IRISH GARDENING 



27 



relative of S. Oriesliin-hi, !*"reilt'i''K'i-Ain^iiNli, ami 

 olliers. 



The noniiai jjiowlli is a neat silvery rosette, an iiuli 

 or so across, while those about to flower bej;i>i to raise 

 their eeiUres ilurinj^ Dei-ember, and graduall}" proloni,^ 

 the flower spike, which ch.inijes in colour from the tfrcy- 

 greeii of the rosette to a rich red when the infloresencc 

 is fully developed. 



The flower itself is somewhat inconspicuous, but the 

 whole of the branchinj^ stem ,ind calyces are of this 

 rich-red colour, and in addition are heavily coveied 



with h.iirs, 



Usually after 

 flowering: 

 each rosette 

 sends out a 

 n u m b e r i^l" 

 olTsels, .'mil 

 these shouki 

 be carefully 

 propaj^aletl ; 

 sine e, like 

 most of I lie 

 S.a X i f rajfas, 

 the floweriiisj' 

 rosette has 

 completed its 

 functions 

 when the seed 

 is ripe, ami it 

 then dies. 



I find that 

 a fairly full 

 exposure lo 

 sunlig^ht, and, 

 as in the case 

 of S. Rursc- 

 riana, a semi- 

 moraine soil 

 suits this 

 plant \-eyy 

 well, thousjh 

 with the addi- 

 tion of even 

 more stone 

 chip, <ind care 



should be S.wifkaga 



taken to so Photographed by W. J, Mitchison in the 



arrange pieces of stone about the rosettes, that no 

 dirt will splash on to the foliage, since this is very 

 detrimental. 



Since both of these species often come into flower 

 during inclement weather, it is advisable, to prevent 

 the blossoms being bruised and battered by the 

 elements, to place a piece of glass above them, so 

 as to protect them from the worst of the weather, 

 while allowing an ample current of air to play around 

 the plants. 



A beginner starting to grow Saxifragas will find all 

 those of the mossy section quite easy to cultivate. 

 Some of the encrusted group are extremely beautiful 

 and grow well in any open situation. Sax. Cotyledon is 

 one of these easy-doers, and the varietv pyramidalis 

 makes a beautiful pot plant for a cool house. 



Obituary. 



Wii.l.iA.M \Vats(in.— After a brief illness, Mr. William 

 W.itson, the founder of the well-known ruirsery business 

 of Messrs. W'ni. Watson and Sons, died at Simla Lodge, 

 Clont.irf, on Monday, January .Sth, at the advanced age 

 of 78, The deceased was born in Douglas, Lanarkshire, 

 and went to IreLind in 1856. He was extremely fond 

 of horticulture and an enthusiastic amateur, pr.iclising 

 first in a small garden opposite what was then the well- 

 known Farrell's Nursery. Here he experimented most 



e n t h u siasti- 

 cally, being 

 very success- 

 ful in cross 

 breeding Iri- 

 color and 

 bronze Gera- 

 niums, which 

 were then so 

 pc»pular, and 

 he met with 

 marked suc- 

 cess. 



He was the 

 first to raise 

 from seed Pri- 

 mula japonica 

 and Todea 

 superba in 

 quantity.while 

 among h i s 

 particular 

 favourites was 

 the Carnation, 

 which subse- 

 quently be- 

 came one of 

 the leading 

 f e a t u res of 

 the firm. .\s 

 an amateur he 

 was as.soci- 

 ated with all 

 the leading 

 gardeners 

 BtiiSEKiANA and amateurs 



Rock flarden at .Mullaboden, Co. Kildare. aroinitl Dub- 



lin, and was hon. secretary to the Dublin Horticultural 

 Club till 1877. On his retirement he was presented by 

 the club with a handsome gold watch and an illumi- 

 nated address. 



Moving to Clontarf in 1881, he started the Clontarf 

 Nurseries, and was joined later in the business hy his 

 sons James and John. Mr. Watson is survived by five 

 sons and five daughters - all of the former being more or 

 less connected with agricultural and horticultural trades. 

 For many years before his death Mr. Watson had 

 been obliged, owing to increasing deafness and the 

 infirmities of age, to forego taking an active part in 

 business. This was managed by his sons James and 

 John Matchett. who had joined the firm in iSSSand 1895, 

 respectively. They continue to carry on the firm's pro- 

 gressive business at Clontarf and Nassau St. as before. 



