IRISH GARDENING. 



6i 



There are many species of Arabis, Alyssuai, 

 Campanula, Erodiuni^ Geranium Potentilla, 

 Draba, Gypsophila, Veronica, Phlox. Polygonum, 

 Geum, Heuchera, Hypericum and so on, that grow- 

 quite well in full sun or partial shade, though in 

 planting we would naturally avoid dense shade, 

 which is not natural to uuiny alpines, though 

 found to suit some, as 1 have instanced. 



Propagation. 



The propagation of alpines presents no im- 

 usual difficulties. The usual methods of seeds, 

 cuttings and divisions meet in-actically all cases, 

 ^eeds should be used whenever there is a reason- 

 able prospect of them coming true — that is in the 

 case of species. J.,ittle or no heat is necessary at 

 first ; in fact the cooler they can be raised the 

 better. The soil should be very sandy, finely 

 crushed bricks or crock dust being an excellent 

 addition. Many will geruiinate a few weeks after 

 sowing; others may lie dormant for a year or even 

 two. In tlie case of doriuant seeds it is a good plan 

 to stand them outside on a bed of ashes in autunnr. 

 Let them endure all the rigours of winter — rain, 

 hail, frost and snow — and in early spring bring 

 them into a warm house, and a surprising num- 

 ber will germinate. 



Cuttings root well all sunnner under hand-lights 

 on beds nuide up in a shady position ; as they root 

 they can be potted up for future use. The more 

 vigorous may be planted out in beds, but gener- 

 ally pot plants are more easily managed. For 

 many of the more choice and delicate kinds, such 

 as the smaller Androsaces, Kabschia, Saxifragas 

 like Boydii. Paulinse. Petraschii, Irvingii, &c., 

 pure sand is a good luedium, but they must 

 be removed from the sand as soon as rooted. 



Root cuttings are useful in cases where seeds 

 and shoot cuttings are not available. Morisia 

 hypogaea, Anchusa myosotidiflora, Statices, 

 Priunilas of sorts, and Dodecatheons are examples, 

 but when all other methods fail it is a good 

 plan to try root cuttings. 



In conclusion I must mention something about 

 shrubs on the rockery. In this connection, again, 

 we must admit that all the shrul)S employed are 

 not really alpines; many of them are merely 

 garden varieties, but because they are dwarf they 

 give the effect of alpine shrubs. I am not in 

 favour of planting too many shrubs on the 

 rockery, especially those of a spreading nature, 

 but undoul)tedly a judicious selection suitai)ly 

 placed gives a furnished appearance and breaks 

 the monotony of low mounds of other plants. A 

 good many, too, are valuable flowering plants, 

 such as Cytisus Beanii, decumbens, Kewensis and 

 Ardoini, Genista spathulata, sericea rumelica 

 and depressa, and the more spiny kinds, like 

 Genista horrida, hispanica and radiata. The 

 dwarTer growing rock Cistuses are vahuible for 

 sunny places; Cistus purpurens, florentinns and 

 salvifolius are examples. Then there is a large 

 number of dwarf Conifers, which look well in 

 winter, such as .Tuniperus hibernica, Picea clan- 

 brasiliana; dwarf forms of Thuya, Tsuga, Pinus, 

 and so on. For half shady places in peaty soil 

 dwarf Rhododendrons are suitable, such species 

 as flavidum and racemosum^ do well ; also R. 

 ferrugineum, intricatum and moupinense, and iii 

 conjunction with them we may use many of the 

 Ericas, Vacciniums, Empetrunis, and Oxycoccus. 

 Thus I think I have said enough to show that in 

 alpine gardening alone there is enou^^h of 

 beauty and interest to satisfy us the whole year 

 round. j_ ^y. B. 



The Common Sense of Allotments* 



The recent Local Government Board inquiry into 

 an application by the Corporation of Dublin for 

 the acquisition of certain lands for allotments, and 

 the nature of the evidence given at the enquiry 

 suggests that a short article dealing with the 

 connnonsense of allotments might be of interest 

 to readers of Irish Gardkning. 



At the enquiry certain paddocks in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the cattle market in Prussia Htreet 

 were mentioned as possible ground for allotments. 

 Counsel for the salesmasters suggested that the 

 cattle trade of a great part of Ireland was in 

 danger. Does counsel remember the saying o» 

 Bm'ke that " when a Bishop says the Churcli is 

 in danger he is to be understood to be talking 

 broad and to mean that her emoluments are in 

 danger " ? Mr. Healy, it is true, pointed out to the 

 Corporation that they derived annually hand- 

 some emoluments from the metropolitan markets, 

 ))ut while the salesmasters employed Mr. Healy 

 the Corporation nuxde the application for the land. 

 If the possibilities involved in allotments were re- 

 alised the salesmasters could very well afford 

 space in the neighbourhood of Prussia Street for 

 the allotments required without jeopardising 

 either the meat supply of Dublin or that i)ortion 

 of the cattle trade of Ireland that passes o\U 

 Ihrough the Port of Dublin. 



The case of the Clontarf Golf Links was another 

 case that came ))efore the enquiry. Everyone will 

 agree that a game of golf is a case of necessity foi- 

 sedentary workers, but surely building ground or 

 agricultural land is not the place for the game? 

 It should be relegated to waste land and to some 

 distance from the city. The necessary food of life 

 too is more necessary than the necessarv games 

 of life. 



That plots should be given only to those who 

 can use a spade or a plough was suggested at the 

 enquiry. Should only those who can shoot be 

 allowed to serve in the army ? 



To insinuate that plots or promises of plots are 

 used for electioneering purposes is premature 

 rancour, too speedy perversity. 



Let us turn, however, to the other side of the 

 question, and let us see what defence can be made 

 for allotments. To begin with they give the towns- 

 nuui healthy relaxation, like golf, and good 

 physical exercise; they teach him the principles 

 of life and growth, and correct the artificial and 

 mechanical bias of city life. So far as Ireland is 

 individually concerned allotments are calculated 

 to produce a radical change for the better in the 

 diet of the people. By making them acquainted 

 with a variety of vegetables and sucli things as 

 Rhu})arl), Currants, Gooseberries and Raspberries 

 and Loganl)erries the desire for e.vcessive strong 

 drink which is stimulated l)y the present defec- 

 tive food of the people will be cured. The cure 

 will be a gradual process and will not entail any 

 undue hardship upon any class of the community. 

 Greengrocers ought to welcome a movement that 

 will increase enormously the demand for vege- 

 tables, fruit, and possibly flowers. Nur.serymen 

 and market gardeners Avill find less difficulty in 

 obtaining lal)ourers who understand the elements 

 of gardening, because the plots are likely to be- 

 come the future play grounds of the children, and 

 take them off the streets, and urban school 

 managers will soon realise that school gardening, 

 theoretical and practical, is not a subject only for 

 the rural school alone. Taken in connection with 

 the housing of the working classes allotments 



