IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME XI 



No. 130 



Editor— J. W. Besant 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



DECEMBER 

 1916 



''The Sunny South," 



«otanh 



With these seductive words the Great Southern 

 and Western Railway draws travellers to " see 

 their owii country " by spending their vacation 

 in the South of Ireland, and certainly it was 

 very sunny when we were there last July. We 

 had the great enjoyment of visiting several of 

 Nature's choice bits, and surely, if the weather 

 were usually so kind, no more pleasant country 

 could be foimd. 



Leaving Dublin in a downpour, it was still 

 raining at each station where our train stopped. 

 Although not a betting man, at Mallow the 

 writer staked the sum of one penny on its being 

 dry when the train reached Cork. Being 

 anxious about this large stake he hastened to the 

 station yard as soon as the trahi stopped and 

 was dehghted to find it bone dry. The rest of 

 the party was meantime busy at the luggage 

 van, and when we all came out it was pouring 

 rain ! The writer's word was, however, 

 accepted, and the copper duly changed hands. 

 With this fortuitous omen our trip was naturally 

 a success. The next morniug we set forth for 

 Fota in high expectation, and were far from 

 disappointed. Mr. Beckett was kind enough to 

 devote some time to us, and we worshipped with 

 due reverence the magnificent trees. There is 

 a grandeur about the trees here and a luxuriance 

 that is not equalled elsewhere in these countries. 

 Cedriis atlantica glauca and Cryptomeria 

 japonica were as fine a pair of lordly specimens 

 as one could wish to see. Pinus Montezumae, 

 P. insignis, Dacrydium Franklini and Abies 

 orientaUs wei'e also noticeable in the large col- 

 lection of coniferse. The large evergreen beech 

 for which Fota is famed, Embothrium coccineum 

 still showing some flowers, Benthamia fragifera, 

 Escallonia langleyensis, Azaras in variety, were 

 a few items which no one could miss, and in the 



fern section the Dicksonias were noble examples. 

 Commg back towards Cork we next visited 

 Mr. Beamish 's well known garden. We made 

 no notes, but Avill not forget the lovely specimens 

 of Lsptospermum Nicholli and L. Chapmanii. 

 There are larger ones in this country, as, for 

 example, those at Rostrevor House, which we 

 have not seen when in bloom, but it would be 

 very hard to beat Mr. Beamish's. Not only 

 well flowered, they possess a healthy funii>^hcd 

 apxD?arance which would be looked for in vain 

 in less favoured district?.. Actinidia chinensis 

 was an ideal ramper for a sloping cliff, clothing 

 the stone densely with handsome foliage, and 

 commencing to flower. The rock garden is, of 

 course, a spot to live near for a whole season in 

 order to gain any idea of its C( ii tents. Formed, 

 we believe, on the site of an old quarry, it is very 

 naturally arranged, and the plants thrive well 

 under Mr. Williamson's care. We noted Cam- 

 panula W. H. Paine in better form than we have 

 ever sesn it, but it woukl be foolish to embark 

 on detailing varieties where the collection is so 

 extensive. 



Leaving Cork, we remained some days at 

 Glen gar riff. We have often boggled at the 

 spelling of this name since a former visit, and 

 were reliev xl to find local usage indicate that 

 one could not possibly be wrong ; one or two 

 " r's,"' one oi' two '' f's," and the tormuial '" e " 

 being charmingly optional. Before boarding the 

 Glengarriff steamer at Ban try a burly member 

 of the R.I.C'. ran after us, the only strangers 

 leaving the train, to ascertain our names and 

 business. Havhig apparently satisfied this 

 vigilant officer that we had no sinister designs we 

 were allowed to go on. Pro cce ling from Glen- 

 garriff to Parknasilla we fouiul ourselves 

 delighted mKIi the surroundings of the 



