IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME V. 



No. 47 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



JANUARY 



The Present Position of Horticulture 



in Ireland 



By F. \V MOOKE, M.A., A.L.S., Director Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. 



IN the opening- number of Irish Gardening, 

 March, 1906, I wrote an article on 

 " Present Conditions of Horticulture in 

 Ireland." In that article I was optimistic as to 

 the then condition of horticulture in Ireland, and 

 as to its future prospects. I wrote " Horticul- 

 ture in Ireland at the present time is in a 

 healthy and prog-ressive state." I am reminded 

 that it is now four years since that article was 

 written, and the question naturally sug-gests 

 itself: "What of your erewhile confidence, 

 what of yotir complacency, what of your prog- 

 nostications ? " It is now full time that a fresh 

 stock-taking was made, and thati the position 

 be reviewed. I have re-read the article, I 

 abide by it, and invite serious contradiction 

 on any of the general statements made in it. 

 There is ample evidence that the prog^ress has 

 been continuous, not in all branches of garden- 

 ing, but in those branches which now find 

 favour, and especially in branches which tend 

 towards the material welfare of the people of 

 this country. There appears to be a steady 

 decline in the popularity of indoor gardening, 

 and I regret to say in the class of plants grown 

 indoors. Collections of stove plants, of hard 

 wooded plants, of ferns, of orchids, and of 

 many old and popular occup;mts of oiw con- 

 servatories have become less numerous, and 

 but few specimen plants are to be found. These 

 have been replaced with plants of rapid growth, 

 plants which can be easily discarded when 

 shabby, and quickly replaced with a fresh 

 batch, and with annuals. Show Pelargoniums, 

 Ericas, Epact'is, Kriostemon, .Acacias, Diosmas, 

 Genetyllis, Azalea, Camellias, Crotons, Dra- 



caenas, Anthuriums, Orchids, have made space 

 for Cyclamen, Primulas, Cinerarias of various 

 sections, Schizanthus, Campanulas, fibrous and 

 tuberous rooted Begonias, Mignonette, Zonals, 

 Deutzias, deciduous Azaleas, and similar plants, 

 and in these the strains now grown mav fairly 

 claim to be a distinct advance on their older 

 types. One difficult subject may not only be 

 said to have held its own, but to have made 

 rapid and remarkable progress, that is the 

 carnation. It is more extensively grown than 

 was formerly the case, the varieties grown are 

 better, and the plants are better grown. In 

 outdoor gardening- there are also changes. 

 Formal bedding- out continues to disappear, and 

 has been replaced with a much higher class 

 type of g-ardening. Of old favourites the rose 

 still reigns supreme, and continues to advance 

 all along- the line. Out-door roses are at 

 present grown by more gardeners of all sorts 

 than ever before, and the type of rose has im- 

 proved, fortunately without attaining the huge 

 dimensions and loss of refinement which has 

 been the fate of many popular flowers, qualities 

 which helped to dethrone them from the proud 

 positions they occupied. A small, refined, 

 clean-coloured rose, with perfume, still carries 

 its points on a show-hoard, or in a vase, and no 

 flower is more gratefully accepted by those who 

 ha\e not a garden. The great advances in out- 

 door gardening- are aloiig correct and per- 

 riianent lines. Herbaceous plants, alpine plants, 

 and rock-gardens, aquatics and bog gardens, 

 and flowering shrubs arc the specialities one 

 finds receiving- most attention in present-day 

 gardening. The advance in the cultiva- 



