1^2 



IRISH GARDENING 



Group B ; Alcheniilloidos : Ardens ; Artemi- 

 soides- Albescens ; Cordatum : Cotyledonis, very 

 distinct : Echinatum Album =Moulton Gem ; 

 Echinatum rubrum = Ariel ; Fair Rosamond = 

 Fair Emily (not the plant figured by Sweet, the 

 flowers in his plate are white and large, with 

 carmine blotches on the upper petals, while mine 

 are small and a dullish pink) : Gibbosum, Glau- 

 cum. and Glauci folium, probably synonyms — my 

 plants are too small to decide ; Kimberley ; 

 Multibractcatum : Ionidiflorum : Punctatum : 

 Saxifragoides ; Sanicula>folium ; Schotii : Ter- 

 natum : Tetragonum : Tricolor, Triste, and Mrs. 

 Gaskell. 



My classification has led to a large extenl to the 

 omission of the Quercifolium section : these 

 varieties are, however, well worthy of mention. 

 The flowers for the most part are unattractive in 

 colour, but the varieties are handsome for bedding 

 out, and the markings on some of the leaves 

 are very black and distinct : Q. M\jus. Minus ; 

 .Miss Davidson; Stag's Horn: Lady Lumsden 

 Tetrapetalum ; Mr. Acton, specially broad, very 

 dark markings; Denticulatum Ma jus. 



The reasons usually assigned for the disregard 

 of sweet -scented leaved Pelargoniums are three : — 



(1) Their flowers are insignificant. 



(2) They are hard to grow. 



(3) They are specially subject to greenfly. 



As regards (1) a very slight acquaintance with 

 the varieties that I have placed in Group A will 

 suffice to prove that this accusation is a calumny. 

 Some varieties, such ;is Oapitatum and Attar of 

 Hose, have poor and inconspicuous flowers, but 

 the fragrance of their Leaves amply compensates 

 for this defect. (2) The- majority of the varieties 

 are not difficult to grow : some few varieties such 

 as Ardens and Echinatum, need a certain 

 amount of drying off. and others, such as Schotii 

 are hard to propagate. Tricolor is perhaps Inst 

 treated as a biennial, but most of the varieties 

 are perfectly easy to grow. (3) As regards their 

 being special!} subject to greenfly, I am afraid 

 that personally I am not prepared to deny the 

 charge. 1, however', know growers who do not 

 admit if. and who say that the scented leaved 

 Pelargoniums never' show greenfly with them, 

 even when other plants are troubled with it. 

 Surely, however, it is a gardener's business to keep 

 his plants clean, and it is not difficult to do so 

 if they are fumigated and syringed when the 

 greenfly begins to appear. 



Two very interesting articles appeared in the 

 July and August numbers of this year of " The 



Perfumery and Essential Oil Record," by E. M. 



Holmes. F.L.S., Hon. F.K.H.S., on the special 

 odours which are distilled from the different 

 scented leaved Pelargoniums. He says that at 

 Grasse, so far as can be judged, the plant, used 

 for distillation is P. (a pit at urn ; P. Radula rar. 

 roseum which he evidently regards as being 

 identical. He then adds that the rooted cuttings 



are planted out in rows in fields in April, that they 



grow three or- Eourfeet high, and thai Leaves, stems 

 and flowers are all put into the si ill for distillation. 

 lie has carried on a series of experiments himself 

 and lie gives a list ol 1 he odours which the be, I 

 known varieties yield. 



Culture. — Most of the varieties roof easily 

 roni cuttings, and manj of them can also be 

 ncreased from pieces of the root. They should 

 be grown in light, rich soil, and cut down after 

 thev have flowered. 



Scented-leaved Pelargoniums have for some of 

 their possessors a special value owing to the 

 fact that it is not possible to procure them for 

 money. A representative collection cannot be 

 ordered from a nurseryman, it can only be built 

 up slowly by exchanges with friends or by 

 gifts. Visits to out-of-the-way foreign flower 

 markets sometimes prove fruitful, and it is 

 always desirable to scrutinise closely, both 

 at home and abroad, the plants in cottage 

 windows. 



A collection so formed must have associations, 

 an individuality, and an interest which plants 

 ordered from catalogues or from a nursery can 

 never possess. 



October Fruit Show* 



Fruit growers generally, and especially those 

 interested in the economic side of fruit growing, 

 will find much to interest them in the Schedule 

 of Prizes for the Royal Horticultural Society's 

 great show of Irish fruit to be held at JBallsbridge 

 on 22nd and 23rd October next. It is two years 

 since the last fruit show was held, and it will 

 afford opportunities to note what progress has 

 been made in fruit growing in Ireland during 

 these two years. Every effort has been made by 

 the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society 

 to bring this schedule up-to-date, and to frame 

 it on as liberal and as wide a scale as possible, so 

 as to meet the requirements of all classes of 

 exhibitors. There are 71 classes for fruit in 

 collections and in single dishes, and 17 classes 

 for vegetables. In several of these classes there 

 are protective restrictions in favour of new or 

 amateur exhibitors. The assistance of the 

 Department of Agriculture has been generously 

 and willingly given in the packing classes, classes 

 for preserved fruits, and others, and some 

 practical and interesting conditions have been 

 made. The classes for fruit packed for' market 

 are well worthy of consideration. There are nine 

 such classes for barrels and boxes of apples, 

 dessert and culinary, and to ensure the objects of 

 the competition, the packages must reach the 

 show via Chester', the Society undertaking to 

 pay t he cost of t ransport from Chester to 1 he show. 

 These packages will be judged by an expert 

 market salesman from one of the large Crcss- 

 ehannel markets, and judging will be by points, 

 as shown in the schedule. The Department of 

 Agriculture has arranged for a very interesting 

 demonstration in fruit packing for market, 

 which will be given on both days of show. An 

 important conference will be held on the first 

 day of the show, from 3 to 6 in the afternoon, 

 and from 7 to 9 30 in the evening, particular's of 



which will shortly be available. The Vice- 

 President of the Department of Agriculture will 



take the chair at both sessions, and all the pa pel's 



read will be by practical men who are actively 

 engaged in glowing fruit. In the afternoon the 

 papers include " Apples for Market. Varieties and 

 ( 'ult i vat ion " ; " Berry and Hush Fruit for Market , 

 Varieties and Cultivation"; "'Marketing Fruit." 

 The papers to be read in the evening include 

 " Inserts Injurious to Fruit Crops, How Best to 

 Combat Them"; "Fungi Injurious to Fruit 

 Crops, I low Best to Combat Them " ; " A Practical 

 Farmer's Experience in Fruit Growing." — P. W. 

 Moore, Hon. Sec, K.H.S. 



