58 



IRISH GARDENING 



solitary flowers are open, riaiug almost stalliless Irom 

 the minute trailing dark-green foliage. 



With mo llie S. oppo.sitifolia splentlcns is particularly 

 pleasing, and if given a copious supply of water during 

 the summer and a fairly exposed position, thrives apace. 

 The white form makes a pleasing companion to this, 

 though with me the flower is more scanty and not 

 nearly so large. 



That early gem, Anemone Pulsatilla, is just throw- 

 ing- up its flower stems, and is most beautiful in every 

 sl.-ige, covered as it is with soft whitish silk. It seems 

 .•ilmost loo dainty a growth to push its way through 

 the dark moist soil at this bleak time of the j-ear. 



If planted in particularly limy soil with plenty of grit, 

 anil in almost any position, this lovely .\nemone is a 

 robust grower, and will charm us with a number of its 

 violet-blue nodding flowers, increasing in number year 

 by year. 



In the semi-sluuly portions of the garden, the beauti- 

 ful mottled leaves of the Dogs tooth \'iolets arc now- 

 opening and disclosing the flower-buds, and on bright 

 tlays the soft pinkish tlowci-s open and (.lisclose the 

 dark anthers. 



The common lirythronium is really a lovely plant, 

 and when seen in colonies coming through a carpet of, 

 sav. Sax. aspera, it is delightful. The moist leafy soil 

 in which this Sax. delights suits the Erylhoniums. 



The Japanese Quince and other 

 Species. 



By J. W. HtsANF. Royal Botanic (iardens, Glasneviu. 



CVDONIA japonica (introduced in 1815) is one of 

 the most beautiful early flowering shrubs in 

 cultivation. I'erfectiv hardy and free-flowering, 

 it is worthy oi' inclusiein in the choicest collections. 

 Cultivation pi*esents no serious difticulties — a free, loamy 

 soil and a sunny position being perhaps best calculated 

 to produce abundance of flowers. When grown as a 

 bush, from six to eight feel may be taken as the average 

 height of mature specimens, though this is occasionally 

 exceeded under favourable conditions. Its compara- 

 tivelv slow r.-ile of growth makes the Japanese Quince 

 an admirable subject for small gardens. 



As a wall plant it is unexcelled for eai ly and free 

 flowering. When grown in this way the height may be 

 greatly increased by extending the leading branches. 



The flowers are produced on spurs much in the same 

 way as those of the apple, to which it is closely allied. 

 I'runing should take the form of thinning out where the 

 branches are crowded so as to admit abundance of light 

 .and air, thereby ripening the wood and inducing the 

 formation of flower buds. It is the nature of the plant 

 to make short-jointed, floriferous growths, so that in 

 established specimens little more than an annual regu- 

 lation of the shoots is necessary, and in the case of wall 

 plants, laying in such as are required for extension. 



N'oung plants may be rather more severely cut back 

 for a year or two. until a sufficient number of shoots 

 h.ive been produced, to ensure a well-formed specimen, 

 thereafter treatment may proceed on the lines indicated. 

 There are ntmierous varieties in cultivation, ranging 

 in colour from deep ilark red to pure white. I'looil 



varieties are : — C. japonica atrosanguinea, deep-dark 

 red ; Extus-coccineus, pink ; Moerloesii, bright red ; 

 nivalis, pure white ; Princeps, red : Cardinalis, deep 

 crimson ; and Simoni, a dwarf form, also deep crimson. 



.M.iule's Quince (Cydonia Maulei) is of more recent 

 introduction, having been in cultivation only since 1874, 

 when it was introduced by Messrs. Maule and Son. of 

 Bristol. It is very closely allied to C. japonica. Indeed, 

 the late Sir Joseph Hooker, when discussing it in the 

 Bntniiiral Mtigazine^ was inclined to look upon it ;is 

 little more than a culti\ated form of C. japonica ; now- 

 .•idays, however, it is generally looked upon as a distinct 

 species. Of dwarf habit and bearing large, orange-red 

 flow-ers, C ^hiulei is an admirable shrub for the rock 

 garden, giving a welcome display during early spring 

 months. There are one or two desirable varieties — 

 notably C M. alba, with white flowers ; C. M. atrosan- 

 guinea, dark red ; and C. M, superba, bright red. 



The L'hinese Quince, Cydonia sinensis, is not so well 

 known as the two previous species. There is a con- 

 siderable family resemblance in all the species of 

 C\'donia. but young plants of C. sinensis, which have 

 been in cultivation at Glasnevin for some years, appear 

 likely to attain larger dimensions than either the 

 Japanese or Maule's Quince, .\ccording to the Rotani 

 ml Mai;a:iiii\ where it is figured at Tab. yqSS, Cydonia 

 sinensis was fiist noticed by Lindley about \iii-,. The 

 flowers are pink, the leaves ovate and sharply-toothed, 

 fruits large, rather pear-shaped, and yellow when ripe. 



The Common Quince, Cydonia vulgaris, is perhaps 

 more familiar to gardeners as a dwarfing stock foi- 

 pears than as an ornamental shrub; indeed, for the 

 latter purpose it is inferior to most of the other species. 

 .\bout its native country little seems to be known with 

 certainty, although the Treasury of Botany states that. 

 •' .According to the best modern botanists, the species 

 grows spontaneously on the hills and in the woods of 

 Italv, in the south of Prance, in Spain, Sicily, Sardinia, 

 .\lgeria, Constantinople, the Crimea, and in the south 

 of the Caucasus." Reference is also made to its being 

 found in India, on the authority of Drs. Roxburgh .and 

 Royle. I'nder cultivation, the Common Quince flowers 

 later than the two first named species and less ;ibun 

 dantly, the flowers being pink, produced at the end of 

 short branches. As a fruit tree, the Quince does not 

 seem to be seriously cultivated in these islands, though 

 in the warmer countries of Europe it appe.irs to lie 

 considerably utilised in various confections. 



Cydonia cathayensis. — This Chinese species is per- 

 haps the least well known of the Cydonias. I'ruils were 

 received at Glasnevin some years ago from C.mon 

 Ellacombe, and from the seeds a number of young 

 plants were raised. These, though still small, are quite 

 distinct from C. sinensis, with which this species was at 

 one time confused. The leaves are long and narrowly 

 lance-shaped, and the margins finely toothed. Flowers 

 have not been produced on the Glasnevin plants, but 

 the fruits received were large and handsome. 



The various species of Cydonia are propagated by 

 seeds which are often produced under cultivation ami 

 bv lavering. X'arielies are also readily incrcaseil by 

 layers, and purchasers should insist on being supplied 

 with own root pl.mts, otherwise it is impossible to keep 

 the varieties true i>wing to the innumer.dile siu-kers 

 produced by root-grafted plants. 



