IRISH GARDENING 



57 



Orehidee, his more important contributions being 

 ' Bigeneric Orchid Hybrids ' (1887), ' A Morpho- 

 logical and Systematic Review of the Apostasieae 

 (1889), ' Sexual forms of Catasetum ' (1890), in 

 v.'liich the confusion as to three sexes, into which 

 Da^-^vin had fallen, was cleared up. . . . Writing 

 in Nature in December, 1898, Mr. C. C. Hurst . . . 

 says : — " Mr. E. A. Bolfe has done yeoman service 

 in j-educing the chaos of natural hybrid Orchids to 

 something like order. . . . His name figures 

 largely in the ' Gardener's Chronicle,' ' Flora of 

 Tropical Africa,' ' The Index Florae Sinensis,' 

 ' The Flora Capensis,' ' The Kew Bulletin,' &e. 



war, compai-ed with the rest of th« eountry, was 

 very largely attained by the gentlemen who formed 

 the Committee of the Belfast Garden Plots Associa- 

 tion. When this Association was first inaugurated 

 each member of the Committee supervised a group of 

 allotments, and made personal visits during the 

 evening when the plotholders were at M-ork to 

 encourage the efforts of the men and forward gener- 

 ally the development of the plots. This had much 

 influence on the success, and made all the difference 

 between working in a haphazard manner, all the 

 jjlotholders combining to make their ow^n group of 

 allotments superior to any gi'oup in the city. A 



RnODODENDIiOX 



..." Mr. Rolfe adds yet another name to the 

 long roll of government ' botanists who have passed 

 to the great majority but, as with others, his work 

 will live to keep his memory green for many years 

 to come. 



Allotments. 



WiTHfN the. la.st few years a goixl deal Jias been 

 written relating to the organization of allotments. 

 Elaborate rules have been devised as a model for 

 local societies. Plans of model allotments are in 

 force, and suggestions and rules for holding com- 

 petitions and shows. Wo have referred to these con- 

 siderations at various times, and especially the ad- 

 vantages of tlie latter when properly conducted. But. 

 there is at least another element, and that is the 

 personal one. The early success and the undoubted 

 superiority of the allotments in Belfast before the 



silver cup w^as awarded to the best group, which was 

 held by a plotholder elected among the winning 

 group. All the members of the Committee were 

 business gentlemen with little leisure, but this was 

 clieerfully sacrificed to further their ideals, which 

 they held as members of the Christian Civic Union, 

 and which ■oas first resi)onsiblc for forming allot- 

 ments on anything like an organized scale in 

 Ireland. The system and the rules of the Associa- 

 tion were largely followed, especially in the North 

 of Ireland, and we venture to say with much 

 success. 



The upkeep of aUotments in these days is a serious 

 item of expenditure. The expenses with regard to 

 repairing fences, and other necessary repairs, is 

 considerable. This is especially so in townis where 

 they have to be kept securely fenced. In the country 

 districts thorn hedges serve the purpose, but these 



