XVI 



IRISH GARDENING 



Jacobinia chrysostephana. 



By T. W. Briscoe. 



This is a charming ana rather uncommon pian 

 for he warm greenhouse, and is especially 

 valuable because it flowers during the winter 

 months. .Many of the Jacobinias have been 

 known under ether generic names, such as 

 Libonia, Sericographis, &c, and the subject of 

 this note was sent oat liv Mr. W. Bull, of Chelsea, 

 in 1st:', as ( 'yrlant liera chrysostephana, and 

 probably some older gardeners will recognise it 

 better with that name. Soon after its introduc- 

 tion it was almost lost to cultivation, bul during 

 the last decade there has Keen a revival in t'a\ air 

 of tins type of plaid, and now one occasion i d> 

 gees a nice well-flowered hatch. Like other 

 A.canthaceous subjects, it is upright in lial.it. and 

 the flowers are produced in a crown-like terminal 

 cluster. These are bright orange in colour, and 

 are of a curved tubular shape, while the foliage 

 has a bright green tint, with a reddish tinge on 

 t he undersides. 



.1. chrysostephana is not a difficult subject to 

 grow, ami good flowering examples will he the 

 result if the few details given below are carefully 

 adhered to. 



Short jointed cuttings are taken in the spring, 

 and i placed in sandy soil will readily root, 

 provided a Little bottom heat or a propagating 

 frame is at hand. When rooted they may he 

 potted on a- the necessity arises, and gradually 

 inured to cooler surroundings. During the 

 summer months a cold frame or cool greenhouse 

 will suit them admirably, hut a little ventilation 

 must he given on all favourable occasions and 

 the lights or ventilators closed sufficiently early 

 for the sun to raise the temperature about in F. 



The most suitable si/.e po1 for them to (lower ill 

 is from 5 inches to 7 inches in diameter, and the 

 best effect is produced when tin- plant has three 

 or four growths. It will he useless to try and 

 make nice bushy plants, which SO many strive 

 after, and here is undoubtedly the stumbling 

 block, and I wish to emphasise that no pinching 

 or stopping should hi' done after the early stages 

 of growth. Our object should he to secure 



examples with about three side shoots, and then, 

 if well cultivated, we shall get good heads of 



flowers, which are sun- to he highly appreciated 

 in ; , warm conservatory. No more suitable 

 plant could he found for enlivening such a struc- 

 ture about Christmas time, for they are usually 



at t heir best from t hen onward. 



Justicia flavicoma 



I January, L900, Mr. Hudson, of Gunnersbury, 



exhibited a small hatch of this plant, and it was 

 greatly admired by many who saw it . It belongs to 

 the Acanthacese, and tin tubular yellow flowers 



disposed in terminal thyrses or spikes. Like 



the Jacobinia, il is a most useful subject for 



decorative purposes during the winter and spring. 



Cuttings are taken off about March or April. 



and when rooted they OUghl to be putted off 



singly. As soon as they are established in 3-inch 



pots the points of the plant s must be pinched 

 t,, induce them to form side shoots. Pots 

 inches in diameter should be chosen lor the final 

 potting, and the compost consist of three parts 

 fibrous loam and one part well decayed leaf- 



mould. Where tin- loam is inferior in quality, a 

 little manure may be added with advant 



When they are well established a cold frame 

 is very suitable, where the plants will be kept 

 dwarf and sturdy, and in September they may 

 be removed to the warn i greenhouse or where the 

 uighl temperature does not fall below 50 F. 

 1 1 ere t hey will flow ei'. and make a nice show from 

 January to May. providing they are not thrown 

 away after the first batch of blossoms fade. 



Another line Justicia is named Carnea. and , 



should also be included where t here is room. ' 

 Red spider is occasionally troublesome, and to 

 hold this in check slightly moist surroundings 

 are advisable, which can be accomplished by 

 damping the stages whenever they become \e|\ 



dry. Another good preventive is to spray the 

 plants, particularly on the undersides of the 

 foliage, through the summer months, hut only 

 during a hot. drj -pell of weather. 



Notes. 



Veronica < ■ u xti.ktti i. -This shrubby Veronica 



has been a cheery sight this autumn up to the 

 middle of November. The flowers are a bright 



carmine in spikes. .'! or I inches in length, and 

 freely produced. In Co. Dublin it will only st and 

 a mild winter if planted in the open, but on a 

 warm wall if usually surv i ves wit limit protection. 



Erysimum linifolium is a native of Spain, and 



seed was brought from there by Clarence Elliott. 



Sown in May, it germinated freely and flowered 

 in October and November. The flowers an 



lilac, and rather resemble the Lady's Smock in 

 shape and size, hut are rather deeper in tone. 

 The leaves are :; inches or so long, narrow, with a 

 sinuate margin. Its colour is welcome m the 

 family related to the Wallflower, and the plant 

 should be useful for 1 he n ickery. 



PAGUS OBLIQUA. This Chilian beech has been 

 one of the most pleasing of autumn tinted trees : 

 the foliage changes to beautiful shades of yellow 

 and red, and remains on the tree until the middle 

 of November. Y"oung trees have a graceful 

 habit, sending up an erect stem with pendulous 



side branches. The oblique leaves are oval in 

 shape with the margins prettily waxed. 



Bordeaux Mixture. Prof. T. lb I'. Barker 



and Mr. C. T. < • iniinglia ni. at the meeting of the 



British Association, contributed an account of 



experiments designed to throw light on the mode 

 ni' action of Bordeaux mixture a- a fungicide. 

 There has been, hitherto, some difficulty in 



explaining hoW the cupper present in the mixture 



succeeds iii penetrating the tissues of a, fungus. 



One suggestion was that the carbonic acid present 



in the at Unisphere acted as a solvent and vehicle 



of attack ; it now appearsthat the cell walls of 

 fungal hyphae exercise a direct solvent action on 

 the copper, and are killed by absorbing the 

 metal. From The Journal of II" Board <>< 

 I tjriculturt . 



A.T the recent Daily Mail Ideal Nome Exhibition 

 at Olympia, a Fifty Guinea <!<>lil Cup wns 



offered for the best del of a garden design. 



The jurors have now made their decision, and 

 have awarded the Cup to .1. Cheal & Sons. Ltd. 



