IRISH GARDENING 



17 



means of capillary attraction during the excessive 

 and prolonged drought. 



A long avenue flanked by hlack poplar trees was 

 imposing, by reason of their great stature and 

 fresh green foliage, doubtl.'ss accentuated by the 

 scorched sward underneath. 



The Superintendent, Mr. Wright, who belongs 

 to a well-known horticultural family, is a most in- 

 teresting man, and gave u^ freely of his 40 years' 

 experience in the London Parks, indeed his flood 

 of knowledge proved to X»' of the most instructive 

 nature, his painstaking nut hods of explaining the 

 particular features most pr.pular with the public, 

 and his way of dealing with specific needs was. 

 to my mind," a gift of a cumulative preference share 

 in a lifetime's park management. 



An artificial lake nicely" laid out and treated in 

 a natural way with marginal plantings is an at- 

 traction to the public wlio indvilge in boating, 

 much to the benefit of the park revenue. 



Tlie flower bedding has niany distinctive features 

 and if not conceived on a large, bold scale, i.s 

 everywhere in good taste. 



Mr. Wright may well regret leaving this pretty 

 and well-ordered park to take charge of the premier 

 park at Battersea, to w-hicli he has just been pro- 

 moted. 



Next on our programme was the Victoria Em- 

 bankments and St. James's Park. The former has 

 not returned to its pre-war glory, and our time 

 was occupied in inspecting, amongst other things. 

 a strikingly effective colour mass of 22.000 Ger- 

 anium Paul Crampel, planted in sixteen beds close 

 by the Queen 'Victoria Memorial in front of Buck- 

 ingham Palace. 



The gigantic scale on which the grand white 

 statue is built, and its historic surroundings, de- 

 mand a similar floral scale, and this bold scarlet 

 conception seems to have supplied the need. 



Much more could be written of the London 

 Royal Parks, and many more days could have been 

 spent visiting the numerous London County Council 

 Parks, but the above are fairly representative of 

 tlie whole. 



We saw the London area at the greatest possible 

 disadvantage — viz., after an unprecedented drought 

 of nearly five months, and after considering and 

 allowing fully for the disability, and a previous 

 knowledge of the London parks, dating back to 

 nearly 25 years, I am fully convinced that for 

 freshness, vigorous growth, and purity of colour- 

 ing, the Dublin floral displays are first; that in 

 a large measure may be traceable to the more 

 favourable climate and atmosphere. The bedding 

 conceptions and general treatment of the Dublin 

 public parks and gardens, however, have no ad- 

 vantage in that respect, and they are certainly 

 equal, if not superior, to anything seen in London. 



The practical handling of roads, footpaths, 

 fences, forestry, etc., leaves nothing to be desired 

 in Dublin when compared with London. 



The propagating houses in the Phoenix Park, 

 ■while perhaps modelled on the London plan, stand 

 right away in general maintenance and orderly 

 methods from anything we saw in London. 



Since visiting the London Parks I have seen 

 some of the parks and open spaces of Newcastle- 

 on-Tyne. Edinburgh and Glasgow, and while they 

 had not suffered by reason of drought to the same 

 extent as London, I can only reiterate that 

 Glasnevin Botanic Gardens, St. Stephen's Green 

 Park, and Phoenix Park occupy the very happy 

 position of being second to none I saw. 



Nemo. 



19th December. 1921. 



Notes from Rostrevor. 



MiuwiNTCR is nut the moment when plants are 

 expected to come into bloom, and yet there is quite 

 a fair number that select this time to display their 

 charms. Some perliaps have done so this year a 

 little earlier than is usual with them, on account 

 of the general mildness of the present season; but 

 they have only forestalled their accustomed time 

 by a week or two, and they are all of special in- 

 terest, even if some are not very conspicuous, 

 because of their winter activity when nature .seems 

 to be asleep, and when so nuich else is ajjparently 

 lifeless. Among trees and shrubs may be noted : — 

 fiarciicocca pniiiifdimis and >'. ruscifrAid, allied to 

 the Box tree, L'uju^tntm rinttii. Sl:immia ohhitrj 

 Veitchii, and lirrhcris japonicn, with a soft pale 



The L.\ke, People's Gardens. Phcenix P.ahk. 

 Dublin. 



yellow inflorescence that emerges out of a thick 

 leathery pinnate foliage. But, better than these, 

 are Lonirtiti fnujidntissirna, and its near kinsman 

 L. Standishii, with pretty pure white flowers and 

 yellow anthers, both deliciously scented and doubly 

 welcome on this account at this dead season. More- 

 over, Panotiu jiersica. red, Hdinamelis mollis, 

 rich yellow, H. arhorea, primrose with a carmine 

 centre, are also in bloom, II. japonicn zuccari- 

 iiidiia, yellow, is just about to open, while H. 

 viiginicn, also yellow, and Loropefnhnn chincnse, 

 white, are over. These very interesting plants 

 belong to the same order, and are remarkable for 

 their curiously-shaped flowers, like tiny coloured 

 strings of various dimensions. To these may be 

 added : — Aztiin intrgrifolia, with numerous bright 

 yellow flowerets disposed along the underside of 

 the branchlets and .scented like vanilla; Hakea 



