132 



IRISH GARDENING 



S KPT EM HER 



yellow boi,'- alpine, shoukl be treated the saine 

 as Primula rosea. 



Gentiana acaulis can also be shown if lari^e ; 

 strong crowns are selected and pressed closely 

 together all over the pan, using a good strong 

 loam with a little leaf-soil as a rooting medium. 

 This operation should be carried out as soon as 

 possible. 



Morisia h\ pog;ea is another plant that can be 

 flowered at that time of year without trouble, 

 tiood established plants should be procured and 

 planted round the pan at about four inches 

 apart, using equal proportions of leaf-soil, peat, 

 loam, and limestone sand, and heaping up the 

 sc>il in a little mound the same as recommended 

 in Androsace, and wedging the plants in with 

 cobbles of limestone. 



Cyclamen repandum and variety alba, I fear, 

 comes out of question, as it must be established 

 several years before a free show of flower can 

 be assured, but it is worthy of attention for 

 future competition. 



Shortia galacifolia and uniflora come last but 

 by no meaiis least. They are peat-loving sub- 

 jects and hate shifting, so if any one attempts 

 them it would be well to get plants established 

 in pots, and carefully insert them in the pan 

 without breaking the ball, using a mixture 

 of peat, leaf-soil, and silver sand of equal pro- 

 portions. 



A general rule in the cultivation of all these 

 plants can be applied. That after the establish- 

 ing has been accomplished they should be 

 plunged in sand beds in the open, except where 

 otherwise recommended, and make no attempt 

 to coddle them through the winter months. 



The show which takes place some time in the 

 middle of April is just a little early for most of 

 these things. Also locality makes a little dif- 

 ference as to the season of flowering of Alpine 

 plants, and I find the safest rule to adopt is that 

 if a plant is three weeks late of any given time, 

 it will require six weeks' cool frame protection 

 and encouragement. That is to say, when 

 depending on a slight forcing, commence that 

 operation double the time that the plant is 

 required before its normal flowering. 



During the six weeks before the show all 

 these subjects will require close attention, keep- 

 ing backward and bringing forward, as the case 

 may be, and before this operation the plants 

 should be pricked over and the pans cleaned, 

 and the surface of soil sanded, then a layer of 



j-iebbles about the si/e o\' large peas be 

 scatleretl o\er the suitace to give a tuinishing'' 

 where the plants ha\ e not \et met, 



I'robabh this list is [oo large lor the average 

 exhibitor. I therefore propose to pick out 

 twentv of tiie best subjects, oi which intending 

 exliii-iitors should have at least two pans each : - 



Primula rosea spleiulens ; P. Mrs. G. F. 

 Wilson; P. marginata ; .\ndrosace primuloides ; 

 X'iola gracilis; \'. rupestris; V. bosnaica; .\ubri- 

 etia Dr. Mules ; \. deltoidea cilicica ; Saxifraga 

 Boytli ; Saxifraga Burseriana gloria ; S. VVal- 

 lacei ; S. bathoniensis ; Gentiana acaulis : 

 Ranunculus montana ; Shortia imiflora; .Ane- 

 mone Robinsoniana ; A. pulsatilla and Halleri ; 

 .Morisia hypogiea. 



Shrubs for Peaty Soils. 



By J. W. Bes.v.nt, RovhI Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. 



y^PART from rhododendrons there is a con- 

 /~\ siderable number of shrubs peculiarly 

 adapted for growing in peat. Many of 

 these belong to the Erica or Heath family, and 

 it is noticeable that a large proportion of them 

 are evergreen and also bear beautiful flowers. 

 For nearly all a constant supply of moisture 

 is essential, but many of the heaths, as well as 

 the common " Ling" Calluna vulgaris, flourish 

 in the light, sandy peat of open moors and 

 hillsides. Stagnant moisture is detrimental, 

 and should be guarded against by deep cultiva- 

 tion and good drainage. In districts where the 

 soil is naturally of a peaty nature little difliculty 

 will be experienced in preparing for planting if 

 a reasonable amount of labour is expended on 

 trenching and cleaning the ground. All erica- 

 ceous shrubs are surface rooters, and it is 

 sometimes thought on this account deep 

 working of the soil is not necessary. But 

 although deep planting is fatal deep working 

 ensures good drainage and a consequent sweet- 

 ness about the roots which is wholly beneficial. 

 Sandy loam from which lime is absent can be 

 made quite suitable for many of the shrubs we 

 are considering by the addition of plenty of 

 peat or leaf-mould. In this case the peat may 

 be kept on the surface, merely working it into 

 the staple soil to a depth of fifteen inches or 

 thereabout. In thin, open woods, too, there 

 are often natural accumulations of leaf-mould 



