IRISH GARDENING 



85 



Saxifrages, both the mossy and encrusted 

 sections, may be used. Nothing makes a more 

 handsome pan than Sax. bathoniensis or Cam- 

 prsi (The Pearl). Cuttings of the two named 

 may be rooted in April and grown on ready for 

 panning in the autumn, providing a fairly rich 

 soil in the pans. 



Saxifrages sancta, apiculata, Elizabeths, 

 rocheliana, &c., make perfect pictures in early 

 spring. Of these fairly large clumps should be 

 lifted from the open and panned up, using gritty 

 soil with a fair quantity of leaf mould. 



Campanulas muralis, garganica, pusilla, car- 

 pathica, &c, are very suitable for pans and of 

 easy cultivation. Two year old plants of these 

 are best. Plants which have been grown in a 

 reserve bed will lift with little damage to the 

 roots, and if placed reasonably close in the pans 

 with a good leafy soil will make a fine mass for 

 showing the following summer. 



Myosotis Ruth Fischer, grown from cuttings 

 or seedlings, will in a year make one of the 

 loveliest of pans. This lovely Forget-me-Not is 

 rather hard to keep through the winter, for it 

 dislikes too much wet, so that a very gritty soil 

 is essential, and it would be well to tilt the pan 

 at an angle during dull wet weather. 



Arabis aubrietioides, again, is difficult to 

 winter, being very prone to damp off, but it 

 well repays the little extra trouble entailed to 

 get a good pan of it ; abundance of sand and 

 leaf soil, with a dry position in winter, will go 

 a long way to nursing it safely to the sunny 

 days of spring. Tilt this pan, as recommended 

 for the above. 



Androsace sarmentosa and lanuginosa, with 

 their woolly rosettes and pink umbels of flowers, 

 are very beautiful in pans. These require a 

 very well-drained pan and gritty soil, and when 

 being placed in their pans should be wedged in 

 with small flat stones, as they love having their 

 roots in a port of crevice. Damp is their worst 

 enemy, so the pans should be tilted to prevent 

 moisture settling in the crowns. 



The delightful Arenaria balearica makes one 

 of the neatest and prettiest pans coveied with 

 its tiny starry-white flowers. Fill a pan to the 

 brim with good garden soil and press tufts of 

 the Arenaria firmly into the soil ; it will very 

 soon establish itself and cover the whole surface 

 and down the sides of the pan. 



Aubrietias Dr. Mules, Fire King, J. S. Baker, 

 and deltoides cilicica are all good for exhibition 

 in pans. Young plants give the best display. 

 Root the cuttings in sandy soil as soon as they 

 can be obtained, pot them off into small pots 

 as soon as ready, and when again well rooted 

 through the ball transfer to the show pan, using 

 a fairly rich soil for the pan and placing the 

 plants fairly close, so as to ensure the surface 

 being well covered at the flowering season. 



Several other showy subjects might be men- 

 tioned as suitable for exhibition, such as Sapon- 

 aria ocymoides, Arenaria montana, Draba 

 aizoides, Gentiana acaulis, &c. 



Clumps of Gentian should be panned in the 

 richest of soil, but I find they flower better the 

 second year after lifting, as the first year they 

 seem to go more to growth than flower, as if 

 building up for a great effort the following year. 



In preparing pans for exhibition attention to 

 a few minor details will greatly enhance the 

 appearance of the exhibit. Pans should be 

 scrupulously clean, all species and varieties 

 correctly named, and where any spaces appear 

 between the jilants a few pieces of rough stone, 

 carefully placed in, will help to show up the 

 plants and give a natural appearance as if the 

 plants were growing out from between the stones. 



Primulas* 



By W. H. Paine. 



Dr. Macwatt, Hollands, Duns, N.B., staged 

 many rare species of Primula together with 

 Auriculas, Polyanthus and Primroses at the 

 CheLsea Show. 



The whole exi libit was put up in baskets, and 

 the colour effect was wonderful for a stand 

 devoted to one genus only. 



The plants showed good culture, and the tone 

 of colour was good in every case. Primula 

 glutinosa and P. Parryi were in fine form. The 

 latter is a deep glowing crimson-rose with bright 

 green leaves. P. muscarioides and P. deflexa 

 both very near, but the latter is covered with 

 hairs on leaf and stem. P. siberica was bright. 

 P. suffrutescens, a sub-shrubby species with deep 

 pink flowers, was seen in excellent form. P. 

 Julia?, P. decora alba, P. Forrestii, P. grandis, 

 and a previously unshown species — P. capitellata, 

 an erect growing plant with white and blue, 

 shaded flowers, were quite interesting. P. Marven, 

 a beautiful hybrid between P. marginata and 

 P. venusta. with mauve flowers and well marked 

 eye. P. Auricula var. ciliata, P. The General, 

 P. Lissadell Hybrid, P. Munroi. P. luteola, 

 P. mollis, P. pulverulenta, P. ciliata purpurea, 

 P. ciliata coccinea, and other better known species 

 were shown to perfection. 



The Polvanthus included Brilliant, a wonderful 

 plant for colour ; Gold Lace in fine style, and the 

 blue-shaded varieties. 



Among the old Double Primroses and Poly- 

 anthus were seen Pompadour, Cloth of Gold, 

 Burgundy, French Grey, Harlequin, Tortoise-Shell. 



The Auriculas were a very fine lot for so late 

 in the year. The Shows and Alpines were very 

 strong. The Border and old-fashioned Doubles 

 were strong and bright. 



g^W j^* ft^* 



CORTUSA PUBENS. 



This species, from Transylvania, is not so well 

 known as Cortusa Matthioli, but is much prettier. 

 The downy leaves resemble those of Primula 

 Veitchii ; the flower stems rise 6 or 8 inches high, 

 bearing beautiful drooping, bell-shaped flowers 

 of a bright magenta. 



