IKTSri GARDEXTXG, 



and its many varii-tifs. Iiitiotliufd I'loni \\ Csli-iii 

 Noitli Auit'iira ovit sixty years aj^o. il is now 

 icpi'L'St'ntfd in gardens l)y scores of \ aiiet ics. 

 inanv of laif licautv and pail iculai-ly valuable for 

 liicir winter elTecl.' l-'louiisliinir in most soils of 

 avera'ie (juality. it neveit iieless dislikes a jioor 

 dry soil, and in such it should he u.iteied and 

 mulched with manure, unless means ran i>i' r<Minil 

 to provide a considerahh- ([uantit\ of lietler ilass 

 soil. N'arieties are so niunerous that oidy a few 

 can be mentioned here : — Ar^jentea is a beautiful 

 silvery jjlaucous form of nuich l)eauty in winter, 

 a form called Silver Queen bein^ almost if not 

 quite similar: Ki"H'ilis anrea is a pretty golden 

 l)endulous variety, and lutea. of more erect habit, 

 makes a sti'ikini; object in winter : Allumi is a 

 handsome variety of <>:lobose habit and of a bluish 

 coloiu'. while Fraseri, of similar colour, is more 

 spire-like in habit : erectd; viridis, a columnar 

 variety, is a very strikin*? evergreen, while, by 

 way of variety, nana forms a low I'ound bush 

 suitable for a restricted space : fdifera. with 

 pendidous cord-like l)ranchlets. is most pleasinti 

 and effective: while intertexta. with a distinct 

 mode of branching and rather weeping branchlets. 

 is immediately noticeable among other vaiieties. 

 There is, of course, a large number of ever- 

 greens other than Conifers, mostly introduced, 

 and they present enormous variety in habit and 

 appearance. The owner of extensive ground 

 may be relied on to suit hiniself from among the 

 comprehensive collect imis cuK i\ a1 cd b\ uuiscfv- 

 men. but the man wil h ic^l i-id .mI space, win. si ill 

 requires a few evergreens t'oi' shelter and winter 

 effect, might try some of the following : — 

 Euonymus japonicus pulchellus. Euonymus 

 radicans Silver Queen, Osnianthus aquifolius, 

 green and variegated ; Aucuba japonica. green 

 and vfiriegated ; Skimmias in variety, Berberis 

 buxifolia, B. Darwini and B. stenophylla. 

 Cotoneaster buxifolia a«nd C. rotundifolia, 

 Veronica Traversii, Olearia Haastii, Escallonia 

 niacrantha, Gaultheria Shallon.i(M|uiiing a soil fice 

 from lime ; Heaths in variety, all tlie better foi' 

 some peat in the soil and disliking lime, witii tlie 

 exception of Erica carnea, one of the most beauti- 

 ful, which flourishes in loam, and most of the 

 varieties of E. mediterranea, seem to be fairly 

 indifferent to lime in the soil. The above is merely 

 a selection from the many available evergreens, 

 and would serve as a beginning to be added to or 

 reduced as found necessary. 



In last month's notes allusion was made to the 

 beauty and usefidness of the Fuchsias as late 

 flowering shrubs, and. I would again like to 

 emphasise what was said then. All through 

 September F. mju lost emnra, on a wall, has been 

 most beautiful and elTeetive, with its branches 

 produced at ri^lit angles to the wall and furnished 

 with -r'acefnl slender seailet lloweis. T\u- eireet 

 of tliis i)ai-ticulai- plant is lieiulil ened \,y a line 

 plant of Solanum jasminoides. which is tluwei-ing 

 very freely a few yards further on. so that as one 

 approaches by a Avalk parallel to the wall the 

 scarlet Fuchsia and Avhite Solanum are seen in 

 contrast. 



A pretty interesting, though not showy, wall 

 shrub flowering in September is Bursaria spinosa, 

 a native of New South Wales, requning wal 

 culture in most districts, but would probably be 

 quite hardy in the south and w^est of Ireland as 

 well as some ])aits of the north, w^here Sir John 

 Ross of Bladeuslmig succeeds with so many rare 



shiulis. It is an e\ ergreen with narrinv leaves 

 ami spin\ branches, the (lowers being ])i-oduced 

 in panicles al the i]ul of each bi-anch. 



.\t the i)eginning t)f these notes allusion was 

 made to the box as a native evergreen, and this 

 is true of l-ji-laml. but whether recognised as a 

 native in li'eland I cann-.t sav. (leiierallv 

 speakin-. b,,\ is not so much in re(|uest for 

 oruann'utal planting as man\ other evergi'eens. 

 The commo)i sjjccies Bu.xcus sempervirens is t lu- 

 l)esl known, and has produced more varieties than 

 most peo])le are aware of. For practical jmrposes. 

 however, a few only will suHice. I do not care 

 foi- the variegated forms, pi-eferi-ing those showing 

 distinctioix in haint and shape of leaf. The 

 following may be recommended : — Variety lati- 

 folia. with leaves very much wider than in the 

 common form : longifolia. a rather graceful form, 

 with long narrow leaves : m\rtifolia. a dwarf 

 variety, with nari-ow leaves : jjyiamidalis, a stiff 

 erect vai'iety : and rosmarinifolia. a slow grower, 

 with long nai'row leaves and close habit. 



Buxcus l)ali'arica, from the lialeatic Islands, is a 

 handsome shrub with stout blanches clothed with 

 leathery dark green leaves, distinct from those of 

 the common box. This makes a fine dense shrub 

 in Ireland and forms an excellent screen or shelter, 

 growing rapidly and remaining well furnished at 

 the base. Buxcus Harlandii is a Chinese species 

 of dwarf habit, and may be used as a rockery 

 shrub : the erect leaves are, so far as I have seen, 

 iisnally of a pale yellowish gi'cen. 



'fhei'c are one ()!• two othei- species of less 

 importance. 



B.. Dublin. 



Beekeeping, 



Septembkr has so far affoi-ded favourable weather 

 for harvesting operations, but the temperature 

 has been too low to permit bees to add to their 

 stoi-es. The majority of stocks, especially those 

 headed by young queens, are strong in bees, and 

 in districts wdthin reach of heather or wild 

 scabious are provided with from 25 to 30 lbs. and 

 over of natural sealed stores, while in districts 

 less favoural)ly situated some stocks have re- 

 quired feeding to make up the deficiency. Bees 

 are everywhere showing a disposition to settle 

 for winter. Before packing and securing for 

 winter finally, see that each stock has suflficient 

 sealed stores, as it sometimes happens in the 

 midst of plenty that a stock may not be so well 

 provided for as some of its neighbours ; in such 

 cases a little equalising of stores may be a great 

 })enefit to all. In a hive containing nine or ten 

 frames 30 Ihs. of sealed stores will carry a stock 

 safely through our hardest w'inter, and as a 

 L;eneial rule stocks so ])rovided in autumn make 

 steadii'i- pr((^i'ess and are earlier fit for supering 

 than those ic(pni'iug the aid of stimulating and 

 feeding with syrup in spring. 



Stocks should on the first favourable oppor- 

 tunity this nronth be prepared for winter. The 

 ideal conditions for wintering are — plenty of bees, 

 plenty of sealed stores, young queens, ample 

 porous coverings over frames, double-walled or 

 otherwise insvdated hives with wind and water- 

 proof roofs. Winter passage across the tops of 

 the frames .shoidd be formed l)y laying four strips 

 of wood about I inch sipiare and cut in lengths 

 to reach between the second fiame from the front 



