150 



IRISH GARDENING 



suckle 1-ieariiiy pale yellow blossoms far into 

 the auUmm, is a desirable wall plant, altracti\e 

 on account of its sweet scent. 



Peroxskia atriplicifolia is usel'ul tor late sum- 

 mer and autuiini, I'ormini;- attracti\e bushes ol 

 silvery yrey, crowned with spikes ot violet-blue 

 llowers. A sunny position in light loam is most 

 suitable for this prett)' plant. 



Potentilla fruticosa, alway.s a neat and pretty 

 shrub, continues to flower quite late. The 

 variety P. fruticosa arbuscula is particularly 

 s^-ood, o( procumbent habit, the leaves and 

 shoots furnished with t'uscous brown hairs, and 

 bearing- large, deep yellow flowers. 



Salvia Grahami, a shrubby sage suitable lor 

 a warm sunny spot, is highly attractive in 

 autumn when well covered with its beautiful 

 red blossoms. 



Spartium junceum, tlie "Spanish l>room," is 

 one of the \ery best late blooming shrubs we 

 ha\e, producing abiuidance of clear yellow 

 llowers well into .September. 



Propagation of Alpine Plants. 



Hy InIXUNAI 11 j\. f.lAl.ia. 



WIIII.l'- IVom H tU>ral point of view IIiltc is now 

 little of inlLTt'sl ill Ihe Alpine garclLMi, lliis 

 is, nevertheless, a very Inisy month for Ihe 

 gardener. .\t no time of the year ean alterations .iiul 

 e.vtensions be made with Kfreater advantage than now, 

 when many of our little plants are g^oinif to rest, aiul so 

 ean be more readily moveil, while Ihe nnsightly ap- 

 pearance of our gfarden, which is iiievilable when 

 alterations are proceeding, is of eoniparalively lillle 

 moment at this late end of the season. 



.'Vnother g-reat advantag'e is that any new rock worl; 

 put lip will l>e very thoi'oiiglily consolidiited by Ihe 

 winter rains. I do not mean by liiis that any less eare 

 should be expended in ramming- the new soil as tightly 

 as possible behind the pieces of rock we are adjiisling 

 lo form new shoulders or butlresses in the .Alpine 

 garden. Far from it, since tlie more firmly the soil is 

 p.ieketl the more satisfactory will be tiie result. 



Just riow I am busy in my own garclen in gie.-itl\' 

 extentling my moraine. This h.-is l)een so iMiiiiu*nll\' 

 satisfactory Ih.'it 1 ,nn making aiiolhei- adjoining- il 

 some three or (i>ur limes Ihe size, using very roiiyhb- 

 broken bricks for al Icasi one fool deep at Ihe botlom. 

 to allow of copious iliainage, with liner iind liner grit 

 as it approaches the top. while iiilo ihe np|ier si.x inches 

 I shall mix Ihe merest suspicion of well-dee.iyed le;if- 

 mouid and peal. 



From the various moraines 1 h;ive seen in other gar- 

 dens it appears to me that loo much fine material is 

 allowed into their composition. I'rom my own e\ 

 perience I believe that the merest ti.n'i' ol vegel.-ihlr 



matter is sut^icient, aiul this "poor i.liel "" helps \ery 

 materially to keep the plants light and compact in 

 habit, and induces them to flower mueli more freelj'. 



While it is often advocated that spring is the best 

 time to plain .Alpines, 1 do not think ihat it is a matter 

 of very great moment (if they are in pots), provided 

 such as have hairy or downy leaves ;ire protected from 

 undue overhead wet Dy a roof glass some little way 

 above them, .ind I intend pulling out my new moraine 

 pitiiils as soon as the alleration is completed, and the 

 whole made a-» firm ;is r.'imming anil watering can 

 make il. 



1 believe that many plants, although ce.-Lsing to be 

 active above ground when the autumn comes upon 

 them, slill continue busy below the surface, and in such 

 :i well-drained position as the moraine these roots 

 should find their way deep inio the gritty soil, so as to 

 be able to wilhsland the drying winds of early spring 

 and Ihe hoi sun of the following summer much better 

 than it turned luiI into Iheir new hc>me just when these" 

 Irying conditions are liable to suLldenh' come upon 

 them. 



Now, loo, we shoultl gel in what cuttings we are 

 desirous of taking of in.'iny of the shrubby and sub- 

 shrubby members of our -Alphie famil)' — if we luixe not 

 .ilready done so— such, for instance, as the dwarf 

 Conifers, Cotoueasters. Cistus, Helianthenunn, Litho- 

 spermum, (lenista, llerberis, .Androsace lanuginosa, .A. 

 seiupci vivoides and .A. sarmentosa, though, perhaps, 

 the .Viidrosaces are better taken a little earlier so as to 

 get them rooted and potted up singly before the winter. 

 In the ease of the Cotoneaster, &c , and such hard- 

 wooded subjects. I select the fairly well ripened shoots 

 of the current year's growth, about three inches long ; 

 trim the leaves off the lower two inches of the stem, 

 and place these cuttings all round Ihe edged a pot 

 containing very light, gritty soil, seeing that the 

 culling goes to the very bottom of each dibble hole, 

 .'ind that the soil is well pressed home to them. \'erv 

 lirm pl.'inling is, I believe, of great importance. Need- 

 less to say, ample drainage shouki he put into the soil 

 first . 



\\"illi such plants as the .-iboxe, w-liich uia\- lake souu- 

 mor.ths to root, insteatl of putiing into my ordinar\' 

 seed frame I procure a box, some nine inches to twelve 

 inches deep, partly fill it with tine ash or s.'iiul, and 

 plunge the pots of cuttings in this, covering the top 

 with a sheet of glass. 



This makes an excelh'iit clo^e fr.tme. ;uul cm Ik* 

 stored in some light pl.ue, but where the sun will not 

 fall upon it. 



If two cleats are nailed 011 lo tlu- Itotloin of the be>x, 

 one al each end, ;iiul one or lwv> holes horetl in the 

 uiidei- side, .'imple dr,-iin.-ige will be securet.1, while the 

 cleats will lilt il clear of the moist ground, 



Oin- very thorough watering should be gi\eii the 

 cuttings imniiHiiatelv .'iflei' insertion, .-iiul then, if kepi 

 close, wvy little 11101 e will he leipiired for some con- 

 siderable linu', the aim being to kei-p them .ilw.iys 

 comfortably moist, j'ot never wet. 



It is ;idvisable to turn the glass lid over each day, 

 so taking away the condensed moisture which accumu- 

 lates on the inner surface, and at the s;une time giving 

 the air encloseil in llu' box a chanei'. 



