40 



IRISH GARDENING 



From Princess Mary, crossed with pollen of the 

 Poets, we have the new race called Engleheart ii. 

 Madame de Graaff is the seed parent of Pearl 

 of Kent crossed by Monarch, while her pollen 

 crossed in Emperor gave that magnificent new 

 white Florence Pearson. 



Some varieties are sterile, others have good 

 pollen, but refuse to bear seed, and vice-versa. 

 Sir Watkin and both the Camms are useless, as is 

 also Empress, although its almost alter ego flors- 

 lieldii bears seed here fairly well. King Alfred 

 is good either way, its colour predominates in 

 most of its crosses. 



The novice should grow plenty of Princess 

 Mary, as it is a splendid seed hearer, and cross 

 with the Poets, if he can get same to bloom in 

 time, or get some blooms of Poets from his 

 friends' greenhouses. 



Some other free seeders of the popular varieties 

 are Duke of Bedford. Lady Margaret Boscawen, 

 Weardale Perfection, The Poets, Glory of Noor- 

 dwijk. Emperor, all the Leedsii, iv.c. Potent 

 pollen is found in Maximus, Weardale Perfection, 

 Lulworth. and Emperor. 



As a general rule the pollen parent gives colour 

 and the seed parent the form, also pollen from a 

 distance seems more fertile. 



Our leading bulb-growers are very glad to give 

 hints to any of their customers who may take 

 up hybridising on asking for same, and I am 

 quite sure our very courteous and painstaking- 

 editor will only be too happy to oblige any 

 correspondent with very sound and clear advice, 

 and also to help with pollen if the variety is 

 within his reach - ; at least I have found him so. 

 and take the opportunity of returning him my 

 besl thanks. 



The Monarch of the East. 



Seedsm en sometimes sell this plant as a curiosity, 

 for in spring, when tubers are placed in a warm 

 room, they will flower without any soil or water ; 

 large tubers often measure 4 or 5 inches in 

 diameter. A native of India, it is botanically 

 allied to the Arum Lily, in fact is sometimes sold 

 as Arum cornutum, hut its correct name is 

 Sauromatum guttatuni. which means that the 

 flowers are spotted like a lizard. 



The (lower is more curious than beautiful, and 

 the scent is not pleasant : the flower spat he is a 

 loot and a half Long, purplish-green outside, 

 inside spotted and streaked heavily with red 

 purple. The heat at the bottom of the spat he is 

 considerable when the (lowers are expanding. 

 Handsome divided foliage will appear after the 

 flower has faded ; when this takes place the tubers 

 may he potted up in rich soil and placed in a 

 warm greenhouse. Dining the summer the old 

 tuber pots away, bul a new one is formed in its 

 place. Towards the end of summer the foliage 

 dies down, when the pots should he placed on 

 their sides under a greenhouse stage and kept 

 quite dry until next February, or the tubers may 

 he shaken free of soil and stored in a box of dry 

 sand. Small tubers detached when repotting in 

 February if potted separately will flower in a few 

 years. 



Another way of growing the Monarch of the 

 East is to plant the tubers outside on a warm 

 border in March or April, and then they can either 

 be lifted in autumn and stored in a dry frost- 

 proof place, if required to flower inside, or they 

 may be left in the ground and well covered with 

 ashes for the winter. (Reply (o S ) 



Olearia ramulosa. 



Ix our milder counties Olearia stellulata is one 

 of our best flowering shrubs, for in the month of 

 •lime it becomes a veritable mass of white so 

 freely are the flowers produced : a common name 

 sometimes applied to it is the Daisy hush, for the 

 flowers are similar to Daisies. In catalogues it 

 is often sold as (). Gunnii. 



Like its better known relative, Olearia ramulosa 

 comes from Australia and is widely spread in 

 New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania If 

 we imagine a dainty miniature of Olearia stellu- 

 lata with long spray-like branches we get some 

 idea of the gracefulness of the plant. Unfor- 

 tunately this plant is not hardy; it might he 

 tried in our most southern and mildest districts, 

 hut around Dublin it will not stand the winter. 

 Nevertheless this Olearia should he useful to those 

 who want flowering plants for a cool greenhouse 

 or conservatory. The flowers last for a long time. 

 and are borne throughout the months of Decem- 

 ber, January, and into February. The flowers. 

 about a third of an inch across, are produced on 

 the lateral branches, while the tiny evergreen 

 leaves are narrowly oval, barely a quarter of an 

 inch long. Cuttings strike freely, especially if 

 taken off with a heel : when rooted they can be 

 potted up and grown on in a cool house: at the 

 end of April they can he placed outside and 

 brought into the house again before the autumn 

 frosts. Old plants require cutting hack after 

 flowering to keep them bushy and compact. 



The Making and Keeping 

 of Lawns. 



By W. Usher, Brenanstown Gardens, Cabinteely, 



Co. Dublin. 



As the setting is to the diamond. SO also, and 

 more, are the surroundings to a dwelling, he it a 

 palace or a cottage. What a very different 

 appearance does a house take on when surrounded 

 by nice green, well kept lawns, flanked by trees 

 and shrubs judiciously planted and carefully 

 attended to: bill I cannot go into the woods or 

 shrubberies: the editor has chained me to the 

 lawn. To stroll about on the soft, smooth, green 

 lawn on a line da y tends 1 o excite t he imagination : 

 therefore, gent le reader. I will ask you to imagine 

 that you are ahout to make a lawn, be it a tennis 

 court . a croquet lawn, or a series of green expanses 

 in which you are sett inc. your house. The first 

 matter to consider is the drainage; should the 

 ground he sloping and the natural drainage u'ood. 



a great deal of time, labour, and expense will he 

 Saved : hut when il is likely to he under water 



for any considerable period, at any time of the 

 year, or t hat t he ground is hea\ j or too retent ive, 

 it will require draining; this may besl be done 

 by one lor more according to the size of lawn) 

 main drain, into which a number of smaller ones 

 may he taken, so that the water he carried aw.i\ 



quickly. The next important consideration is the 

 levels, and how best to lit them in with the 



Surroundings; soil may have to he imported or 

 taken off the higher ground and placed on the 



lower portion, slopes or terraces may have to he 



formed, and retaining walls built (these latter 



should be avoided if at all possible). Beights and 



depths should he carefully taken and properlj 

 balanced before commencing to remove soil or 

 importing it. To those of limited experience a 



