68 



IRISH GARDENING 



The Culture of the Daffodil. 



H\- Ja.mks SHKPHiiUn, The Hardi-ns, Wells, Gorey. 



HE Daffodil, although larj^'ely grown in 

 beds and borders, is seen to much 



T 



greater advantage in the wild garden, 

 amid the natural surroundings of trees and 

 shrubs, or skirting the edge of woodhmd walks, 

 or grouped naturally in th.e grass. Almost all 

 Narcissi look well and do well in the grass, if 

 you can spare them a corner of law n or meadow 

 which can be left until the end of June without 

 mowing, for the Narcissus leaves niusl not be 

 cut, but left to die away naturally. They should 

 not be planted stiffly, but in irregularly-shaped 

 patches, each sort in a clump to itself and with 

 sufficient room left between each bulb to allow 

 for gradual increase. Varieties that do well in 

 grass are Tenby (Obvallaris), Pallidus pra^cox. 

 Minimus, Gwyther, Princeps, Cervantes, &c. 



The cultivation of the DatTodil is not difficult, 

 but in this, as in most things, there are 

 differences of opinion. In my own experience 

 I have found suflicient to secure a very satis- 

 factory measure of success. As to soil, I find 

 most varieties do fairly well in any kind ot 

 garden soil, but if exceptionally fine flowers 

 are wanted the soil is best prepared beforehand. 

 Top-dress the grouiid with old turfy loam and 

 basic slag, then double dig the whole, letting 

 the ground rest till planting time, then marking- 

 it all into four-foot beds, as they are handy to 

 get at lor weeding or hoeing, having four lines 

 in a bed. When cutting out the trench for the 

 bulbs add more loam, crushed liones and sand, 

 then plant the bulbs. The depth at which 

 Narcissi bulbs should be planted varies accord- 

 ing to size, an average covering of soil is 

 about three inches. When planted the bulbs 

 should be left undisturbed for two seasons. 



I cannot insist too strongly on the necessity 

 of early planting, if tlie very best results are to 

 be obtained. There is no doubt that better 

 flowers are obtained from two-year-old beds 

 than from those planted late in the previous 

 autumn anti which have not been a year in the 

 ground. .\in one can prove this for himself by 

 comparing the lilooms from the two-year-old 

 beds and those put down the previous autmnn. 

 For show purposes plant early in .AugusI, 

 if possible. 



After lifting the bulbs early in July, the offsets 

 they have produced may be separated by care- 



tcdly pulling apart. They should come apart 

 quite easily iwitli a little pressure of finger and 

 tluunb) ; force should not be used or the bulb 

 will be injured. 



The bulbs after being lifted should be spread 

 out to dry in a cool, airy place, not heaped 

 upon one another, but spread out in shallow 

 trays or boxes. It is better to lift the bulbs 

 early before they have made new rootlets ; if 

 so, they had better be immediately replanted. 



The Daffodils for exhibition should be well 

 looked over a fortnight before the show, and 

 any specially large buds collected and put into 

 water, with lumps of charcoal, and kept in a 

 dark, cool and airy room, the waler being- 

 changed when necessary. .At intervals of 

 several days thin slices may be cut off the ends 

 of the tlower stalk. This will prolong- life a 

 day or two, but the best flowers for exhibition 

 are generally those which are cut as the bud 

 begins to break, about five or six days before 

 the show day, and allowed to open in a 

 nioderately warm room The bloon-is are then 

 clean and fresh, and free from dust. Careful 

 packing is needed for a journey, and they should 

 be laid in shallow boxes with tissue paper to 

 fill up the empt\- spaces. 



Old Conna Hill, Bray. 



By K. K.NdWLUiN. 



BEAUTIFUL WICKLOW! In our gad- 

 dings through the Green Isle few 

 things have been nore pleasanth im- 

 pressed than wanderings in Wicklow, nor any 

 pleasanter than a visit to the grounds and 

 gardens of Old Conna Hill, Bray, the residence 

 of Captain Riall, D.L. .And beautiful Bray I 

 that is. its magnificent natural surroundings. 

 \\'h\ this quiet resort, with its long, lonely sea 

 jiromenade, should have ever been called the 

 Brighton of Ireland we do not know, for the 

 the sunburnt, blatant old Brighton ot' .Sussex 

 sheds no lustre of association, in our mind, on 

 the quiet, little town with the big, big Head, 

 and — but no matter, we want to talk of a Bray 

 garden — have been asked to, in tact, audit's all 

 prelt\- fresh in menKi|-\-, although we had ample 

 evidence earl\- in March that the .Mimosa which 

 C'aptain Kiall had planted has since grown 

 apace. It was then little more than a bush — 

 that is well on for three years ago^now it is 

 well on for thirtv feet high, snllicienllv luxu- 



