IRISH GARDENING 



87 



A New Pinetum 



By A. E. Moeran. 



The Marquis of Headfort has just completed 

 the planting of a pinetum at Headfort House, 

 Kells, which ought to take high rank, if all goes 

 well with it, as one of the most carefully selected 

 and comprehensive collections of Conifers in the 

 British Isles. A short account of the general 

 scheme and how it has been carried out would, 

 I daresay, be of interest to many of your readers. 

 Headfort House, with its wide flanking wings, 

 stands big and imposing on a hill. On the west 

 front a wide, 

 close - shaven 

 terrace gay 

 with formal 

 bedding, and 

 t hen the 

 green sweep 

 of park land 

 down to the 

 placid Black- 

 water. To 

 the right, 

 some mile or 

 more away, 

 the spires 

 and clustered 

 roofs of Kells, 

 seen through 

 the tree tops, 

 and across 

 the river 

 more park 

 land, and 

 line old trees, 

 and flanking 

 woods to the 

 horizon. Right below the house is a wooded 

 island of some nine acres, with one bold vista 

 cut through the centre and sentinelled by stately 

 Wellingtonias. This is the pinetum. Last 

 autumn, to make room for the newcomers, all 

 the inferior trees were marked and cut. A 

 second inspection, when this was done, resulted 

 in the marking of further trees, leaving only 

 the finest — chiefly oak, but with a few of those 

 grand silver firs for which Headfort is famous. 

 The ground was then thoroughly cleared of 

 branches and briars, and was ready for planting 

 in February. 



But long before that Lord Headfort, who 

 takes the keenest interest in the whole enterprise, 

 and whose knowledge of tr^es would put many 

 a forester to confusion, had been compiling his 

 lists of trees to be planted. There is more 

 trouble in this than anyone would believe who 

 has not tried it. To avoid the confusion that 

 exists among nurserymen and foresters in 

 nomenclature, that of Kew was rigorously 



a,rlrmt,prl. Aflvinp wa.s a.sL-f'rl frm-n TCp»w n.nrl 



1'holo /<//] 



The Apennin 

 Bordering the Drive at 



Glasnevin, from the great nursery firms, and 

 from many private tree lovers, and all loyally 

 responded, and so at last the lists were complete 

 and the trees personally selected by Lord 

 Headfort. Their arrival was timed for a com- 

 mittee meeting that developed itself upon the 

 island. Sir Frederick Moore, of Glasnevin, and 

 Mr. Bean, of Kew, came specially for it. First 

 the centre ride was pegged out right through — 66 

 feet wide of green grass — no thrusting tree to 

 infringe on this. A cross centre ride was also 

 engineered straight in line with the view up 

 the river from the public bridge by the great 

 entrance gates on the Kelli-Drogheda road. 



There are 

 some 246 

 different spe- 

 cies and var- 

 ieties to be 

 planted ; for 

 each of these 

 there is an 

 iron label 

 with spike, 

 and with the 

 name of the 

 tree plainly 

 stamped in 

 raised letters 

 on it. Each 

 family is to 

 have its own 

 special area, 

 and this is 

 carefully 

 considered. 

 The pines are 

 given a fairly 

 high gravel 

 ridge; the 

 spruces some flat moist ground, but sheltered; the 

 silver firs adjoining, but on drier soil. Shelter 

 from the wind for the tender, sun for the 

 delicate, shade for those that like it — all has 

 to be taken into account. Then the labels are 

 taken and each is stuck into the ground where 

 that tree is to be planted, a dozen questions 

 arising over every site — spread of branches, 

 side shade, exposure, contrast or harmony of 

 colouring, height grown and so on. It took 

 two busy days, with willing helpers, to get all 

 this done, but those that took part in it have, 

 I think, the satisfaction of knowing that, as 

 far as this, or any, site would allow, each 

 different tree is given as good a chance as 

 might be of turning into a healthy, happy, 

 greatly-to-be-admired-by-future- visitors speci- 

 men. Naturally it is hardly to be expected 

 that all the species will do equally well, gathered 

 as they are from the four corners of the globe — 

 the graceful Pinus Montezumse, from beneath 

 whose feathery shade Cortez and his daring band 

 of adventurers looked wonderindv down on sun- 



E Anemone [Miss A. Hamilton 



Hamwood, Co. Meath. 



