66 



IRISH GARDENING. 



sidercd. Tho County Council owes to tlu' 

 labourers every possibility o( advancement, ani.1 

 the letter from the Horticultural Organiser o( 

 the Kssex County Council makes it clear that 

 profit can be made from the proper cultivation 

 of these ijarden i->lols. Besides the material 

 advantag-es, Irish CiAKPKNiNG draws attention 

 to an issue that our councillors might consider. 

 The effort to keep a well-stocked gaide-n, the 

 interest, tlie appreciation of the result have a 

 mental and moral value that should not be 

 overlooked. The gardens in flower are a joy 

 to the passer-by, and, besides, they add greatly 

 to the credit of the country. In England the 

 profusion of flowers before cottages such as 

 these is the fairest sign of a settled and pros- 

 perous life. We are not without the means of 

 procuring the flowers. Let us follow the counsel 

 oi' the Eastern sage, and, having two loaves, 

 let us barter one for the flowers of the white 

 narcissus. 



Current Topics. 



B\- C. F. Bali., Ro\al Botanic Gardens, Glasneviii. 



THE Roval Horticultural Society appear to have 

 made a good move by holding: their spring- 

 flower show in conjunction with the spring 

 show of the Royal Dublin Society. 



The attendance was remarkably good, and must have 

 been an encouraging sight for the council ; in most 

 respects this show was a distinct advance upon former 

 ones held by the society. 



The centre of the large hall was well filled with a 

 goodly array of daffodils, the names of new competitors 

 showing the ever-increasing popularity of this spring 

 flower. .Among the new white trumpet daffodils, 

 Messrs. Hogg & Robertson's new seedling, Mrs. F. W. 

 Moore, was to be seen ; it is a bold and handsome flower. 

 Mrs. Betteridge was also shown by one or two com- 

 petitors ; this is still one of the most beautiful and purest 

 of all the white ajax, the perianth is crimped at the 

 edges, and the large open trumpet has a fluted brim. 



Mrs. R. Sydenham, an expensive bulb, is a model 

 for show purposes, the perianth is of the purest white 

 and very well shaped, the trumpet being very long and 

 narrow, changing from a pale yellow to a pure white ; 

 to my idea it has a rather stiff appearance. 



Among the reasonable priced white ajax, Madame 

 de Graaf still holds the foremost place ; then we have a 

 smaller but equally pretty varieties as N. moschatus, 

 Wm. Goldring, iSnowflake, Mrs. Camm, Mrs. Thompson, 

 cernuus, and albicans. 



Foremost among the yellow ajax was King Alfred ; 

 with the glorious yellow of the flowers and its strong 

 habit it has made a great name, but unfortunately 

 some people already speak of it as a bad doer. 



A daffodil which gives good promise as a garden 

 plant and for naturalising is Golden Bell ; the large 



irunipi-i is tiiii-l\ liiii-ii, lliough for show purposes Ihtt 

 inii.mth is rather weak. It is a strong grower, free 

 nowering, and increases very quickly. 



Lady .Margaret Boscawen, seen in the centre of the 

 photo, is a flower like a giant bicolor .Sir Watkiii, the 

 growth is free, and the flowers stand well, so thai when 

 the price becomes cheaper it will probably be a favourite. 

 For most collections it is not necessary to get Brig^.dier 

 if one has Ladx .Margan-l Boscawen, as they are very 

 nuu-h alike. 



The live flowers at the lop ot the photo are Seagull, 

 riiis variety and Albatross are two seedlings raised 

 from the same seed pod. Both are free growers from 

 one and a half to two feet high, bearing large flowers of 

 the Barri t^pe, having pure white perianths ; the 

 yellow cups differ in shade, and the edging of orange. 



The delicate beauty of the Leedsii appeals to most 

 people. In the photo at the base are Waterwitch and 

 Mountain Maid. Others which were well shown were 

 Adriane, Duchess of Westminster, Gem, Mrs. Langtry, 

 and White Lady. 



The red cups ol l lie liicon)]t;irabilis seelioii are an 

 attraction ; many were to be seen in good form, as 

 W'siivius, Lucifer, Lady .Vrnott, Blackwell, Oriflamme, 

 and Firebrand. .Some of these cups burn badly if 

 planted in full sun. The cups gel bleached after a few 

 days' sun, then the beauty of the flower is gone, so the 

 best plan is lo plant them in half shade. C. J. Backhouse 

 prefers such a position. Remarkably fine flowers of 

 Firebrand were shown by C. M. Doyne, Esq., which 

 were high!}- commended by the judges. 



Improvements in the poets' narcissus are very marked 

 and beautiful ; some are getting fairly moderate in 

 price, as Cassandra, Horace, Homer. P'or an earl)- 

 poeticus, one that can be recommended is Dante, a 

 strong and free grower. All these poets' narcissi will 

 give finer flowers after they have been planted a year. 



The Japanese garden in the corridor furnished a feast 

 oi' colour ; this and a collection of Alpines made a 

 striking exhibit, furnished by the Tully Nursery, 

 Kildare. The Alpines were a choice selection, including 

 several new Chinese primulas, as P. Forestii. with 

 yellow flowers, found on limestone cliffs ; P. lichian- 

 gensis, with reddish, purple flowers, related to P. 

 corlusoides, and P. muscarioides, with capitate heads 

 of bluish, purple flowers ; apparently this will require a 

 moist, peaty soil, as it grows in company with P. sikkim- 

 ensis on the banks of mountain streams in in S. E. Tibet. 

 Other primulas finely shown in groups were P. algida 

 from Siberia, P. bellunensis, P. frondosa, P. pubescens 

 alba, usually known as P. nivalis, and P. spectabilis. 

 Well-flowered plants of the Pine-barren Beauty, Pyxi- 

 danthera barbulala were well shown, and the Chinese 

 Carex Scaposa, with while flowers, was another rare 

 and interesti ig plant. Large groups of Trillium grandi- 

 florum were very attractive. Some good aubrietias 

 gave colour to the edging, as A. cilicica and A. Brides- 

 maid. Androsaces were v.-ell represented by A. villosa, 

 Chumbyi, and sarmentosa. A large group of the Pasque 

 flower and a few plants of the white variety of Anemone 

 Pulsatilla alba were quite a feature. Messrs. Pennicks 

 & Heath also had stands of hardy plants ; among the 

 latter exhibit was a nice plant of Cardyline indivisa 

 vera. Primula malacoides was pretty, and needs the 



