1^ 



IRISH GARDENING 



have never been able to grow them, for to Jo so 

 woxild require complete renewal of the rockery 

 from its foundation. One example is enough. 



We fear the professional gardeners will rub 

 their eyes, esijecially at the list of ferns we 

 propose to grow without any jjrotection from 

 frost except the glass above them. The fernery 

 has been visited by professionals, and when tliey 

 have seen certain ferns growing luxuriantly, 

 asked how we managed to keep tlie frost out in 

 winter ? and when told tlnxt we did not. they 

 appeared so sceptical, tliat we believe th'-y did 

 not believe, but did not like to say so. Tiie list 

 given is niuch smaller than the list tried. Many 

 refused to adapt themselves to our conditions, 

 so we did not persist in trying to force ihem to 

 do so, but tried another kind, and so on. One 

 example: Pteris tremula is a well-known, hand- 

 some common fern. It does so well in the warm 

 weather that it is impossible to harden it off for 

 winter, as fresh fionds go on appearing right into 

 the autumn. The result is that they get sickly 

 with the cold and damp oft", or are actually 

 killed by the frost. The " damping " and 

 mildew rapidly spreads to other fronds, and the 

 few that do not actually die are greatly dis- 

 figured and most unsightly. Nevertheless, it 

 will probably struggle through till spring, and 

 again make growth, but it has been tlirown back 

 so much that it has nothing of its former vigour 

 and beauty. The second winter, if there is any 

 decided frost, usually finishes it. On the other 

 hand, I'teris tremula crispa seems more hardy, 

 and we havt^ had a plant growing well for the 

 last six or eight vears, w hich included, remember, 

 the frosts of 1910-17 and the frost of 11)17-18. 

 No more severe condition could be given than 

 to place a plant in a hanging wire-ba'-ket, within 

 two feet of the glass roof, and one foot of the glass 

 front, yet under these conditions we have some 

 adiantums now that were bought over 17 jears 

 ago, and there never has been any artificial heat 

 in the house all that time. The secret is — keejiing 

 them dry in winter If one has succeeded in 

 inducing town plant lovers, to try fern culture, 

 under conditions which do not necessitate either 

 too great sacrifice of time, too nmch slavery, or 

 too niuch disappointment in results, oiu- will 

 feel that a great additional pleasure has been 

 added to that afforded by writing these notes. 



II. C. D.. DrHLiN, ini8. 



Primulas for the Garden. 



{('o)if'niiU'il . ) 

 P. CAi'iTATA is nmeh involved in nomenclature, 

 various plants having been grown under this 

 name— viz., P. pseudo-capitata, P. lacteo-eapitata 

 and P. Mooreaiia, the last perliajjs the 

 best of all, larger in size, more perennial 

 in habit, and with fine heads of deep violet- 

 coloured flowers in late summer and autumn. It 

 has been grown at Glasnevin for many years, at 

 first as P. eapitata, but was subsequently named 

 as above by Professor Balfour of Ediiilmrgh. The 

 other species ailiided to are smaller. mon^ 

 " mealy," and usually die after flowering, hut all, 

 including Mooreana, " set " seed abundantly, 

 and a pinch should be sown every year. P. 

 Winteri, introduced a few years ago. flowers early 

 and is much like a pale blue " Primrose " witli 

 powdery leaves. It objects strongly to overhead 

 moisture, especially in winter, and should be 



planted in good soil and under an overhanging 

 stone. It can also be grown as a pot plant, and 

 so far a> our experience goes requires to be 

 artificially pollinated to get seeds, and even then 

 they are sparingly produced, and after sowing 

 nuiy lie many months before germinating. The 

 incomparable P. Eeidii is also from the Himalaya, 

 and belongs to a .-ection which contains several 

 gems, but alas ! few of them are good doers, and 

 although seeds of several have been received at 

 Glasnevin repeatedly, and have germinatetl 

 freely, nothing would induce them to pit,-;s the 

 seedling stage. P. Keidii, however, succeeds fairly 

 well as a pot plant and is a beauty for the Alpine 

 house with its heads of large, pure white flowers 

 two or three together. Out of doors it succumbs 

 to winter damp. 



P. sikkimensis, the sq called Himalayan Cow- 

 slip, is well known to lovers of Prinudas and is 

 a good doer, perennial and flowering freely. Seed- 

 are produced in quantity and germinate readily. 

 It is well to raise young stock periodically, for 

 tiiough perennial the old plants weaken and be- 

 come unsatisfactory. 



P. reticulata is in the way of P. sikkimensis and 

 grows equally well. 



Chinese Primulas. 



Turning now to Primulas from China we are 

 confronted with a vast array of species, many of 

 them perhaps as familiar to readers as some of 

 the older ones from Europe for the reason that 

 they have l)een grown and distributed in large 

 quantities within the last ten years or so. Quite 

 a number of them are excellent bog ])lants, and 

 a wonderful race of hybrids is already in existence 

 from crosses between various species. Looking at 

 the moisture lovers first we have P. Reesiana, a 

 strong grower sending up tall scapes carrying 

 whorls of pale purple flowers; P. Poissonii, rich 

 j)urple. Init at Glasnevin likes drier conditions 

 than some others; P. pulverulenta, a vigorous 

 species carrying whorls of reddish purple flowers 

 on "mealy" scapes; P. Wilsoni, in the way of 

 P. Poisnnii but with smaller flowers; P. Bulley- 

 ana, a gorgeous species carrying whorls of orange 

 yellow flowers on tall scapes, and the taller P. 

 iielodoxa with clear yellow flowers, and the 

 smaller, but altogether delightful. P. Cock- 

 burniana. with whorls of deep, rich orange 

 flowers; the last named is the least i)erennial nl 

 the set mentioned, and seeds, which are produced 

 treely, should l)e sown annmdiy. P. Cdck- 

 hurniana does better in rich loam and leaf-soil 

 and in a more elevated position than in the bog 

 proper. P. X T^nique. Warley Hybrid. &c.. are 

 the result of crossing P. pulveruenta with P. 

 Cockburniana. Another Chinese species becom- 

 ing popular is P. Veitchii, somewhat in the way 

 of the .Japanese P. Sieboldii but hotanically, of 

 course, quite distinct. It grows well in peat, 

 loam and leaf-soil, and flowers freely, bearing 

 numerous whorls of pink flowers. It is worthy of 

 note that seedlings of this and other species such 

 as Btdleyana, Cockburniana. dfec., vary consider- 

 ably in size of flower and intensity of colour, and. 

 beyond doubt, as time goes on, much improved 

 garden forms or strains will be produced. 

 Qmmtities of BuUeyana and Cockburniana have 

 been raised and planted out at Glasnevin. and 

 some of the forms when they flowered proved 

 wretched in their pimy, narrow-jjct ailed flowers 

 and washy colour; needles? to say they were 

 weeded otit. 



