IRISH GARDENING. 



food crops; and whether this be so or not there 

 is abundant room for both. It should not be 

 necessary much longer for our Botanic Gardens 

 and public parks to devote their Hower beds to 

 vegetal)les. These public institutions have 

 done their work. They have demonstrated to 

 the public the possibilities in the way of food 

 production, and by example have stimulated 

 many to grow their own vegetables. \Yhile it 

 may" be necessary for some time still to en- 

 courage food production, the proper function 

 of a public park is to provide space for recrea- 

 tion and beautiful Howers for the enjoyment 

 and education of those who have neither time 



VaNDA COtliCLIiA 



(The only really Blue Orcliid) 



nor facilities to grow such themselves. It is 

 possible that %State Botanic Gai'dens may fill 

 a larger place in the national life than hereto- 

 fore. Botany is an impoi-tant science under- 

 lying the principles of horticultui-e and agricul- 

 ture, and its study is likely to be extended; 

 also, there will be much experimental work to 

 be undertaken by the governing State depart- 

 ments coiicerned, and it is natural they should 

 look to existing institutions to take up much of 

 the work that must be done. 



In future there is no doubt the Government 

 will concern itself much more intimately with 

 horticulture, and in the tliree countries, Eng- 

 land, Scotland, and Iit'land, tlu- centre of its 

 liorticultural activities might well be the State 

 Botanic Garden. In Ireland we are well to the 

 IVont in this respect, and have both a well- 

 ecjuipped liotanic Garden and, not far off, an 

 up-to-date orchard and vegetable garden, t)()th 

 under Goveiiiment control. 



There is a vast amount of I'eseai'ch work 

 waiting to be done, and much information is 

 wanted on manures, spi-aying, and spray fluids, 

 thf fei'tility and sterility of fruit trees and other 

 work of this kind in which Auu'iica is far before 

 us. Let us look forward, then, to a great de- 

 velopment in horticulturi', the most ancient of 

 all crafts. 



Indoor Plants nt Glasnevin. 



Hk who loves a garden loves a greenhouse 

 too," and it is certainly a pleasure, on a wet 

 and wind\ winter's day, to enter the calm of 

 a gi-eenliouso ami enjoy the swet't scents and 

 beautiful colours of the plants growing there. 

 Diu-ing the wai- many people have had to foi'ego 

 the pleasui-es of the gi'eenhouse, and have even 

 had to get I'id of the usual occupants in favour 

 of food phmts. Let us hope the time is not fai' 

 ili^tant when this necessitx will no longei- oh- 

 lain. and all wiio wish ina\ again eujov the 

 pleasiu-e of the greenhouse, especially in winter. 



M the l^otanic Gardens. Glasnevin, happily. 

 it ha-< been found possible to maintain neai'ly 

 all ihi' usual features despite the oft times low 

 temperature due to the coal shortage. In this 

 respect it may be we have learnt lessons re- 

 garding the recpiirements of plants as well as 

 of people. Doctoi's declare that many people 

 are healthiei- now than before the war owing to 

 the enforced I'eiiuction in lations, solid and 

 liquid, and, likewise, gardeners, whose callin'.; 

 has many features in eiiiniiion with the medical 

 pr(ifession, have found that tiianv plants flourish 

 in a leinperatiu'e much lower than was hitherto 

 thf)ught necessarv. It would be interesting fo 

 have the experiences of gardeners who have 



