102 



IRISH GARDENING. 



The Saxifrages were quite satisfactory, tliough 

 later to bloom of course, the only difficulty 

 being caused by frost upheavals, which damaged 

 the more recently planted. I omitted mentioning 

 that C'hoisya ternata, gro\\'ing by the south wall 

 that the Ampelopsis was on, is quite unhurt, 

 and has flowered more than ever before. It 

 never got any protection, and is a fair sized bush. 



Co. Wicklow. H. S. W. 



Notes. 



Crataegus orientalis. 



This forms a very attractive small tree for a 

 lawn, and, as a rule, flowers freely in June. 

 Just at present, in the middle of June, it is very 

 pretty with its corymbs of white flowers The 

 flowers are heavily scented with the charac- 

 teristic Hawthorn perfume, and are particularly 

 SAveet in the early morning and evening. The 

 leaves are deeply lobed and covered on both 

 surfaces with soft hairs. 



Pterostyrax hispidum. 



This interesting small tree will shortly be in 

 flower ; at present the pendulous inflorescences 

 are lengthening fast and apparently the tree has 

 suffered no injury from the late winter. The 

 flowers are white and scented. The leaves are 

 fairly large up to six or eight inches long and at 

 least half as wide, giving the tree a handsome 

 appearance, even when not in flov/er. Pterostyrax 

 hispidum may be a tree or shrub, according to 

 how it is treated ; if Icept to a central stem it \\i\\ 

 reach a height of twenty- feet or much more in 

 very mild localities, if unyjruned it forms a large 

 branching shrub. It is deciduous, and isanative 

 of China and Japan. 



Syringa japonica» 



Another native of Ja})an said to become a tree 

 under favourable conditions, but more often 

 forming a large shrub. The handsome leaves 

 may reach eight inches long when the plant is 

 flourishing, and are about half as wide. The 

 flowers are produced much later than most other 

 Lilacs, generally towards the end of June ; they 

 are white, produced in large panicles at the ends 

 of the branches. Syringa japonica will be found 

 most useful and desirable where shrubs are 

 appreciated, as it helps greatly in extending the 

 flowering season. 



Broccoli. 



Of all the Cabbage family this seems the most 

 uncertain, except in the case of aiitumn and early 

 winter varieties, which usually turn in safely. 

 Late winter and spring varieties often fail badly 

 in gardens, and it would be well to consider how 

 much ground can be devoted to them and what 

 means can be ado2:»ted to secure a reasonable 

 crop. It is a well known fact that in exposed 

 fields late Broccolis are generally more successful 

 than in the comparative shelter of private 

 gardens. There are doubtless at least two 

 reasons for this — first, :the exposure will un- 

 doubtedly tend to cause the plants to grow 

 slower and sturdier ; and secondly, the soil is 

 generally much pooler and shallower than in 

 the deeply-tilled private garden, where an 

 accumulation of humus, from frequent applica- 

 tions of manure or vegetable refuse, renders the 

 soil more retentive of moisture, and conse- 

 quenth' causes a rapid soft growth. 



The lesson to be drawn therefore seems to 

 be — do not plant winter and spring Broccolis on 

 freshly -manined ground, and at planting time 

 let the soil be as firm as possible to induce a 

 slower, sturdier growth. Prof essional gardeners 

 know well that very fine crops of Broccoli have 

 been obtained by planting on ground from which 

 Strawberries had been cleared off, merely 

 cleaning the surface of the ground without 

 digging, and then opening the holes with a 

 crowbar. All this practical experience points 

 to two main rules — viz., plant in ground not 

 recently manured and ram the soil as hard as 

 possible round the plants. 



Subsequent to planting, some experienced 

 growers recommend one or two applications of 

 agricultural salt scattered roinid the plants 

 during summer ; this they assert has a hardening 

 effect on the growth. As a further means of 

 protecting late varieties it is a common plan to 

 heel over the plants with the heads facing north. 

 To do this remove a spit of soil from in front 

 of the row and with a fork inserted behind the 

 roots push over the whole plant until well 

 inclined to the north, then cover the stems up 

 to the leaves with the soil removed, or if in rows 

 remove the soil from in front of the next row 

 to cover the first, and so on rising the soil first 

 removed to cover the last row. 



The Golden Club, Orontium aquaticum, 



A Noi^TH American aquatic plant, flourishing 

 well in about a foot of water, the rootstock 

 anchoring itself in the mud. The oblong leaves, 

 which have long stalks, rise well over the surface 



