IRISH GARDENING. 



5 



gardens could be made. For this purpose 

 shrubs which do not require laborious clipping 

 every year would be best. The Berberis just 

 cited is an example, and would make an ad- 

 mirable screen round a rose garden, for in- 

 stance, for, wdiile giving shelter to a height :.f 

 three feet or so, would still admit abundance 

 of light and air, so necessary to the rose, and 

 at the same time the dark, hue of the hedge 

 would form an admirable foil to the flowers. 

 There are numei'ous other ' newer Barberries 

 which might be used similarly, notably B. 



a trial where neat hedges are required; three 

 especially come to mind — viz., Ligustrum 

 Delavayi, L. Prattii, and L. Henry i. These 

 are all comparatively slow-growing, twiggy 

 evergreens, which could readily be kept within 

 bounds by a judicious use of the knife and 

 without clipping with shears. Then we have 

 a host of Cotoneasters, few of which seem to 

 have been used as hedge plants. Among the 

 newer kinds which might be tried are Coton- 

 easter salicifolia, a very fine evergreen with 

 ornamental foliage ; a free grower which might 



C'YPKIPEDiUa LEC.^NUM 



Gagnepainii, an upright habited plant, the 

 branches not spreading extensively, though ^t 

 inclines to spread from the root by runners. 

 Berberis Wilsonae is rather spreading in habit 

 to be satisfactory as a hedge, but B. subcaulia- 

 lata, somewhat similar but stronger and taller, 

 might easily form a pretty hedge with little 

 training, and Berberis Prattii and B. Aggre- 

 gata, good upright growers, would be well 

 worth trying. "Where a tall, strong hedge is 

 required as a dividing line, B. Chitria is worth 

 consideration, as it will grow nine or ten feet 

 high, forming a dense mass of shoots, and 

 flowering freely. 



Among the new Privets are several meriting 



easily reach six feet in height. This species 

 would form an excellent informal hedge, and 

 could readily be controlled without the aid of 

 the shears. Cotoneaster Dielsiana elegans 

 likewise should prove suitable, being naturally 

 of an upright habit, though nearly, if not quite, 

 deciduous; this is a free-fruiting shrub, and on 

 that account valuable in autumn. C. Fran- 

 chettii, wdiich in its best forms is one of the 

 most brilliant of fruiting shrubs, might yeij 

 well be tried as a hedge plant. The habit is 

 upright, at least in young plants, and could be 

 maintained so by proper pruning. Cotoneaster 

 buliata, another fine fruited species, with 

 lartrer leaves, is also worthy of mention. B7 



