74 



IRISH (;AIU)ENING 



The Arboretum. 



li- t.. til.- iiiiddl.' ol .\|.iil. wli.n lli.>.' I1..1.-S ai-.- 

 lM-iu«; wiitlcii. Ilicir lias Immii no ^'n-at iiii|)i<i\ <•- 

 iiu-iit ill (li<> w.atlH-r. Triir. I Ixir lias Im.'Ii latli.i' 

 Mior*- sunsliiiii' than in Mai-i-h. hut a hitt< riy cnhl 

 wind, aniiitint ini; at tintcs to almost a ^ah-, ami 

 ai-c(impani<(l hy shnwiTs of sli-ft. lias not hccn 

 favoiirahlc to vcp'lation. Thi- onl> iidi-i-minii 

 ffattirc is that these comlitions ha\c hnii faii-l\ 

 constant since carlv in March, and consri|nenl l\ 

 most trees and sliruhs which iiad not staited 

 durin;; Kehniaiy have moved hut slo\vl\ . and are 

 not Iheiefore sulTerin^r so much. Acer opalus. the 

 Italian .Majtle. more commoidy known as A. 

 opulifolium. usually the eailii'st of the lar^^er 

 tret-s to show (lower and leaf, is as y»'t scarcely 

 showing sit.'ns of life, and othei- things are <-or- 

 respondintlly late. J'espitc the cold, however. 



tl«)werin^' trees, such as cherries, are fast swelling 

 their huds. ami Waterers ("herry should he in 

 line form ahout Isaster. IMuiuis tomenlosa, a 

 most satisfactorv shruhhv sp<'i'ies. is now almost 

 full out. hut suHers from the liarsh wind and sleet. 

 It isah.-autifulohject when in (lower, and not hein-: 

 a tall irrower is wort ii a shell ered corner where t here 

 is i-i-asonahle hope of enjoying its heauty. 



Some of the early-llowerinir Brooms are comiiiLi 

 on fa.st, and ("ylisu.s lieaiii is already making a 

 .show. It will he followed very soon hy (". 

 kewensis, a plant of .surpa.ssin^ heauty when 

 covered Avith its sulphur-coloured flowers. V. 

 Dallimorci also j^ives promise of a fine display 

 ere lonj:. heinp; covered with huds. which, if ail 

 t^oes well, will open out into rosy-pink and 

 crimson llowers. These three Jirooms all origin- 

 ated in the Royal (iardens at Kew, and have heen 

 eagerly welcomed in-jjardens far and near. 



How l)eautiful just now are the many- forms of 

 Cydonia japonica, surely one of the loveliest early 

 floweriiiiLC shrubs. The privilege of visiting the 

 wonderful collection of trees and shrubs at Kil- 

 niacurragh, Co. Wicklow, the other day revealed 

 several forms of Cydonia in rare beauty. The 

 branches were simply laden with blossoms, and. 

 apparently the plants enjoy being left alone, as 

 the finest specimen groA\ing at the end of a wall 

 is never pruned at all. Not far away a grand old 

 specimen of Fuchsia excorticata was full of buds. 

 a few flowers being open, their curious comliina- 

 tion of green and red contrasting with the 

 brownish-yellow bark, while the branches are still 

 leafless. 



Magnolia Campbellii was also bearing many 

 of its large rose-coloured flowers, and though some 

 had been injured by frost, sullicient remained to 

 make a good show. Originally planted against a 

 wall, it now far exceeds it, and apparently sulTers 

 no injury at Kilmacurragh, though in colder 

 districts 31. Campbellii is not hardy. The col- 

 lection of lihododendrons is very rich, but, not 

 many were in flower, though soon there will be a 

 glorious display. R. Falconeri, an immense busli, 

 Avas carrying a large numlier of buds just about 

 to open, but the finest display was made by H. 

 barbatum, Rashleigh's variety, which at the end 

 of practically every shoot was carrying a fine 

 truss of dark crimson flowers. This fine variety 

 differs from the ordinary barbatimi, as Sir F. W. 

