IRISH GARDENING. 



37 



is to clothe the bare pillar.s in large conserva- 

 tories, psrhaps 20 or 30 foot high. Individually 

 the white llowers are not large, but they are very 

 freely produced in long sk^ider racemes, which, 

 with the greyish -green lanceolate leaves, give 

 Buddleia asiatica an attractive and graceful 

 appaarance. Added to this, the blooms are 

 deliciously fragrant. 



The first i^lants introduced are recorded from 

 India about 1874, but for the present stock, 

 which may be hardier, we are indebted to Mr. 

 E. H. Wilson, who sent home seeds from China. 



A. 0. 



Corylopsis Willmottiae, 



From the five or six species of Corylopsis intro- 

 duced from China by Mr. E. H. Wilson. C. 

 Wilhnottise is readily distinguished in winter by 

 the swollen bvids. It is apparently fairly 

 common (Western Szech'uan) if we may be 

 guided by the varied seed numbers of this species 

 collected by Mr. Wilson. These include 1316 w., 

 4224 w., and 4406 w. 



C. Willmottise is a bushy, deciduous shrub. 

 The dainty greenish yellow flowers open in 

 spring in advance of the leaves. It is thus 

 necessary, with the idea of providing some 

 shelter from late spring frosts, to plant this and 

 other species of the interestnig Corylopsis 

 family on a south-west or west border. Tlie 

 plaiats thrive in a well-drained light loam in 

 wnich leaf -mould and peat are freely incorporated. 

 Laj^ering aiad half-ripe cuttings inserted in 

 summer in a heat ?d propagating frame provide 

 ready means of increase. A. 0. 



Cotoneaster frigida. 



In some respects this is the most useful and 

 distinct species of the genus. To begin with, it 

 is the most vigorous in growth of the Cotoneaster 

 family, forming an attractive specimen lawn 

 shrub 18 or 20 feet high and as much in diameter. 

 Trained to a single stem in the earlier years of 

 its growth, C. frigicla becomes a shapely tree. In 

 the Victoria Park at J?atli there is a siJecimen 

 tree with a 6 foot clear trunk and at least 1 foot 

 in diameter. 



In early summer the corymbs of wnite flowers 

 are conspicuous, followed in autunm by quanti- 

 ties of rich red berries. 



It may not be so in all localities, bat it is very 

 conspicuous at Kew that the fruits of this species 

 are not sought after by the birds until food 

 becomes scarce. This year they remained 

 attractive on the bushes until the lengthy spell 

 of frost at the end of January. 



C. frigida is a native of the Himalayas, 



evidently growing at a considerable elevation, 

 for it is quite hardy in this country. A deciduous 

 si^ecies, the plant thrives in most soils, and is 

 noteworthy as a good shrub for town gardens. 



A. 0. 



The Wild Primula sinensis. 



Though first introduced from China in 1820, 

 and subsequently figured in the Botanical 

 Magazine, tab. 2564, the wild type is seldom 

 seen in our greenhouses. This is to be regretted, 

 for, though not so showy as the extensively 

 cultivated single and double varieties, it is an 

 interesting and desirable winter-flowering jilant. 

 In the greenhouse at Kew one of the side stages 

 is filled with a considerable batch of j)lants, the 

 progeny of seeds collected by Mr. E. H. Wilson 

 during one of his journeys in China. Though not 

 so prolific as the popular garden sorts in the 

 production of seeds, sufficient can be obtained 

 to propagate the plants by this means, which 

 is more satisfactory than increase by division. 

 Essential cultural conditions are — cool green- 

 house treatment, a well-drained soil, and careful 

 watering. For young plants flowering for the 

 first time 5-inch pots are large enough. The 

 light green foliage, which is not so robust as in 

 the garden varieties, and trusses of delicate pale 

 lilac flowers, may perhaps be best described as 

 daintily attractive. A. O. 



Saxifraga cotyledon var* Icelandica. 



I HAVE mislaid my copy of Irish Gardening 

 for February, but Ijefore doing so I read therein 

 a note commending a Saxifrage named as above. 

 That name, however, I am informed, was given 

 to this fine form of S. cotyledon in consequence 

 of a mistake about its country of origin. I first 

 made acquaintance with it in the beautiful 

 garden of St. John's College, Oxford, upon 

 which the Rev. Mr. Bidder lavishes such fruit- 

 ful care. Mr. Bidder had received it from a 

 friend who, he understood, had collected the 

 plant during a trip to Iceland ; but, if I am 

 rightly informed, he learnt subsequently that 

 his friend had not gone to Iceland, but to 

 Norway, where, as every one who has visited 

 that delectable land in summer knows, S. 

 cotyledon aboiinds. 



Mr. Bidder was so kind as to give me a piece 

 of his treasure, which has produced several 

 strong plants that have never failed to flower 

 abundant ly during five or si x years . It is indeed 

 a very fine form of S. cotyledon, both in flower 

 and leaf. It does not like hme. 



Herbert Maxwell. 



Monreith. 



