lO 



IRISH GARDENING 



An Uncommon "Traveller's Joy." 



Clematis smilacifolia 

 This iutoresting species (lowered profusely during 

 November and early Deoeiuber in a eorridor of the 

 I)lant houses in the Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin. 



It is in many ways a remarkable and attractive 

 plant. Apparently of vigorous growth it would 

 require considerable spai'c to allow for its full de- 

 velopment. Where, however, this could be 

 provided it would form an attractive feature, par- 

 ticularly as the fiowers are sweetly scented. 



The leaves are large and of thick texture, re- 

 calling those of some of Uie hardy Sniilaxes; they 

 are egg-shaped, narrowed to a point at the apex, 

 heart-shaped at the base, and quite entire, not 

 divided as in most Clematises. 



The flowers, produced from tlie axils of the 

 leaves on the current year's shoots, are borne in 

 loose panicles; each flower is composed of 4 or 5 

 sepals. These are long, strap-shaped, of a light, 

 rusty colour outside, due to a dense covering oF 

 down, and deep, dark violet within. 



The centre of each flower is occupied by 

 numerous long, narrow, flat stamens or stami- 

 nodes, each bearing a pair of anther pores laterally 

 towards the apex. Numerous achenes with re- 

 curved stigmas are produced within the dense ring 

 of stamens. The plant here described was pre- 

 sented to the National collection at Glasnevin by 

 Prof. Dixon, from Trinity College Gardens, whence 

 it was introduced from Siam. 



It differs slightly from the specimen figured in 

 the hcitiinical Mcujazim . t. 4259, inasmuch as the 

 sepals are not completely revolute as there shown, 

 but merely point downwards and curve slightly at 

 the apex, they are also quite as frequently 5 or 

 even G in number as 4. 



The Piotaiucdl Maoazine figure was prepared from 

 a Javanese specimen, hut since th" jilant is also 

 recorded from Nepaul an<l Siam. these differences 

 are probably merely environmental. B. 



Erica mediterranea ancl others. 



AiiONCi the taller hardy Heaths none is more 

 lovely than E. meditenfinea. There may be some 

 more striking species and varieties, but, taking 

 into consideration its various forms and the 

 hybrid that bears its name, the ease with which 

 it can be grown in almost any soil, and the long 

 season of blossoming at a sea.son (March-.Tune) 

 when rose-purple flowers are uncommon, K. merli- 

 ferranea can. I think, claim' a prominent place 

 among the best of its race. 



This Heath is a fast and robust grower, attain- 

 ing a height of some 3 to 5 feet. Tlie habit is 

 bushy and upright, and a well-grown plant will 

 cover a breadth equal to its height. Being deep- 

 green, the l)ristly foliage makes an admirable 

 setting for the blossoms with which the ends of 

 the shots are crowded, and the shrub will, as I 

 have said, often remain in full beauty for three 

 months. Though E. medilciraneii prefers fidl sun 

 it will do very well in thin woodland, and it can 

 be grown to perfection in any gritty loam with 

 the addition of a little leaf-mould. Though I do 

 not speak from experience, I believe that this is 

 one of the few Heaths which will do in a limy 

 soil. 



The white-flowered variety, E. incditeiiinii'ii 

 (ilhti, is a lovely thing, in every way as easy as 

 the type, and, in many respects, the finest of all 

 the white Kricas. The foiui known as " glanca," 



whose foliage is bluish green, is not distinctive 

 enough, in my ojiinion, to merit particular atten- 

 tion, but the dwarf variety, E. meditermnea iiami, 

 is useful for snudl rock gardens or edgings. E. 

 inedifeinineu hibeniica is yet another of the clan, 

 hailing from the bogs of western Ireland, but it 

 does not do so well in our woodland loam as the 

 others. 



Quite the gem of the mediterraneas is E. M. 

 superha, a form not often seen. It is close to the 

 type in general character, Init is bolder and better 

 in all its parts, the flowers being a fuller colour, 

 larger size, and even more liberally produced. It 

 is, in truth, a " superba " E. meditenunen, the 

 type so glorified as to appear at first glance a 

 different species. 



E. tnediteiniiiea lii/hridn * is a hybrid between 

 E. mediierianeii and the well-known winter-flower- 

 ing E. carnea. and it has iidierited some of the 

 good points of both parents. Whilst retaining tlie 

 dark-green foliage of the one, it is rather more 

 dwarf, and has adopted more of the spreading 

 habit of E. rainea. Its flowers are intermediate 

 Ijetween the soft rose-pur])le of mediternineu and 

 the clear, almost carmine-crimso'n of the other. 

 In vigoau- of constitution it leaves nothing to be 

 desired. Indeed, E. in. hybridu is such a 

 good doer that we do not hesitate to plant it on 

 dry banks under trees where few other subjects 

 would pro.sper, and it is one of the best Heaths 

 for using as a carpeting for Azaleas. It is said 

 to be as indifferent to lime as its parents, and its 

 season of flowering is even longer than that of E. 

 i(i.rneii. Thus, before the end of November, the 

 first blossoms of this hybrid were open this year 

 with us; they will gradually increase until early 

 spring, and summer will be approaching before 

 the last of them are over. 



Eiiru inedHcixnica is not. as might be supposed, 

 a native of southern Europe, but of western 

 Spain and France, whilst E. carnea is common to 

 many of the mountain forests of central Europe. 



N. Wales. A. T. .Johnson. 



Allotments. 



Seed C.italogues for the cm-rent year are now 

 coming to hand, and it will be welcome news for 

 all to note that some reduction has taken place 

 in the cost of seeds, and especially seed Potatoes. 

 In the selection of varieties to grow preference 

 should lie given to those kinds of Potatoes which 

 are known to succeed locally. Potatoes have a 

 marked preference for certain districts, and also 

 to a lesser extent even to the soil. A variety which 

 is known to succeed should not be discarded imtil 

 a better and heavier cropper has been secured ; 

 for this reason there are many Potatoes still giown 

 in isolated districts, which have long been sub- 

 stituted by newer kinds in the seedmen's cata- 

 logues, but they are retained as long as their 

 vigour remains. At the same time new varieties 

 of proved merit are always worth a trial. There 

 is usually some enterprising individual among the 

 allotment holders who is keen on growing new 

 varieties, and ready to part with his experience 

 to others, and there are many ways of finding out 

 what class of Potatoes and other vegetables suc- 

 ceed locally. We have remarked before the 

 benefit which a change of district will n'so do in 



* Now called E. dnrlnievn^ (see "Trees and Plinibs Hard.v in 

 the British Isles," Vol. I„ p. 521). 



