IRISH GARDENIXG 



115 



other choice plants to maintain interest anl 

 carry on the display indefinitely. Masses of 

 Dianthus alpinus were very fine, and also some 

 good forms of D. neglectus. Campanulas were 

 promising, and great cushions of Thymes were 

 preparing to take up the display by covering 

 themselves with dainty flowers of various shades 

 A recently constructed moraine of irregular 

 outline is being gradually furnished, and already 

 small plants of Gentiana verna were beginning 

 to establish. Saponaria ocN'moides grandiflora 

 was prominent on a higher portion of the 

 garden, and a dainty little Orchis from Cam- 

 bridgeshire, probably O. ustulata, was bearing 

 its tiny dense spikes of pink and white flowers. 

 Shrubs, as well as bog and alpine plants, find a 

 congenial home at The Bush, and one of the 

 grandest sights I have seen was three fine 

 old bushes of Cytisus albus, Tombe's variety 

 (C. albus incarnatus ?) smothered in flowers 

 each with a suffus-ion of pink dee2)ening towards 

 the centre of the flower. Near by Solanum 

 crispum was enormous, quite a tree, and full of 

 flowers — a truly wonderfid sight. Abutilon 

 vitifolium, Roses and Clematis were opening a 

 few flowers soon to develop into a glorious 

 display. Roses everywhere and in all sections 

 were wonderfully vigorous, and herbaceous 

 plants were ec{ually happy. A fine old plant 

 of Abutilon vexillarium had reached to the 

 eaves of the house, and is apparently hardy 

 enough on a wall. 



A quaint archway has been formed, very many 

 years ago, by planting saplings of Mountain 

 Ash, one on each side of a walk and bending over 

 the tops till they could be twined round each 

 other. In such a way they have become 

 firmly grafted together, and now form a series of 

 living arches making little annual growth and 

 supporting Rambler Roses and Clematises. 

 The stems of some of the Mountain Ashes are 

 remarkably thick and rugged, testifying to their 

 great age. 



Out and beyond the garden proper Mr. Barton 

 has many acres urder small fruit, chiefly goose- 

 berries and black currants. Here again the 

 richness of the soil is evident in the huge size 

 of the bushes, which are nevertheless shapely 

 with a minimum of priming, and carrying fine 

 cro])s. The total tonnage must be enormous, 

 but is readily disposed of, the quaUty being of 

 the best, and buyers are sure of the large 

 quantities which they desire. A huge fi.eld of 

 flax, showing a magnificent level crop, was of 

 great interest at this time. 



Although a busy man leading a strenuous life, 

 Mr. Barton still finds time to supervise his 

 garden, to ])lant and plan, and anon to show 

 wandering visitors the wondiuful results he 

 obtains. 



Rostrevor House. 



Here on the slopes of a wooded hill, from 

 which are obtained delightful views of Carhng- 

 ford Lough and the mountains beyond, Sir John 

 Ross of Bladensburg has formed a garden and 

 arboretum, containing a collection of trees and 

 shrubs such as is probably not to be found else- 

 where within the three kingdoms. Favoured 

 with a genial climate and apparently a generous 

 soil, many plants from sunnier lands are making 

 themselves at home, and will eventually provide 

 living examples of the vegetation of the far 

 south. Thus we find numerous plants from 

 Australia taking kindly to the genial air of 

 Rostrevor, many New Zealanders quite at home, 

 and even sunny Ceylon is represented. 



Almost the first object to be noted was a large 

 specimen of that brilliant Chilian tree 

 Embothrium coccineum literally covered with its 

 lovely scarlet flowers, worth going miles to look at. 

 Many intensely interesting plants were noted 

 in the nursery beds, most of them yet to be 

 tried as to hardiness, but promising well. 

 Young plants of the Httle known Pinus Nelsoni 

 looked happy, and will be a source of interest 

 as they develop. Much had to be seen during 

 the day, and a move towards the more per- 

 manentl}' planted specimens at once brought 

 us into contact with the collection proper. 

 Parsonsia albiflora, a climbing member of the 

 Vinca family, was early brought to notice, as 

 was Hoheria Sinclairi, a native of New Zealand. 

 Viburnum japonicum was represented by a 

 flourishing young bush, and the new Neillia 

 longeracemosa from China was in flower with 

 its racemes of coral pink. Genista spinosa. 

 usually a greenhouse plant, was here establishing 

 out in the open. Eucalypti are to be seen in 

 the woods in numerous fine examples, including 

 a number of species, while the handsome -foliaged 

 Panax arboreum and P. colensoi from New 

 Zealand looked happy and flourishing. 

 Leucothoe Davisise, a very beautiful member 

 of the Erica family, thrives remarkably at 

 Rostrevor, and although hardy also in less 

 favoured situations is not so often seen as one 

 could wish. A very rare specimen was seen in 

 Drimys colorata, a little known s}3ecies which 

 came from the wonderful collection at Edin- 

 burgh. Lomatia tinctoria, an Austrahan plant, 

 attracted attention, and though not so well 

 known as L. ferruginea, which flourishes in, the 

 open in several Irish gardens, yet ])romi.ses to 

 make an interesting shrub ; another si)ecies, 

 L. longifolia. was also seen. Ceanothus divari- 

 catus makes a fine bush or small tree, and the 

 uncommon Hymenanthera dentata, or Augu.sti- 

 f olia, was growing freely, though requiring in most 

 gardens the protection of a wall. Arbutus 



