IRISH GARDENING 



(.'ONKS OK AkIKS W'KHIUANA BKKV I KOl.l A. 



tlie appearanrt' of insoctp or otlier artliropocls. 

 so that tlie names of Bee Orehis. Fly OreJiis, and 

 Spider Oreliis. bestowed upon our species, are hy 

 no means fanciful. This group, which would 

 be delightful in the garden, is singularly 

 difficult of cultivation. I once persuaded the P'ly 

 Orchis to flower two seasons in succession, but 

 never kept the Bee Orchis for more than a single 

 year, even when brought into the garden in a 

 solid sod of turf. All favour light, limy soils, and 

 all but the Spider Orchis are found in Ireland, 

 the beautiful Bee Orcliis having a wide range 

 therein. 



The Helleborines (Epipactis) are a grou]) of 

 rather tall, leafy plants, with flowers of white. 

 l)urple or green shades. E. UitifnJid is a woodland 

 plant, tall and slender (up to 3 feet in heiglit.') 

 Given shade and humus, its cultivation offers no 

 difficulty. E. (itmnthens has purple flowers, and 

 is a rare i)lant of limestone rocks; I have found 

 no difficultv in growing it. E. pnlu.'<tris, the 

 Marsh Hellelwrine. with ])retty flowers with a 

 large fringed pinkish lip. is 'the most striking of 

 the group. It differs from most of the British 

 Orchids in having a creei)ing rhizome, and likes 

 wet peaty ground ; a fine clump of it may be seen 

 by the lake at Glasnevin. 



The genus Spiranthes (Lady's Tresses') includes 

 several British species, smallish plants with 

 greenish-white flow^ers arranged in one or more 

 spiral rows, and characterized by a delicious 

 fragrance. S. (nifinnntilis, the hist to flower 

 of British Orchids ("Aug. -Sent.), is a little ])lant 

 of limestone pastures, still lingering in the 

 Phoeni.x Park and frequent in the West of Ireland. 

 T have found it hard to grow, but I have a photo- 

 graph of a specimen nearly a foot high grown in 

 a back garden in Hannnersmith. The most in- 

 teresting of this genus is H. Homdnzoffiami . This 

 plant is freqiient in the Lough Neasih basin, and 

 also occurs in Co. Cork. Otiierwise it is Anjerican. 

 ranging right across the northern States and 

 Canada, and just crossins^ Behring Straits into 

 Kamchatka. In the garden slugs are woefully 

 fond of it, and T have never succeeded in evading 

 them; for the rest, it likes a quite wet soil, and 

 can live where it is under water during the winter 

 months. Its flowers possess a most delicious 

 vanilla-like fragrance. Qoodyern re.pens, the 

 Creeping Lady's Tresses, is allied to the last genus 

 This is almost the onlv Orchid which in Britain 



has a disiinclly nnrthern range, lieing confined to 

 S.otlami and inund chieliy in the northern part 

 .ii that country. It creejjs extensively among the 

 Hilling iiee(ih's of pine woods, and is a graceful 

 phmt with small white flow.ers. 



The Cephalantheras have liiret' rt-presentutives in 

 lirilain. talllHh i)lants resembling the Helleborines, 

 with white or red Mowers and creeping rootstocks. 

 I have not seen any of them in cultivation, though 

 thev an- striking plants. 



The Twaybiade. L'istviu unifa, is of easy cul- 

 ture, i)ut its small green flowers are not effective. 

 On the other hand, the Lady's Slipper, 

 I i/in iiird'nini CnhriiUts, is a most striking and 

 desirable i)lant. In attem])ting to grow it. we 

 -liould remember that its natural habit is in 

 iliickets among limestone rocks. It requires 

 ilierefore good drainage, a limy soil, and not too 

 iinich sun. if th(> natural conditions are to be 

 iiniiateil. It is one of my few successes among 

 native (hciiids. A single root i)lanted on the 

 Hat some ten years ago now produces anumiUy a 

 c-iumj) of about eight stout stems, each with two 

 or three great yellow and brown-purjjle flowers, 

 and it sets seed freely, which I am told is rare in 

 British gardens. 



In com-lusion, mention nuiy be made of two very 

 curious leafless sai)rophytes, living in woods on 

 decaying vegetable matter. The one, Epipofjuia 

 (il'fii/lhnn, is the most extreme rarity, but the 

 other, the Bird'.s-nest Orchis (Xeaftiit Xidits-a l-js) 

 is not uncommon in our woods, especially under 

 Beech-trees, the whole plant in its brown colour 

 mateliing the dead leaves among which it grows. 

 I have tried this plant more than once with in- 

 different success, and do not know whether others 

 mav have had better luck. 



The Himalayan Silver Firs. 



By PiiorKssoR A. Henry. 



There has l)een some difference of opinion with 

 regard to the number of Silver Firs in the Hima- 

 layas; but judging from herbarium specimens 

 and living trees in cultivation in these islands, 

 there are at least two distinct species, Ahirs 

 WeJ)J)i(nia and Ahirs Pindroir. The cones which 

 are remarkable for their large size and beautiful 

 blue colour wiien growing, are similar in both 

 .species, differing merely a little in the shape of 

 the bracts. In all other respects the two species 

 are very different. Abies Pindrow is a tall 

 narrowly pyramidal tree with short branches, 

 and smooth bark on the yovmg stem and 

 l)ranches. AJurs Wehhiana is ' a much broader 

 tree with wide-spreading branches, and very 

 scaly bark rather like that of a Spruce than a 

 Silver Fir. The twigs on AJ)ies Pindroic are 

 smooth, not in the least furrowed when fresh, and 

 devoid of hairs. In Ahics WrJjhifmn the twigs 

 are remarkable for their deep furrows, which are 

 clothed with brown hairs. Al/irs Pindroic has 

 long narrow leaves irregularly arranged on the 

 l)ranchlets and only slightly paler beneath than 

 above, the two bands of stomata on their lower 

 surface l)eing greyi.sh and inconspicuous. In 

 Allies ^yehhi(llla the leaves are pectinately 

 arranged, spreading regidarly on each side, 

 with a V-.shaj)ed depression between the two 

 sets. The leaves usually range to two inches or 

 more in length, and are beauiifully white under- 



