SEPTEMBER 



IRISH GARDENING. 



139 



mighty one too, not " miley," as it seems too strong a 

 grower for that despicable little beast, and then there is 

 the Comet red currant, sky high above all the others, if 

 you get the right thing, and— but no more currant 

 topics. Vet, by the way, we recently had three 

 questions fired at us like pistol shots — viz., why don't 

 they plant Ballsbridge ? Are they going to plant it ? 

 When are they going to plant it? In reply we returned 

 a volley of don't knows. Ballsbridge, of course, is that 

 place where once an exhibition smiled, now lyin^ 

 derelict, saving one protected corner bearing the 

 legend of Beckett, builders. There is, we believe, no 

 truth in the report that the grounds are waiting to be 

 converted into an unlimited roller skating rink. Still 

 they an' waiting, and if one dared whisper even the 

 word international within a mile of Dublin town wc 

 should say that it would not be half a bad place for 

 the contemplated British International Horticultural 

 Exhibition, projected for 191 i. From enquiries recently 

 made of a man who knows nothing about it, and from 

 whom one is apt to get the most reliable information, 

 we find the delay of its conversion into a beauty 

 spot is due to the law. If so we endorse the famous 

 opinion, " the law 's a hass." 



We wonder if there is room to mention another 

 possible Irish industry which we heard of on our road to 

 gaol (Naas show), where very probably our good 

 editor wishes by this time they had kept us — well, as 

 salve to his sufferings, we post this prattle en route for the 

 poor-house (Athlone). Said J. A., as we were going to 

 gaol — "A gentleman told me thev make the most beauti- 

 ful writing paper in German\' out of ragweed." Fancy 

 that ! -Vid here we are, with the new " weeds bill," 

 on the verge of losing the grandest crops due to the 

 foresightedness of generations of farmers who have 

 gone where landlords cease from troubling, bless 'em. 

 That bill must be blocked. That's all. But what of 

 the weather? a never ending topic (fear not, Mon. 

 Editeur, we'll stop), and older than Old Moore, who, by 

 the way, exalted himself by one lucky hit at it, which, 

 according to history, was thus: — "What shall I put 

 down now, father?" said young Moore. " Oh, put down 

 snow." " But its July, father." " Oh, well, if you've got 

 it down leave it." And it was left ; and the snow came 

 in July, and Old Moore made history for himself. What 

 it seems we have to grumble about is the shift in the 

 seasons — summer deferred till autumn, autumn carried 

 into winter, and winter, not lingering, but actually flop- 

 ping down in the lap of spring. .After a bit, of course, 

 vegetation will accommodate itself to this sort of thing, 

 and everybody will be happy, barring gardeners, and 

 the fates forbid they should ever be deprived of their 

 growl. In common gratitude our heartiest thanks must 

 be included to the editor for formalin and flies in the 

 last number, illustrated by that pretty picture of a dirty 

 rag acting as an incubator for the filthy fellow's pro- 

 geny (the fly's family we allude to). Well, it was the 

 rag done it — caught the housekeeping eye (figuratively, 

 of course), and there was no peace till we hied us to our 

 chemist, and, ** Have you formalin?" "We have." 

 "Is it poison?" That man of chemicals must have 

 thought us too inquisitive, as he answered the question 

 by asking another — viz., is it for flies? But we found 

 on reaching Flyville the bottle was labelled " for 



external use only," and the prospect of handling every 

 winged one as we applied a lint to his external anatomy 

 was not alluring, so we again turned up the fly-leaf 

 of Irish G.'VRde.vi.vg, with the result that next morning 

 there was sufficient sweepings to furnish the alleged 

 fruit of Ihe boarding-house currant pudding. Again, 

 thanks, more apologies— now for the " poor-house." 



Roses. 



By O'Do.NEL Brow.ne, .M.D. 



FROM a damp, cold July 

 lo a glorious sunny, 

 hot August is a great 

 change, and to show how 

 much roses have appreci- 

 ated the change one has 

 only to remember the glori- 

 ous display we had during 

 niid-.\ugust. My own gar- 

 den, which has most Cii the 

 well-known varieties in it, 

 was not well furnished with 

 flowers luitil the heat came, 

 but then I was really bewil- 

 dered at the quantity and 

 quality of my favourites. 

 It seemed to me that every 

 variety was doing its best 

 to catch my e}e when I 

 gazed at some other variety, 

 and so it was. Glorious 

 Cochets were there ; Mrs. 

 G. Mawleys were splendid, 

 but on the wall were two 

 stars of the first magnitude, 

 Mme. Wagram and Mme. 

 lules Gravereaux. How 

 these two simply revel in 

 heat— what in July were hideous buds, gummed up with 

 cold, damp, rainy weather, are even now beautiful 

 flowers. Then there were those varieties such as Bessie 

 Brown and Mildred Grant, perfect terrors to open save in 

 hot, dry weather ; and I must not forget that new giant, 

 William Shean, opening every day as if they were mad 

 for the heat. True, the heat disturbed that most 

 glorious and refined rose, the Lyon-Rose, by somewhat 

 rushing the blooms forward, but the colour was splendid. 

 If ever a rose was praised surely Pernet-Duchers new 

 variety got its share, but no words can, or even will, 

 do full justice to this most phenomenal flower. Readers, 

 order early, as the run on this rose will next autumn be 

 teriific, and be wise in time and order early to get 

 good plants. .\t one show here I stood near Messrs. 

 Dickson's (both Alex, and Hugh) and listened to every 

 passer-by. They passed the usual remarks about most 

 of the flowers, but when they came to the Lyon they 

 were done, clean bowled out. There are some people 

 who say that this rose is not hardy, will not grow, &c. 

 Readers, there are people who will not believe any- 

 thing ! Lyon is a grand thing, and do not forget it.^ 

 What a galaxy of colour we shall have in a few years' 



