IRISH GARDENING. 



155 



Tourist's Pleasant Experience. 



By J. J. T. 



Wl ULST on a tour in the South of Ireland recently 

 1 took the opportunity of visiting one or two of 

 the chief gardens there, and was greatly 

 enamoured with that of Lady Annaly's, at Gowran 

 Castle, Co. Kilkenny. The courteous gardener, Mr. 

 Gerald Roche, took a lot of trouble to show me over 

 the place, and I must 

 frankly admit that I 

 have never yet seen such 

 successful products ot 

 enterprise. 



Brief!}', the garden 

 consists of about six 

 square acres, surrouiulcd 

 by a wall about twelve 

 feet in height. In the 

 centre of the garden is 

 an immense basin foi 

 a water supply. Plum 

 trees occupy a com- 

 manding position rounil 

 the walls, and without 

 exaggeration some of 

 the fruit which I saw 

 resembled a cricket ball 

 for size and shape. One 

 of the items which 

 caught my eye was a 

 centre v<alk seven feel 

 in width, arched from 

 end to end with youthful 

 Kentish apple trees, th. 

 fruit on which was most 

 prolific. It was a most 

 uncommon spectacle, 

 especially to the 

 Londoner. Other appli 

 trees were equally' ai 

 tractive, and one which 

 I could not resist taking 

 a photograph of was 

 about four feet in height, 

 quite small in propor- 

 tion, contained upwards 

 of two hundred apples of uniform size. Further on I was 

 shown over the several large houses of glass, and here 

 my eye was taken with specimens of every possible 

 species of plant that one only has an opportunity of 

 seeing in such places as Kew Gardens. Thousands of 

 bunches of grapes, most of which appeared to be fuU- 

 sized, gave clear proof of the abilities of the gardener. 

 I was then shown the peaches, nectarines and other 

 wall fruit, and like those I had already seen they also 

 appeared to pay for the expert attention they had 

 received. My next experience was to solve a conundrum 

 which I confess my lack of experience caused me to 

 give it my best. I was required to state in what form I 

 could plant seventy-five roots of strawberries, nine 

 inches apart, in a space of two square feet ; but I had to 



by] 



'Mrs 





table decoratic 



be shown the operation. I, however, took a careful 

 note of how it was done, and I am well on the road to 

 spring a little surprise on my London neighbours by a 

 re-production of the scheme. 



Turning to the north end of the garden my attention 

 was drawn to a large space containing a quantity of the 

 St. Brigid anemones, and also to a space of about a 

 square acre in extent where the staff were busily 

 engaged planting in beds the bulbs of the same flower 

 expected to be ready for show early next spring. 

 I had heard a lot of this species, and had seen it at 

 Edinburgh, Shrewsbury, 

 Dublin, and variousother 

 shows where, by the 

 way, it has carried off 

 first and other prizes, 

 but I had not had the 

 pleasure of seeing the 

 preliminary stages of 

 propagation before. I 

 made minute enquiries, 

 complete details vjere 

 given me freely, and 

 perhaps some of vour 

 readers may profit by the 

 several points which I 

 picked up : — 



Direciions for the Suc- 

 cessful Groiping of the 

 St. B rigid Anemones. — 

 This root is a very gross 

 feeder, and requires well- 

 manured soil. It is pre- 

 ferable to sow in ground 

 that has been well 

 manured for a crop the 

 previous year ; if this is 

 not available, prepare a 

 bed four feet wide, and 

 remove the earth to a 

 depth of six inches; place 

 a good layer of stable 

 manure, cover firmly 

 with a layer of earth ; 

 then put back remainder 

 of earth, and create a 

 furrow at each side. 

 This should leave a 

 raised bed four to six 

 : earth should be raked 



[ Wm. IVa/son & Sons 



LoR.\ Armstrong." A IlARnv Border 

 Carnation. 



inches in height. All coar 

 off, after which the bed should be given a good coat 

 of basic slag and raked over. The roots can then 

 be planted nine inches apart in four rows two inches 

 in depth. .\nemones do not thrive in heavy soil, 

 therefore a good top-dressing of old mortar might 

 be used to loosen it. .Anemones are lovers of sunshine, 

 and should be grown in the open, not under trees. 

 Large, old roots should be discarded, and one year 

 old roots used only if the grower wants well-formed 

 blooms. October is the best month to plant roots. 

 Seed may be treated in the same way, only care must be 

 used to have earth very fine, and to sow in rows nine 

 inches apart, and not broadcast. If seeds are sown in 

 May and transplanted in September, the blcoms from 



