J 34 



IRISH GARDENING 



any kind. A good flowering shrub of a quick 

 growing habit, a trellis work covered with Roses 

 or Creepers, can be made to answer the purpose 

 of an ugly hedge which would require to be 

 clipped, and would always give a stiff appearance. 

 Behind this shelter, whatever it may be, the 

 necessities of the garden may be hidden. 



Autumn Bulbs. — Now is the time to notice 

 where an extra bit of colour is wanted in the 

 border, or where in a month's time colour will be 

 scarce, and for these spaces there are many good 

 autumn-flowering bulbous plants which come into 

 full bloom when everything else is going to rest. 

 Some of these could even be ordered at once and 



tried, but they will do better in sine ling years 



than they will the tirst year, and they also have 

 the great advantage over many spring flowering 

 bulbs in that they need not be lifted every year. 

 and this operation would only be required when 

 they had been a long time in one place and grown 

 too close together. Among those which could be 

 purchased immediately and would give some 

 return this autumn are the Autumn Crocus 

 Colchicum autumnale and varieties. Colchicum 

 speciosum is a deep pinky mauve, with large 

 blooms all well shaped and lasting well in (lower 

 both when growing or when cut. C. speciosum 

 album is a very lovely thing with its pure white 

 flowers. All these Colchicums should, where 

 possible, be planted where they can come up 

 through some low-growing plant, as they flower 

 without their foliage, which appears later on. 

 The " Autumn Snowflake " Leucojum autumnale, 

 like a pretty little Snowdrop which flowers now 

 and could be bought at once. A more beautiful 

 autumn flower than the "Belladonna Lily" 

 (Amaryllis Belladonna) could not be found, and 

 when planted al the foot of a warm wall, with or 

 close to some dark red foliage plaid, its silvery 

 pink flowers on tall reddish stems are quite 

 perfect. The hardy Cyclamen ('. ueapolitanum 

 also flowers in the autumn, but too early to be 

 bought now for this season. The small pinkish 

 flowers are often six or more inches high, and 

 their slender brownish stems stand over beautiful 

 marbled green leaves. 



All early apples should be gathered before they 

 fall and get bruised. Such varieties as Irish 

 Peach, Gladstone, Langley Pippin. Beauty of 

 Bath, &C, will not keep, and should be eaten 

 direct from the tree. When an eating apple 

 loses its green look, when its colour seems to 

 have reached its height, and when it will leave 

 the branch easily in the hand without being 

 pulled, it may be taken as ripe. The same 

 applies to peaches, nectarines and other soft 

 fruit. It should never be " felt " to see if it is 

 ripe. Every time a peach is "felt" or roughlj 

 handled it leaves a mark, which when properly 

 ripe will not improve its appearance. [f it comes 

 away easily from the stem when gently pulled, 

 if will either be ripe or sufficiently ripe for a 

 day or so in the house to finish, and it will look 

 far nicer on a dinner table than one with brown 

 bruises, or a plum I ha,t has lost its bloom. 



Hasi'bhkky Cam:-. Eere the young ones 

 should be t binned out to six or seven, and t he old 

 ones cut out altogether. 



Order bulbs for forcing and for the garden, for 

 the sooner they are ordered the sooner they can 

 be planted. 



Greenhouse. — The Arum Lilies and Salvias 

 and any other greenhouse plants that were 

 planted out during the summer months may be 



lifted, repotted and brought back to the house. 

 Arums require good rich soil and plenty of water 

 to induce them to make large flowers and healthy 

 foliage. At the end of the month Camellias. 

 Azaleas. Genistas and other shrubs for early 

 loicing that have been standing out all the 

 summer, can be brought in. A Light top-dressing 

 of fresh soil would benefit them all. Veronica 

 Hulkeana, a New Zealand plant, with its graceful 

 s] ukes of pale lilac flowers, makes an excellent 

 greenhouse shrub. Geraniums, Cinerarias and 

 Primulas for the spring display may be potted on. 

 The Mignonette sown in August will be ready for a 

 pot by the end of the month. If the seedlings 

 have come up too thick, thin some of them out. 

 leaving about live strong ones; later on these can 

 be again thinned, leaving either only one or' 

 three of the strongest in a six or seven inch pot. 

 Always pot Mignonette firmly, and do not break 

 up the ball of soil when shifting from one pot to 

 another'. Schizanthus, the " Poor Man's Orchid," 

 makes an excellent pot plant. It can be sown during 

 this month, and grown on as directed for the 

 Mignonette. A little care and trouble, coupled 

 with a very small outlay in the purchase of seeds 

 and potting mixture, will enable those with a 

 small greenhouse or conservatory to keep it brighl 

 during the dark winter days. The race of 

 Tulips known as Darwins are good subjects for 

 forcing, and their height makes them very useful 

 for indoor work. Amongst those which might be 

 tried are Clara Butt, pink : Harry Witch, dark 

 red ; King Harold, maroon ; Air. Farncombe 

 Sanders, pinky rose ; Pride of Haarlem, old rose ; 

 Rev. II. Kw bank, mauve: William Pitt, crimson. 

 The bulbs for growing in bowds in fibre should 

 be planted as soon as possible. Roman 

 Hyacinths are a great success grown in this way 

 and require no more special care than the 

 I daffodils do. 



Senecio Hectori. 



THERE are thirty species of Senecio found in New- 

 Zealand, all being confined to this country, except 

 one, which extends to Australia. 



We are indebt ed t o .Mr. Walpole for the illust ra- 

 tion of this Senecio. which is one of the mosf 

 handsome of all New Zealand shrubs. At Mount 

 Usher, in Co. Wicklow, it has reached a height of 

 6 feet arid t he same in circumference, and (lowered 

 last August. About the same time it also 

 (towered with Mr. Beamish in his garden near' Cork. 



Senecio Hectori forms an erect shrub with 

 stout branches, with leaves crowded towards the 

 ends of the branches: in New Zealand a height 

 of ii to 12 feel is readied. 



The leaves are very large, from ii inches to 

 nearly a foot in length, and '1 to I inches broad, 

 oblong ovate in shape, roughish on upper surface, 



and clothed with white cottony down on the 

 under' surface. This species may be easily distin- 

 guished from all other Senecios by the base of the 

 leaf being pinnatiiid. the remainder of the blade 

 oi'if he_leaf being f oof hed. 



The (lowers arc white, borne in large branched 

 corymbs, sometimes a foot across. The indivi- 

 dual flower heads are from one to two inches across. 



When this shrub becomes better' known it will 

 find many admirers, and will be an acquisition 

 to those who have a sheltered garden and a, mild 

 climate. Several of its relatives will not stand a 

 severe winter, and so it is doubtful if this new- 

 comer will be any hardier. 



