IRISH GARDENING. 



29 



and. also foimd in the mountains of Formosa. It 

 was introduced in the British Isles about the 

 middle of last century, but is rare in cultivation. 

 The timber only appears to be used locally. 



J. macrocarpa Sibth. (Large-berried Juniper). — 

 Found as a bush or a small tree throughout 

 Southern Europe and in some parts of North 

 Africa. The fragrant wood appeal's to be used 

 with that of J. oxycedrus for di.stiUation. 



J. macropada Boiss. (Himalayan Pencil 

 Cedar). — Widely distributed from Nepal to 

 Afghanistan, often irom 40-50 ft. high with a 

 trunk 6-7 ft. in girth, but sometimes much larger. 

 The wood is fragrant aud moderately hard : it is 

 used for wall-plates, beams and fuel. A closely 

 allied tree from the sanie region is .1. religio.sa. 



J. mexicana Schiede (Rock Cedar, Juniper 

 Cedar, ^lountain Cedar, Cedar). — This species 

 forms forests on the limestone hills of Mexico and 

 Texas where it sometimes reaches 95 ft. high. 

 The wood is used for general construction, 

 fencing, sills, telegraph poles, railroad ties and 

 fuels. 



J. occidentalis Hook (Canadian Juniper, Cali- 

 fornian Juniper, Western Bed Cedar, Yellow 

 Cedar). — W^idely distributed in North West 

 America from Canada to California. The wood 

 is used for fencing as it lasts well in contact with 

 the soil. 



J. oxycedrus Linn. (Sharp Cedar, Brown- 

 berried .luniper). — Common throughout the Medi- 

 terranean region frona sea level up to 5,000-6,000 

 ft., usually as a shrub but sometinies as a small 

 tree. In Italy, it occupies considerable areas on 

 sand dunes. Tlie principal use of the wood is for 

 distillation ('" oil of cade "). 



J. pachyphlaea Torr. (Oak- barked Cedar, 

 Thick-barked Cedar, Alouniain Cedar, C'hequer- 

 barked Juniper). — Found wild in the dry regions 

 of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. 



J. phoenicea Linn. (Phoenician Juniper). — An 

 important tree in the Mediterranean region ; its 

 timber is used for building purposes and for fire- 

 wood. It varies in height from little more than 

 a shrub to a tree of 40 feet. 



J. procera Hochst (East African Juniper or 

 Cedar). — Found wild on the mountains of East 

 Africa. The wood, of light weight and nearly as 

 soft as red cedar, is a likely substitute for that of 

 J. virginiana for pencil-making. 



J. recurva Buch-Ham. — A tree, native of 

 Eastern Himalaya. The wood is quite equal to 

 the best pencil cedar, but is only used for burning 

 as incense in the Buddhist temples. J. squamata 

 from the Western Himalayas, China and Formosa 

 is a closely allied species with very similar wood. 



J. rigida Sieb. et Zucc. — A shrub or small tree 

 native of Japan. The wood has good lasting 

 properties and is put to niany local uses. 



J. .sabina Linn. (Savin). — A shrub or bush dis- 

 tributed through Central and Southern Europe, 

 the Caucasus, North Per.sia and North America. 

 The wood is of little value except for walking- 

 sticks and firewood ; from the shoots and leaves 

 is extracted a medicinal oil (savin oil). 



J. scopulorum Sarg. ("Red Cedar, Rocky 

 Mountain Red Cedar). — A small tree, native of the 

 Rocky Mountains. The wood is useful for fencing, 

 posts, &:c. 



J. thurifera Linn. (Spanish Juniper, Incense 

 Juniper). — A tree distributed through Spain, 

 Portugal, Algeria and Morocco. The wood does 

 not appear to be used other than locally, although 



it is of good appearance and possesses good lasting 

 qualities. 



J. virginiana Linn. (Cedar, Pencil Cedar, Red 

 Cedar, Virginian Cedar). — This species is very 

 widely distributed in North America, and is the 

 most satisfactory of the large growing junipers in 

 the British Isles. It varies from a bush to a tree 

 120 ft. high with a diameter of 8 ft. A very valu- 

 able species from a commercial .standpoint. Its 

 wood is used niore often than that of any other 

 kind for the casings of lead pencils. Knotty wood, 

 unsuitable for pencil-making, is very useful for 

 fences, railway sleepers, &c. The shavings and 

 dust from pencil factories is distilled for the 

 fragi'ant oil, which is used in perfumery. The 

 shavings after distillation make an excellent 

 substitute for coconut fibre as a plunging naaterial 

 for horticultural purposes, as fungi do not grow 

 upon them. 



J. Wallichiana Hook f. (Black Juniper). — A 

 variable species in the Himalaya. The wood 

 appears to be used locally for building purposes. — 

 W. DALT.IMORE, in the Inter nai'wnal Review of the 

 Science and Practice of Agriculture for June, 1910, 

 taken from the Kew Bulletin. 



The Month's Work. 



Midland and Northern Counties. 



By W. G. Neave, Gardener to Lady O'Neill, 

 Shane's Castle, Antrim. 



Vegetable Garden. 



What with heavy rains, sleety showers, frosts 

 and thaws, the work in the kitchen garden is 

 proceeding slowly, but surely, I hope. Take 

 every opportunity of pushing on trenching and 

 digging ; leave nothing of that kind undone that 

 can be done now, but keep off the land if it is 

 very wet. 



Seed Sowixci. — Broad beans claim our earlie.st 

 attention ; towards the end of the month make a 

 sowing on a warm border or sheltered plot — 

 that is if you get the ground dry enough — but 

 beans, like peas, may be sown in turves or pots, 

 as they transplant easily when about 6 inches 

 high, and are available when outside sowings fail. 

 Peas. — The first outside sowing requires a warm 

 rich border. I always sow on the south border 

 along with the early potatoes — 7 or 8 rows of 

 potatoes and a row of peas, and so on along the 

 border — so that if the ground and weather is at 

 all favourable a chance should not be lost of getting 

 in some early Potatoes and Peas (although there 

 is a certain amount of risk with the Potatoes 

 owing to the very late frost we get). SpiJiach. — 

 A sowing of Spinach should be made this month, 

 as soon as the soil is workable, provided a 

 sheltered position is chosen ; this sowing should 

 afford a supply of leaves early in .May ; if sown 

 in rows make the drill 15 to IS inches apart. 

 31any growers, however, prefer to sow spinach 

 between rows of peas or broad beans, and this 

 system is a good one, as the spinach may be 

 gathered and the crop cleared off before the other 

 crop has matured. The plants of autumn-sown 

 spinach should have any decayed leaves removed, 

 and the soil between the rows slightly stirred up, 

 after which a dressing of soot should be applied. 



