98 



IRISH GARDENING. 



of a group of i)lautri in lull liower at the base 

 of a bold rock has been very effective here 

 (luring the past month. 



RJi. Bailciji may fairly be tlescribed as both 

 interesting and attractive. Hailing from tli'j 

 Brahmaputra River, at the Thibet-JBurmese 

 l)end — a district probably not collected from 

 before — this species was introduced by, and has 

 been named after, its discoverer, Col. ]^ailey. 

 It belongs to the lepidotum series, but is dis- 

 tinguished by its larger leaves and conspicuous 

 lacemose truss of petunia-coloured, saucer- 

 shaped flowers. The upper surface of the leaf 

 is of a pleasing grey -green, and the imder sur- 

 face orange-brown. The whole plant, v>hen 

 well-flowered, presents a delicate, graceful ap- 

 pearance, and at once fills the eye as something 

 i)oth distinct and striking. Amongst a batch 

 of Rh. Baileiji seedlings, we find a number of 

 diminutive jilants of dainty appearance, and 

 more sparsely flowered than the type, which 

 Professor Balfour informs me may prove to b- 

 a distinct species, /i'/'. fli ijoducinh , wliieh is 

 known to inhabit a neighbouring station in 

 Bhutan. 



Rh. zaleucum flowered here for the first time 

 this season, and has certainly not done itself 

 justice as 3'et. The fiower is not unlike that of 

 R]i. areotrcphcs, ranging in colour frf)m white 

 1o pink and sha<les of lilac. The young foliage 

 is almost worthy to rank with A)i(Jroi}K>da 

 jdponica for effect of colour, and, in addition, 

 the underside of the leaf is of a beautiful blue- 

 white. This, indeed, ought to prove a valuable 

 shiub for the rock-garden. 



The true Rh. chariantlnnii is a ilclightful 

 free-flowering ])lant of the yunnaiiense type, 

 whose colour may be described as a blending 

 of mauve and pink. Jiikewisc, 7?//. Dariil- 

 >i<)nianuiii, with lather more ])ink than iiiau\i\ 

 a profuse bloomer and good grower. liojh of 

 these are vai'iable species, with many Iwtcv- 

 Tuediate forms, but they are all characterised 

 by extreme freedom of flower, delicate shades 

 of colour, and good, upright habit. Tn this 

 category RJi . AuijiiHtinii should also be placed, 

 the blue-lilac colouring in some specimens 

 i)eing (]uite remarkable, though, perhaps, to 

 some eyes the ])iihT shades may well yruw 

 more attractive. 



Rlt. n'lnth'uiiini, pale purple, and /.'//. rlmr- 

 topliiiIliiiH , nearly white, are both decorative 

 subjects, which matur" their growth rapidly 

 after flowering, and some de\clop into sha])ely 

 six-feet bushes. RJi . viUo.su m, bristling with 

 liairs, alike on leaf and stem, j/roduces Ijlooms 

 of varying shades of reddish purple, some of 

 which are certainly striking, if not i)arficularly 

 attractive. A bed of RJi. areofn-iiJns was re- 

 markable for a multitude of flowers, praeticalK- 



hiding e\ eiy leaf, the colour s arying from white 

 to pink and mauve. RIt. decuntiit has developed 

 five tiusses of bloom, and the delicate fragrance 

 of the pure white blossoms no less than their 

 size and substance make this a plant of high 

 garden value, and one, moreover, which is cal- 

 culated to develop into a conspicuous specimen. 



.\gainst a north wall, both Rh. Kdgwortliii 

 and Rib. scsteriamnn have flowered attrac- 

 tively, the latter in particular with twenty-nine 

 fully exjianded blooms, })roviding a beautiful 

 object to look upon, and shedding a delicious 

 fragrance. Under a cool rock Rh. aHtiinnicum 

 opened several white funnel-shaped flowers, 

 somewhat resembling a white Lapageria. The 

 foliage is neat, and distinetly aromatic. 



h'h. Kit nii.schaticii III , ])roverbially parsi- 

 monious of bloom, opened a few isolated 

 flowers, and is develo])ing into an attractive 

 mat of green. There is really less virtue in the 

 (■ulti\atiou of this spi'cies than is eoinnionly 

 sup|)Ose(l. and perha))s if people would cease to 

 irritate the |)lant with Sphagnum Moss and 

 j)anes of glass, and content themselves with 

 setting it firmly into sandy peat on the north 

 side of a big stone, a hap])ier future might be 

 in store for what is really (juite a sociable little 

 subject. 



I should be glad to be able to say as much 

 for Rh . Chaiiiacrifitu^, but as we are beyond his 

 season we can disregard his sulking hal)its for 

 the ])resent. 



\ ten-year-old j)lant of lih. il lifpthiainini , 

 raised here from Indian seed, has borne its first 

 flowers, of miexpected whiteness, on a stalk of 

 pale green, the whole truss without a single 

 tinge of pink, and apparently distinct from th(> 

 typical plant, both in colour and m the more 

 bell-sha]>e(l formation of the llowi'r. 



////. ['(/.ST//;, with beautiful clusters ol' shell- 

 pink blooms, ])r(jvides a chaiming subject foi' 

 the lock-garden in early .May. This is surely i\ 

 plant which richly deserves more extended cul- 

 ti\atioH than it hitherto appears to have met 

 with. ////. iiidlcinii and its various forms pro- 

 \iilc ailiiiiiable decoration, and are well worthy 

 of such shelter as they usiiall_\- appeal' to 

 reipiire. 



As regards May-flowcriiig hybrids, a very ex- 

 tensive list might easily be compiled, but the 

 I'ollowing selection can be confidently recom- 

 tneiideil for gt'ileial cult i\ at ion : — /*//(/,• I'cail. 

 W hllr (!rm, Lmhi's IVliHr. Durlirss of I'nrl- 

 1(111(1. Min. K . f\ SliiliiKi, Ciinlhid. I'ldnicllicii.-;, 

 IhKjshol li'iihii, I )(iiic(isl cr, l.ddii l)cciri<, 

 ( '(icoiKi , .J. (1. Milldis. ( Idiiii IJcl I ii , ,1 (dm 

 Wdlcrcr, Vird. ]\'dl('icr, l.ddii llrcij llijcrldu, 

 AVicc, Strafrqi.^f , I'',r('rcslid n ii iii . l^'dsl luisii ni 

 II. id.. Mm. W. Aqnrw. 



I'Oth .Tune, lOlo; 



