IRISH GARDENING 



183 



Schizaiithus. 



Ity W. II. C'.RKKN. 



TIIKSK ihaniiiiit; gri'enlioiisi- annuals aif lulli- 

 vati'il -.o t-asily ami proiliioe smli a wi-allli ol llifif 

 pifllv llirhid-like lloweis itiat lliey liavr In-.-oim- 

 poinilailv known as tlii' " I'ooi' Man's Or\-liiil ami iIil' 

 " HntU'illv I'lowi'i. " l''ew plants liavi' llu' saini- oHi-i'l 

 in the ronser\alor>' niixcci with ollici- suitable siibii.H'ls 

 oi- ijrinipfil hv llieniseh i-s. I'lu-ii- lijjlit, <raceliil hahil 

 ailils iiuii'li 10 the boauty of bouse dei'oiation in I'arl) 

 smnrner. Seeds sbould be sown in the month ol'Jiily 

 in liKhl, sandv soil in pans one foot in diameler, place 

 in jjecUle heat till the seedling's appear, when they 

 must be r-emoved to a shelf in a eoolei" plaee elose 

 10 the roof ulass, 10 keep the plants short and sturdy. 

 When tlie\ have made a few leaves and are larije 

 enough to handle they should be potted singly into 

 three ineh pots, using nice light soil consisting oi loam 

 broken up tine and leaf-mould equal parts with a dash 

 o( sand added : give a good watering, plaee then) on .1 

 shelf, and keep shaded for a few days till root action 

 has taken place in the new soil. -Vs growth advances 

 give air and water freely ; in .a few weeks they will be 

 ready for a larger size pot. This move should be to a 

 Hve inch pot, using a simil.ar compost, prefer.ably a 

 little rougher loam, pot moderately firm, place .a neat 

 stake to each plant and give a good watering. Winter 

 the plants on a shelf where plenty of air can be 

 admitted when the weather is mild. If specimen plants 

 are required the best and slr'ongest slioulil be selecletl in 

 the month of January, and give Ihem pots from seven to 

 eight inches, washed clean and well drained. The soil 

 this time should consist of good, rough, fibrous loam 

 .uul le.if-mould equal parts, with dried cow manure 

 liroken up to the size of hazel nuts, a ten inch pot full 

 to the barrow of soil, with sand added and thoroughly 

 mixed before potting. If the plants are inclined to 

 grow to a single stem pinch out the tops a week before 

 polling. Staking is a most important matter and 

 should receive early attention, otherwise the plants are 

 liable to fall about and become unshapely. Nice light 

 stakes strong enough to bear each main shoot should 

 be used, not too thick or they will look clumsy when the 

 plants are in bloom. L'nder no consideration should 

 the plants be allowed to suffer for the want of water, 

 or the delicate, fern-like foliage, which adds so much 

 to the beauty of the plant, will turn yellow and ruin the 

 plants' appearance for any purpose. Weekly applica- 

 tions of diluted farmyard manure water will greatly 

 assist plants which are commencing to bloom. \'arieties 

 are numerous, but the amateur will find all he wjiiits in 

 the choice mixed hybrids. 



j^W f^^ ^fi^ 



PVKAI. ANl H.\ A.\l.;LSTlrOI.I.\. 



The European Kirelhorn is a favourite with evei'yone ; 

 when trained to a wall its evergreen foliage and orange 

 scarlet berries are most effective throughout the dullest 

 months of the year. The variety Lalandl is the best 

 form, and fruits very freely when grown as a bush. 



Pyracantha angustifolia is a native of South Western 

 China and a very near relative of the European Fire- 

 thorn, although it was introduced as Cotoneaster 

 angustifolia and is still sold under this name. In Co. 

 Oublin it is not a success when grown .as .a bush, i'or 

 the fruits remain green antl do not coloiu'. When 

 trained against a sunny wall, however, it is a delight- 

 ful subject, for it flowers .and fruits with the greatest 

 freedom ; during December and January the berries 

 take on a brilliant orange colour and are most attrac 

 live. The leaves are verj' long and narrow In propor- 

 tion to those of the European Everlasting Thorn. 

 There is another one of this set known as the White 

 Thorn or Pyracantha crenulata. 



Ihc Cotoneasters. 



TlllCSI', be.iutiful and useful shrubs are fairly well 

 represented in gardens by a few species and 

 varieties which have been in cultivation for a 

 good many years. Considering, however, thai there 

 are now some two or three dozen kinds in cultivation 

 exhibiting immense variety in habit, it is to be regrelleil 

 that oiilv a few sorts should be met with again and 

 .ig.iiti. Recent collectors in China have added .1 

 iiumbei of be.iutiful species 10 those already known, 

 and others which have been in cultivation longer never 

 seem lo have become common. 



Cotoneasters of one kind .and .another are I'minenily 

 useful in manv wa\'s. .Xs wall shrubs some of the ever- 

 green species are not surpas.sed, their glossy leaves 

 .uul bright berries rendering them most attractive in 

 winter. For the rock garden some of the dwarf small 

 leaved sorts an' of exception.il value, as also are the 

 creeping prostrate kinds. For the mixed shrubbery 

 ipiite a number form handsome bushes either for plant- 

 ing singlv or in groups acci>rtling to the area to be 

 pl.anted. 



.\ny soil of average quality will grow Cotoneasters 

 well, and as the amount of priming required is not great 

 intending planters might with advantage give at least 

 a share of their attention to this interesting genus. .As 

 town shrubs Cotoneasters .'ire very successful, many 

 good specimens of the older sorts being noted from 

 lime to time. Propagation can be effected by seeds 

 .ind by cuttings. Tlie following species are representa- 

 tive of those at present in cultivation : — 



Cotoneaster acuminata, .'i Himalayan species with 

 ov.'ite, pointed leaves anil bearing scarlet fruits ; 

 decitliious. 



C. .-icutifolia, a deciduous species from .Mongolia, 

 bearing sharp-pointed leaves, which colour brilliantly 

 in autumn ; fruits, black. 



C. adpressa, a new species introduced by James 

 Veitch & Son, from China. It is of prostrate habit, 

 admirably suited for the rock garden. The leaves turn 

 a beautiful orange colour before falling in autumn. 



C. applanta is another of V'eilch's introductions from 

 China. It forms an elegant shrub bearing ovate leaves 

 and in autumn clusters of deep red fruits. 



C. ambigua, a new species from China, of which only 

 young plants are yet in cultivation. The leaves are 

 deciduous and ovate or elliptic ovate in shape. It is 

 described by Rehder and Wilson as "allied to C. acuti- 

 folia, from which it is distinguished b\' the generally 

 ovate less pubescent leaves and more densely pubes- 

 cent calyx. " The fruits are described as black. 



C. bacillaris, an old and well known species from the 

 Himalaya. It is sub-evergreen In fairly mild districts 

 and produces abundance of black fruits. It will form 

 .-I very large shrub or small tree ifallowetl 10 develop, 

 and forms a. handsome specimen for parks and pleasure 

 grounds. 



C. bullata, also introduced by \'eitch, is a handsome 

 species, bearing fairly large, wrinkled leaves, which 

 ■ire woolly below, and clusters of red fruits in autumn. 



C . buxifolia, a well-known evergreen from the Hima- 

 laya, and one of the most desirable. The leaves are 

 comparatively small, ovate in sh,ape, and woolly on the 

 under surface. The white flowers are rather attractive 

 in spring, and are succeeded by deep red berries in 

 .autumn, when the shrub is, perhaps, most attractive, 

 (irowing only three to four feet high, it is useful for 

 shrubberies, specimen beds, and the bolder style of 

 rock garden. 



