62 



IRISH GARDENING 



pan or pot before sowing;, and place in a sliaiiy pari of 

 the iKHise covered willi a piece of glass, which should 

 he removed as soon as the seeds germinate. P. obco- 

 nica may be kept from year to year, but more vigorous 

 plants are obtained from sowing- annually. 1'- 



Aubrietias. 



Correspondence. 



Dkar .Sir, — I was interested to read in last monlh's 

 issue Mr. Malby's article on Moraines, but I think his 

 is a counsel of perfection, as in most parts of Ireland 

 one can achieve success with far less trouble than he 

 outlines. I made my first moraine here shortly after ihc 

 publication of Mr. R. Farrer's " My Rock Garden," and 

 framed it on his "old moraine." but it has not been an 

 unqualified success — firstly, I think, because the broken 

 slate, of v\'hich it was composed, was not small enough, 

 and, secondly, I was too generous with the soil, but 

 since then 1 ha\c made others which have succeeded 

 admirably. The largest is composed of limestone 

 crushed chips (from a steam crusher), about two teut 

 tloep, with a mere smattering of soil through them, 

 and a drainage bottom of rough stones of another' two 

 feet. The whole slopes down from a low retaining 

 wall to the terj-ace beneath, and mostly faces full south. 

 This is all — no concrete trough, no drainage cock, no 

 water supply, and yet in it flourish main' tliflicult plains 

 — Campanula Allionii, C. rupestris. Anemone Lyalli, 

 Pulsatilla alba, Draba dicranoides, Dianthus alpinus, 

 A. D. cal-alpinus, D. integer, D. Frejnii, D. sylveslris, 

 Douglasia vitaliana. \'iolacenisia, \^. oreocallis, Edrian- 

 thus pumilio. I'etrocallis pyrenaica and its while 

 variety, Thlaspi cepea.'folia, T. rotundifolia and T. 

 bellidifolia, Townsendia Wilcoxiana, and all the 

 eastern rod-flowered Saxifragas; on one S. thessalica 

 1 counted nine heads of bloom recentlv-, and the plant 

 is only 3 years' old. I only watered the moraine once 

 Ihroughout last torrid summer, and I don't think even 

 that one watering was absolutely necessary, and I am 

 certain that in Ibis Irish climate at any rate, so long as 

 I he drainage is sharp, that is all that is necessary to 

 provide for ; the plants do not get too wet in the winter 

 or loo dry in the summer, and except Campanula 

 oxcisa, which has failed twice, I do not find the lime- 

 haters particular as to the composition of the moraine, 

 they grow quite freely here in pure limestone. 



MlRRAV llOKNIBKOOK. 



Dear Sir, — 1 have recently noticed iji a gardcji- 

 ing paper an article on the possibility of growing 

 Sweet Corn in the British Isles. A few years ago 

 I grew a few stalks (from seed obtained from 

 Messrs. Hiu'pee) at Shoeburyness, Essex. Last year 

 I grew here a good row each of Burpee's "Clolden 

 Banlam " and "Howling Mob " ; bolh were a great 

 success, bore very well, and were delicious. Personally, 

 I preferred (iolden Bantam— the cobs are smaller, 

 but the core is smaller still, and it is very sweet. 

 1 planted in the open at the same time as main-crop 

 peas, soaking the seed before planting. .\s far as 

 1 could tell, practically every seed came up, and I had 

 10 thin out a great number. Having eaten Sweet Corn 

 in India, South Africa, and at home, I knew how to 

 appreciate the high quality of these two \arietics. 



G. S. C. Coke. 



AMONCi the dwarf plants which grow equally well 

 on border or rockery, few can conq')are with the 

 Purple Rock Cress and its varieties for weallh 

 of flower and colour. 



On a dry wall, hanging down in masses, it is seen to 

 perfeclion, and will often flower as early as February 

 when it has a southern exposure. To establish in these 

 conditions, either sow the seed in the chinks of the wall 

 or put out very small plants. On the rockery or a dry 

 bank, or in front of the herbaceous border, it is equally 

 at home, and also makes a good edging between stones ; 

 if it grows too large it will stand cutting back after the 

 flowering is over, and will again form a dense green 

 cushion by the autumn. Seedling's are easily raised, 

 but the good varieties are propagated by cuttings 

 inserted under a ctp-glass in autumn or spring. 



The question of the best varieties is a debatable one. 

 and will vary according to taste. Among the purples 

 I still prefer Dr. Mules, the colour is so rich, deep and 

 clear; the habit is very compact, and the plant has a 

 good constitution. In spring the flowers often com- 

 pletely hide the foliage. On the other side, it is said 

 that the new Aubrietia, Llo\d Edwards, will now reign 

 as the purple emperor of the family ; not having seen 

 this variety in flower 1 cannot discuss its merits, bin 

 the same was said of Pritchard's Ai, the flower of which 

 is certainly slightly larger, but the habit is looser, and 

 the colour, I think, is not quite as good as Dr. Mules, 

 and I still prefer Ihe older variety. Mr. .\nderson, al 

 the Phoenix Park, still believes in the old .\. Hendersoni 

 as a carpet for bulbs, for he finds thai it stands ihc 

 necessary transplanting incumbent with spring bedding 

 subjects better than any other purple Rock Cress. A. 

 deltoidea cilicica is a soft pleasirig shade, and is one 

 which always attracts me. Other purples, which I 

 would place second to those mentioned above, are 

 Purple Robe, Craven Gem and Wallacei. 



Fire King, raised by Messrs. Barr and Sons, is pro- 

 bably the best of its colour, a good, bright magenta, 

 sometimes described as crimson ; we badl}' require 

 a good crimson which does nol fade as ihe flowei s 

 age. 



.Another want is a realh' good while Aubrielia. Two 

 varieties, often described as whites, do not come up lo 

 expectations ; Aubrietia iinlilibani is a poor thing, 

 and A. tauricola alba is certainly better, of a neat 

 dwarf habil, but the flowers so soon change to pale 

 lavender. 



-Aubrietia Moerheimi has flowers of a soft pleasing 

 pink : although in some gardens it tloes exceedingi}' 

 well, yet in others it is inclined to die out, showing its 

 constitution is not too strong. \. l,a\ender is well 

 named and is a decitleil addition lo the family, and well 

 i.lesei'\ed the awartl of merit which it recei\eil. 



'■ I'AI't'V. " 

 zp* sr^ v^ 



" Vou will liiid that luck 



Is only pluck 

 To try things over and over; 



Patience and skill. 



Courage and will, 

 .\re the four luckv leaves of the clovei." 



