These all come in useful 
and help to prolong the supply. 
Onions. 
I found these a remarkably heavy crop, and some of the 
sorts of fine size, and as close in the lines as they could 
stand. A number of sorts were on trial for the first 
time, including several sent by the Messrs. Sutton. 
As it maybe useful to some ot our gardening friends if I 
mention such as are not generally known, I will do 
so. The first is Crimson Globe, a fine clean large 
Onion, and one to be recommended, if its keeping 
qualities are good. Golden Globe is a grand sort for 
a heavy crop, and being very thin in the neck, shows 
every indication of being a good keeper. Silver Globe 
is an equally fine kind. Improved Reading is a very 
handsome, straw-coloured Onion, a good cropper, and 
I should say a fine keeper. All the older kinds, such 
as Strasburgh, James’s Keeping, Yellow Deptford, 
Nuneham Park, Banbury, &c., gave good returns. 
P0TAT03. 
An actual digging trial of the Potatos, I am sorry to 
say, pointed to the probable scarcity of these during 
the coming winter and spring. So far as it is possible 
to avoid Potato disease, Mr. Conway’s mode of pro¬ 
cedure ought to effect it. His crop of these tubers 
always succeeds his heavily-manured crop of Mangels, 
and receives no other manuiing whatever. Under such 
treatment one would not expect to find disease pre¬ 
valent, but among some of the sorts, however, this -was 
so. Under the general description of good kinds I 
may mention Imperator, Early Rose, Adirondack, St. 
Patrick, American Giant, Bountiful Red Kidney, 
Reading Hero, Magnum Bonum, and Sutton’s Best of 
All. Some newly imported Champions were good and 
sound, while other stocks, not of recent introduction, 
were very unsound. Some kinds which turned out 
well last year are very bad this season, and although 
not long introduced, and said to be disease-resisting, 
are by no means of that desirable character. Some of 
these are Tillage Blacksmith, Fiftyfold, Beauty of 
Hebron, Scottish Queen, Scottish Star, Lord Beacons- 
field, Fillbasket, Puritan, Maggie, and Scotch Downs, 
a variety which I thought was out of cultivation years 
ago ; then there were a lot of Sutton’s introductions, all 
badly diseased and poor in crop. These were Abundance, 
a fine Potato, where sound ; Early Market and Satis¬ 
faction, both badly diseased ; Seedling Kidney and 
Masterpiece. I have the names of many others in my 
list, but I have given enough to show what havoc the 
disease has wrought. 
Other Vegetables. 
Brussels Sprouts, Borecole, Broccoli, and Cabbages 
are fine in growth, as are also Parsnips and Carrots. 
Celery and Kohl Rabi are very well done indeed. The 
general tendency of the season has been to develop 
the foliage of the plants to an unusual degree ; hence 
we need not be surprised that this large increase of 
leafage, while telling well for such plants as we grow 
for their leaves alone, has had an opposite effect on 
subjects grown for their roots only. In this way I find 
Turnips and Mangels are carrying a large amount of 
the most luxuriant foliage ; but the late dry weather 
has had the effect of hardening it somewhat, and this 
must act beneficially on the roots. 
Irrigation and Drainage. 
In trying to get rid of a system of sewers which formerly 
deposited laundry and other slops in a small river close 
by, and which was regarded as a nuisance by the public, 
the Guardians are constructing works by which the 
land in their possession, after being thoroughly drained, 
can be irrigated, and the sewage, free from all im¬ 
purities, turned into the river. The works have been 
executed at a large expenditure of money ; but while 
effecting a work of so much importance to the public 
health, I believe the Guardians will, by the adoption 
of a certain course, have it in their power bv-and-bye 
to recoup the ratepayers for the, outlay. The same 
difficulty that existed elsewhere of keeping down weeds 
has been found here, but although they were trouble¬ 
some, Mr. Conway, with his “ little men all,’’ succeeded 
to perfection, and at the time of my visit all his crops 
were entirely free from them. 
Experimental Stations. 
In thinking over the experience to be gained in com¬ 
paring the growths of roots and vegetables as done at 
a few of the public institutions, I often feel that if we 
had more of them scattered over the country, and tfiat 
a little more means were afforded, what an easy matter 
it would be to establish stations for experimental 
purposes, in an humble way it might be, but still, n 
a country like Ireland, they could hardly fail to produce 
good results among our farming population. At all 
events, the efforts of Mr. Conway, and men like him, 
deserve every encouragement and full recognition at 
the hands of those they are serving, for are they not 
training up youths to habits of industry which must 
fir them bodily to help in the world’s work, as well as 
form their minds to receive and retain the information 
imparted to them ? — JV. D. 
-- 
SOME GOOD APPLES. 
Foremost among these I place Lady Sudeley ; it was 
sent out by Messrs. George Bunyard & Co., of 
Maidstone, for the first time in 1S85, having been 
obtained by them from Mr. Jacobs, of Pet worth, and 
provisionally named Jacob’s Strawberry. Its origin 
seems involved in obscurity. Mr. Jacobs states that 
he purchased a bundle of Apples at a nursery sale, 
and among them he had two which bore the fruit 
subsequently named Lady Sudeley. It is an early 
dessert Apple, ready in September, and keeping until 
November. It is strongly recommended for its fertility, 
fine flavour, and singularly handsome appearance, for 
when it becomes ripe it is beautifully stained and striped 
with crimson, and in this form has great attraction 
for the eye. I saw a few plants of this Apple two 
years old on the French Paradise, bearing really splendid 
fruit, in Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons’ nursery, at Crawley, 
a few days ago, and it is bound to take a high place 
among our early dessert Apples. For exhibition 
purposes in September it is, I should think, unrivalled. 
I think it will make a remarkably fine market Apple. 
Domino is a variety not largely known ; it is of the 
Codlin type, very prolific, and of extra fine quality, 
and cannot fail to make a fine market variety ; it is 
also well adapted for small gardens. The Professor is 
another fine Apple, culinary, ready in September and 
October, and represented by a large and somewhat 
conical golden yellow fruit of extremely attractive 
appearance; a great cropper, and boils remarkably well, 
sweet, and requiring scarcely any sugar. It was 
exhibited at the Apple Congress at Chiswick in 1883, 
but is stated in the report to be worthless. Messrs. 
J. Cheal & Sons, in whose nursery I recently saw it in 
very fine condition, term it of the first quality, and I 
think they are right. Small trees upon the French 
Paradise were bearing very fine specimens. 
The Queen, recently sent out by Messrs. Saltmarsh & 
Son, of Chelmsford, is also another very fine new 
Apple, and like the preceding, can be seen in very fine 
condition at the Crawley Nursery, bearing freely and 
finely upon small trees. It is a large and very hand¬ 
some Apple, ready in October, and will keep a long 
time. It does well on a standard, and succeeds in a 
heavy soil. I regard this as one of the Apples of the 
future. Lord Grosvenor is not nearly so new, but it is 
a large and very free-bearing Codlin, a robust grower, 
with vigorous foliage, and valuable as an early variety. 
It is an Apple that should be planted in heavy soils, as 
it will succeed where Lord Suffield will not. I could 
not help being struck with the appearance of the trees 
of the two varieties in the Crawley Nurseries, where 
the soil is heavy. Lord Grosvenor was as healthy as 
possible, bearing fine fruits ; Lord Suffield looked woe¬ 
begone, and the fruits were spotted. The latter should 
be planted in a good loam upon the gravel in a sunny 
position, when it may be expected to do well and bear 
tine fruit.—A. D. 