 31oore pointed out long ago, in having yellowish 

 hairs on the leaf stalk instead of black as in the 

 typP' . The arboretum at Kilmacurragh is 

 immensely rich in fine specimens of trees and 

 shrubs, particularly Conifers. The specimens of 



Art hrotaxis. l-'itzioya palagoiii<a. Saxegolliea. 

 and such like rare and soniew iiat (emler plants, 

 ai'e rari-l\ met with in sucli grand condition unless 

 in Cornwall. Many of tlie hardier Conifers an- 

 represent. (I hy very (iiie specimens, notably Abies 

 rindrow. A. grandis I'icea orientalis. antl many 

 others. One could goon writ ing for long eiiougji 



of 111,, wonderful specimens of l/iur.-lia ar atiea. 



I'odocarpiis nubigenus. Trieuspidaria lanc<-olata, 

 Ismbothrium coccineum. and oth<'r unicpie specj- 

 liielis. but to do them justice Wollhl liMjUire a 

 longer article than tliis. so soUH-lhing must be 

 left to a future date. 



A great deal of nuiseiy work is looming ahead 

 now. as hitherto it has been impossible to put 

 out >(niiig stud". Seedlings of trees and shrulis 

 sown in pots ami boxes last summer, and wintered 

 in flames, must now be lined out in the nurserv. 

 The ground has been pi-.-paied. as des<ribed 

 previously, by digginii in jdeiit v of ilecjiyerl 

 vegetable matter, leaves, grass. \c.. particularly 

 necessary in this light soil. Uhododendrons, si-ed 

 of which has been <(>ming from China i-veiy year 

 for some \cars back, arc best pricked out in beds 

 specially prepaivd of peat ami samly h.am. In 

 some districts wliere the soil is naturaH.N of a peaty 

 nature and free from lime, very lit t le dinicult y is 

 e\perience<I in growing on seedling Hhododeii- 

 drons j)rovided a half-shady ])osition is available. 

 It is otherwise, however, where lime is ju-eseiit 

 or the natural soil is stiff. Then it is necessary 

 to prepare beds, and jirefeiably they should b<' 

 somewhat raised, the edges kei>t uj) with st<uies 

 or boards, and the compost (ille.l in. .\e.-dless t(. 

 say the loam used in the mixture siiould be known 

 to contain littii- or no lime. Shade is very 

 essential in the early stages, and unless this can 

 ))e provided naturally artificial shading is neces- 

 sary. Sometimes it is more convenient io grow 

 on in boxes for a season, transferring to beds 

 when the young plants are a few inches high : 

 this plan works very well, and is far superitir to 

 growing on in pots. Rhododendrons are surface 

 rooters, and in pots they have very little surface 

 to work on, therefore they spread their roots 

 down the side of the pot where they can get air. 

 and when removed from the pots it is very di(1i- 

 cult to place the roots horizontally near llie 

 surface. Yoving plants from boxes or shallow 

 beds make a flat mat f»f roots and thrive much 

 better. Nearly all the Riiododendrons from 

 China of late years have been desciibed by their 

 collectors as growing on limestone, often in actual 

 contact with the rock. It remains to be seen, 

 iiowever, whether they will grow in limy soil in 

 this country. So far they are not all liajipy. 

 though a number look promising where jilanted 

 in peat l)eds. It will be some years, however, 

 J)efore it will be possible to say whether they 

 resent lime or not. 



During the last few days all shrub cuttings 

 remaining under cap glasses have been examined 

 and the rooted ones removed either for potting 

 up or transplanting as the case may be. All not 

 yet rooted are taken up and inserted again in one 

 bed, wiiere they will root as the weather improves. 

 The l)cds tlius cleared will now be forked over 

 and tlioroughly aerated, tiie surface dressed with 

 sand, old potting soil, and fine leaf-mould if avail- 

 able. They will then be ready for the season's 

 work. From May onwards large numbers of 

 cuttings can be struck in these beds, and no 

 garden, however large or small, need ever be 

 without sufficient stock to maintain or extend 

 shrubberies and plantations. B., Dublin. 



