IRISH GARDENING 



57 



iigain come down heavily in the Lords, in 

 a defended action, raised liy the father of a boy 

 of seven years who lost his life thi-ough having 

 eaten some berries from a plant of Atropa bellu- 

 donna, in a small plot of medical plants in the 

 Glasgow Botanic Garden. In connection with 

 this unhappy incident, it may be profitable to 

 recall the much worse case, related in a com- 

 Ijendious work on the Jardin des Plantes, pub- 

 lished by Cnrmer, Paris, in 1842. There one may 

 read that ; — " Belladonna, whose aspect is sus- 

 Iiect, despite its elegant bearing, produces 

 numerous fnuts whicii, upon maturity, resendile 

 lilack cherries; children are sometimes deceived 

 /)y them; and tlu' old cuiidoyees of the Jardin 

 des Plantes will tell you that during the Revolu- 

 tion some little orphans from the Hospice of Pity, 

 employed liy the administration to weed the 

 " manvaises herbes," noticed in medical plants 

 plot fruits of the Belladonna, found them of a 

 sweet savour, and ate a pretty large quantity of 

 them; fourteen of those luifortunate young chil- 

 dren died some hours later." It is a moving story, 

 and it contains a warninir. 



.1. P. 



^ 



^ 



The Nepeta, or Cat-mint, ^o designated from the 

 fact that its foliage is aromatic, belongs to a section 

 of hardy perennials of a dwarf order, and is allied 

 to the Sage family. .Vrppffj mnsf.\n\ is possibly the 

 best known of the genus, and within the last few 

 years, has excited not a little curiosity amongst 

 iovers of rock plants. The flowers are plentifully 

 borne, are purplish blue in colour, and are svir- 

 rounded with narrow foliage of grey green. Hardy 

 to a degree, and standing dryness better than most 

 plants, we have in this prostrate growing subject 

 one that will accommodate itself to most environ- 

 ments. It is one of the easiest things to propagate, 

 as cuttings taken almost at any time during the 

 summer and planted in a little sandy soil will 

 root in about ten days, or plants can be divided in 

 the autunm. Xipi-fit in ussiiii makes a very pretty 

 edging for a border of hardy plants, and blooms for 

 months together. No winter seems to kill it, and 

 from a few plants one may through the medium of 

 cuttings work up a stock very soon. 



I have used it with good effect for some years as 

 a base for beds of May flowering Tulips, and those 

 interested in Tulips should bear it in mind. 



Mercaston. 



The Yew Walk at Mount Wilson, 

 King's County 



The accompanying photograph illustrates some- 

 thing which, we think, is unique in this country 

 or in the British Isles. It is the Yew Walk at 

 Mount Wilson, Edenderry. King's County. 



It is composed of .'io Irish Yews — 17 on one side 

 and 18 on the othei-, forming an avenue 8(1 yards 

 long and about 18 feet wide. The trees are 5S feet 

 high, and the branches meet overhead, and are 

 so interwoven that a heavy shower will scarcely 

 damp the ground underneath. 



Tradition says that the trees forming 

 avenue are 600 years old, and as the walk 

 been the same for the 240 years during which 

 place has been in the family it is thought that the 

 age estimate is about correct. 



One tree was struck by lightning in 1916, 

 jiart of it is still living. 



the 

 has 

 the 



but 



The walk runs due east and west, and forms the 

 southern boundary to the garden, which is also 

 centuries old, and contains two very fine speci- 

 mens of the Irisli Yew, evidently contemporary 

 with those forming the walk. 



As the fine old Monastery of Monasteroris, now 

 in ruins, is only about one mile distant, it is sup- 

 posed that in long-ago times monks lived at 

 Momit Wilson, and planted the walk and garden. 



Some years ago an American gentleman offered 

 the late Mr. Newsom a big sum of money for the 

 Yew Walk, as it stood, as he wished to remove it 

 to America, but his offer was declined. 



S. N. B.4KEK. 



Thk Ykw Walk at Mount Wilson, Edenderry, 

 King's Co. 



Allotments. 



Amateurs and allotment-holders are large pur- 

 chasers of Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Sprouts, and 

 similar plants from the open market. Before these 

 ])lants are taken away the roots should always be 

 examined, and should they appear fleshy or 

 swollen such plants should be rejected. The chief 

 pest to bo feared is club-root, which is a disease. 

 Sometimes the plants are attacked by the 

 Cabbage Root-fly, an insect which is perhaps not 

 quite so troublesome; but club-root is extremely 

 difficult to cure on a plot once it is introduced. 

 (Occasionally the plants are attacked by both 

 pests, but the presence of club-root is fairly easily 

 determined, it being characterised by the roots 

 of the plants being swollen and often tapering to 

 a point, and being distinctly whitish in colour. If 

 the plot is already free of this disease, much the 

 safer way is to sow seeds, and not purchase 

 plants. (3n the other hand, if the plot is diseased, 

 better results may be obtained from purchased 

 jilants which are clean, as infection takes place 

 in the seedling stage. It is always wise when 



