JULY 



IRISH GARDENING 



105 



hlig-ht immediately they appear above ground in 

 April and May. On the other hand, this may 

 have happened only in one or two cases, the 

 remaining- two or one respectively becoming- 

 infected by spores. Which ever happened, the 

 result is not affected. In any case the three 

 plants were attacked when six weeks old, and 

 two weeks later they were killed. Abo/// 

 this time a healthy plant from the cool house 

 was broug-ht in, and this was killed 

 within nine days ; and yet, in spite of the 

 abundant means of infection by spores, the 

 experimenter found it necessary to elaborate a 

 theory of dormant mycelium and direct infection 

 to account for the fact. The second plant, 

 which was treated in the same way, met with a 

 like result. The third plant, however, was left 

 in the cool house, and it remained healthy be- 

 cause, we are told, the conditions necessary for 

 the development of the dormant mycelium were 

 not present. There is also another possible 

 explanation — namely, that no "spores" were 

 present to attack it. 



The position resolves itself into this : — 

 '" Spores " have been proved capable of infecting- 

 potato plants ; dormant mycelium which, given 

 suitable conditions, can openly infect potato 

 plants is entirely hypothetical; either, if present, 

 could account for the facts recorded by Massee ; 

 but spores were present ; therefore, the presence 

 of dormant mycelium cannot be held to be 

 proved. 



Evergreen Flowering Shrubs 

 for Sunny Walls. 



B\- J. W. Besant, Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Glasnevin. 



AS mentioned in a previous article, it is 

 more satisfactory to include a proportion 

 of everg-reens when furnishing- a wall 

 with shrubs. For most people those sorts 

 which bear showy flowers are preferable. 



The following- selection includes kinds which 

 in most parts of the country are benefited by 

 being- grown against a wall : — 



Abelia floribunda, a Mexican plant, can be 

 trained to a considerable height by keeping the 

 leading shoots attached to the wall. It is not 

 densely evergreen, but retains a large propor- 

 tion of the leaves through the winter, and pro- 

 duces quantities of beautiful rosy-purple flowers 

 in April and onwards into June. 



Among the ceanothuses are many admirable 

 wall plants. Of the evergreen species, perhaps 

 the most beautiful is C. Veitchianus, a native of 

 California. The leaves are small and rounded, 

 and the charming blue flowers are produced in 

 great abundance in spring. 



C. divaricatus, another evergreen, is also 

 from California. It has larger leaves than the 

 preceding, but bears blue flowers also. C. 

 rigidus, a stiff-growing species, with small 

 leaves and bearing clusters of blue flowers, 

 makes an admirable wall plant. A robust 

 grower is C. thyrsiflorus, the Californian lilac ; 

 the flowers are blue, borne in large clusters. 



Carpenteria californica is a most beautiful 

 evergreen flowering shrub, well worth a place 

 at the base of a sunny wall. It is in no sense a 

 climber, neither is it usually very tall growing. 

 Nevertheless, it will be found quite suitable 

 between taller shrubs, which are apt to run up 

 and leave the lower part of the wall bare. The 

 leaves are lance-shaped, some four inches long, 

 and the pure-white flowers, with numerous 

 yellow stamers, are very beautiful. 



Choisya ternata, the Mexican orange, al- 

 though often grown in the open in Ireland, is not 

 too hardy, and does well w4ien grown against a 

 wall ; only the main branches require to be fixed 

 to the wall ; the smaller side branches may be 

 left free, and will produce clusters of white 

 flowers in spring. 



The cistuses are a useful class of shrubs for 

 warm, sunny walls, their showy if somewhat 

 short-lived flowers being much admired in sum- 

 mer-time. Cistus ladaniferus has large white 

 flowers, with a red spot at the base of each 

 petal. C. laurifolius has large pure-white 

 flowers ; C. cyprius is very similar to the first- 

 named, and Cistus montspeliensis, a dwarf 

 grower, has also white flowers. 



Caryopteris mastacanthus is a late flowering 

 member of the verbena family. The flowers 

 are blue, a welcome colour among shrubs at 

 any time, but especially in October. It grows 

 only three to four feet high, but is admirably 

 suited for furnishing the base of a wall between 

 taller growers. 



Fabiana imbricata, a native of Chili, resembles 

 a strong-growing heath, though it really be- 

 longs to the potato family. It is admirably 

 adapted for growing against a sunny wall, and 

 will attain a height of ten to fifteen feet in such 

 a position. The tubular, pure-white flowers are 



