44 



IRISH GARDENING. 



I believe some writers state this plant to be 

 endemic to Corsica, but here it was fairly 

 abundant. It a]ipears to be a little known Alpine 

 of gi'eat beauty, and may be said to be a comi)anion 

 of C. alpinum with the added charm of silvery 

 leaves. The silvery Senecio incanus and the lonu;- 

 spurred Violet (V. calcarata) were also plentiful. 



The Col de la Ciriegia is 8,370 feet high; its 

 southern side drops away steeply, and then a long 

 walk brings us to the Boreon flotel (4,823 feet 

 alt.). This hotel l)y the waterfall is a comfortable 

 and enjoyable resting place and a favourite excursion 

 for residents of St. Martin Vesubie. While staying 

 at Boreon we intended to visit the home of Saxi- 

 fraga florulenta. Starting too leisixrely and late 

 one day we found it was time to return when we 

 arrived and collected a few rosettes. Not satis- 

 fied we returned the following day, hoping to 

 collect seed. The path leads gently upwards 

 through a forest of Spruce with a few open places 

 intervening : here we see Saxifraga cuneifolia on 

 the rocks, and the ubiquitous S. Aizoon. On the 

 banks of the Boreon river the tall blue Monks- 

 hoods and Delphiniums gave a splash of colour. 

 Polygonum alpinum waved ]jlumes of white 

 flowers as graceful as any Spira?a, and the fairy 

 white flowers of Astrantia minor are ever pleasing, 

 while Primula marginata and viscosa had passed 

 out of flower. Primula hirsuta is usually the 

 plant sent out as V. viscosa, but the true viscosa 

 has long oval leaves. 3 to 4 inches long, which are 

 covered by sticky glands, sticky flower stems 

 bear clusters of purplish flowers of rather 

 small size. The plant has a vile smell, and usually 

 grows in chinks of the granite rocks. Following the 

 stream along the Rovinette Valley, passing 

 (ieums. Gentians and the Alpine Rhododendron, 

 we eventually came to the end of the Valley, 

 where the river has its source in a small lake fed 

 by mountain streams. Except the way we came 

 the valley is shut in on all sides by bare mountain 

 ridges, destitute of trees. We climbed over huge 

 tumbled masses of rocks many tons in weight, 

 then on snialler shingle, passing again the 

 beautiful i)ink Thlaspi and the Al))ine Forget-me- 

 Not, until we came under the shady side of a cliff 

 where the Saxifraga florulenta thrives. Here it 

 forms beautifully regular rosettes of incurving 

 shining green leaves without a trace of silver. 

 Throughout the day we found it in varying stages, 

 from tiny seedlings germinating on nioss, turf or 

 debris, to old starved ]jlants with long stems 

 bearing old dead leaves topped by green leaves 

 when growing in shallow crannies where the roots 

 could not descend deeply. In the open, getting 

 the full force of the sun and growing with rosettes 

 erect, we found it : but the most favoured site is 

 the shady side of a cliff, growing horizontally 

 from the rock. Some of the finer rosettes were 

 from 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Old seed pods 

 were there, but the seed was gone, for, like S. 

 longifolia, it dies after seeding. It ap])ears to like 

 the deejiest and tightert crannies in the granite, for 

 even when growing on sloping shelf-like places 

 with plenty of soil it is not altogether hajjjjy, but 

 when pressed tightly by the rock, even though 

 the rosette is squeezed into a long oval shape, it 

 seems quite hai)py, and the leaves have the hard 

 firm feel, with sharp spiny i)oints. which indicates 

 good health. Three parts of the way up the 

 mountain ridge this ])lant grew, then we left it 

 behind. The mountain side gets steeper, but as 

 reward near the top we find on the most ])re- 

 cipitous places Androsace imbricata growing in 

 chinks in the solid rock almost without any soil 



at all, forming silvery cushions studded with tiny 

 white flowers with pinkish centres. On other 

 steep ledges in turfy soil and granite debris we 

 came across ]v Reine des Alpes (Eritrichium 

 nanum) by the hundred in all stages — tiny seed- 

 lings and nice couipact tufts, some still bearing 

 lovely blue flowers, and others just ripening their 

 seed. Saxifraga retusa and dwarf Phyteiuiias 

 also grow as companions to the Eritrichium. A 

 steep gully brings us up to the top of the ridge, 

 and we look down upon a sudden drop of some 

 thousands of feet. Nothing for it but to retrace 

 our steps, and already we have stayed too late, 

 for it is nearly 5 o'clock, and mists swirl around 

 us, but luckily are not constant, and we find the 

 river, which is a guide to us on our homeward 

 journey. C. P: Ball. 



The Sweet Pea Annual, 1914. 



The tenth issue of the Annual ])ublished by the 

 National Sweet Pea Society is now ready, and 

 well maintains its reputation for interest and 

 usefvilness to all Sweet Pea growers : a greater 

 number of illustrations than usual makes it much 

 more attractive, those dei)icting the different 

 methods of growing and staking the plants should 

 ])rove most interesting to all who grow for 

 exhibition, and who aim at having large and 

 ])er feet blooms well set up on long and sturdy 

 stems. The Annual contains a full report of the 

 Sweet Pea Conference, held at the Hotel Windsor, 

 London, on 20th October last, at which Mr. .7. S. 

 Brunt on read a valuable paper on " The Sweet 

 Pea Industry." showing the enormous increase in 

 the acreage under Sweet Peas for seed during 

 the last decade in Great Britain and in California, 

 and the great strides that have been made in 

 growing blooms under glass for market, these 

 are now largely grown on the disbudded system, 

 fetching 4s. per dozen bunches as against Is. i)er 

 dozen for ordinary blooms. Mr. A. Malcolm, of 

 Duns, the introducer of that charming variety 

 ' Edrom Beaiity," gives a niost interesting 

 account of his own personal experiences in the 

 " Cross- Fertilization of Sweet Peas," and sums 

 vip by saying that the chief requirements for a 

 hybridist are " vigilance in a superlative degree, 

 love for the flower and the work, an eye for 

 colour and form, the patience of .lob, and last, 

 but not least, the hide of a rhinocerovis to receive 

 the kicks from critics with impunity." Mr. 

 Arthur Yates, of Sydney, describes a new " Early 

 Spencer," of very vigorous growth, which 

 originated in a garden five years ago ; the seeds of 

 which all came true to the parent, and they have 

 now a strong growing race of winter-flowering 

 Sweet Peas superior in every way to the Telemly 

 variety, which, when sown in succession, give 

 blooms all the year round. There are also 

 interesting communications from . New Zealand, 

 .Ta))an and British Columbia, and rejilies from 

 fifty-four ])rominent growers as to the twelve l)est 

 Sweet Peas in conuuerce, the best novelties of 

 1912-13, the best varieties for growing under 

 glass, the best manure, giving the nature of the 

 soil. The Provincial Show of the Society is to be 

 held this year at Belfast on .July 24th. and as 

 Mr. Hugh Dickson, of the firm of Alex. Dickson & 

 Sons, is the President of the Society this year the 

 Belfast Show is sure to be an imnu>nse success. 

 The .Vnniial is sent free to all subscribers from 

 5s. upwards, non-subscribers can obtain copies 

 at 2s. each from the Secretary, Mr. 11. D. Tigwell, 

 Greenford, Middlesex. 



