n6 



IRISH GARDENING. 



bloom at Howtli Castle some years ago, aud 

 I owe the plant I have now got to Cajnain 

 Gaisford St. Lawrence. Another species which 

 I have also attempted to grow is B. decoster- 

 iana, kindly sent to me from Glasnevin to try, 

 but it failed, possibly because it was put out 

 too young, and had not vigour enough to with- 

 stand the wet. There is another here that 

 came under the name of B. superba; in outer 

 appearance it is very like B. yuccoides, but 

 until it flowers it is impossible to say whether 

 it is the same or not. 



I'remontia californica is a species better 

 known than any of the above, and coming 

 from California it ought to be hardy in the 

 more favoured parts of the British Isles. It is, 

 I tliink, rather a shy bloomer, unless it is 

 placed against a wall; it has, however, 

 flowered here in the open, the specimen being 

 about seven to eight feet high. It is a plant 

 well worth having, the flowers, produced in 

 June, being of a bright yellow colour, some two 

 inches across, and harmonizing well with the 

 soft green foliage. 



Having raised an Ernbothrium coccineum 

 from seed (I have no record from whom I got 

 the seed) it was put out as quite a small plant 

 in the spring of 1915 ; it grew very rapidly, and 

 to ])revent its becoming a mere slender pole, 

 liable to be uprooted by the wind, it had to be 

 cut down by several feet. It is now some 12 

 to 15 feet high. It was noticed when a seed- 

 ling that the leaves were much longer and 

 narrower than those of the ordinary E. cocci- 

 neum, but it soon appeared to lose that 

 cliaracteristic as it developed and increased 

 in size. Last year it produced one solitary 

 bloom, but no special notice was taken of it, 

 as there are otlier specimens of the species 

 in the place. This year, however, it produced 

 a number of flowers, and then it was perceived 

 that their colour differed from the others, and 

 that instead of being of the usual vivid scarlet 

 wiiich is so well known, they were of a 

 biilliant orange-scarlet tint. It begins to show- 

 bloom shortly after the other, but it seems 

 to continue at its best for a much longer time. 

 I sent specimens to friends who are botanical 

 experts, and I am now informed that it is 

 probably a cohmr variation of the type, but 

 it is also added that no such variations have 

 been hitherto recorded, either they were not 

 obsei'ved, or they were not thought to be 

 sufficiently marked for record. The contrast, 

 however, between the flowers on the two trees 

 here is quite distinct and has been very notice- 

 able this year. "Whatever it may be, it is cer- 

 tainly a welcome and pleasing addition to the 

 arboretum from a horticultural point of view, 

 even if it has no scientific value. 



Jon\ Eoss OF Bl.\dkxsi{l-uo. 



Shrubs of July. 



July is by no means a dull month in the 

 Arboretum, and it is only by walking through 

 a comprehensive collection that the wealth of 

 material now available can be seen. We are 

 apt to think that the bulk of flowering s'hrubs 

 are over in .May, with, perhaps, a few late 

 kinds in June, but though the number in flower 

 then may be greater, there is now so many new 

 species and hybrids that some may be had in 

 riower throughout the summer. Tlie following 

 have all been noted towards the middle of July, 

 few of them preseiiting any great ditticulty in 

 cultivation. 



Buddleia CohieUi is a plant for a wall in most 

 l)laces, but in the mildest districts may be 

 grown in the open. It is only fair to state that 

 it does not flower freely every year, but that is 

 no drawback to those who like to have a col- 

 lection. A native of the Himalaya, it produces 

 handsome panicles of rosy pink flowers, white 

 within, and large, broadly, lance-shaped leaves. 



The Cistuses or Rock Roses are brilliant 

 shrubs for hot, sunny positions, and flourish 

 often in situations too dry for most other 

 shrubs, except Helianthemums. 



Cist us crisp us is one of the showiest of the 

 dwarfer species, suitable for the rock garden 

 or s'hubbery. The somewhat oval leaves have 

 wavy margins, and are densely haii"y on both 

 surfaces. The flowers, an inch and a half wide, 

 are rather bright pur2:)lish red. There aie one 

 or two others rather similar to this. 



C. cijprius is a vigorous grower, reaching 

 8 feet or more in height. The flowers, pro- 

 duced in clusters, ai'e very large, 2 to 3 inches 

 wide, white, with a dark red blotch at the base 

 of each ])etal. The leaves vary in size, gene- 

 rally lance-shai)ed, with wavy margins, dark 

 green above, and furnished with down on the 

 under surface. A very fine shrub. 



C. ladaniferus is better known than the last- 

 named, and grows well, making a hush 4 to 5 

 feet high ; the branches and leaves are sticky, 

 the latter from 2 to 4 inches long, naiTowly 

 lance-shaped, dark green on ilic iipjirr surface, 

 and furaished with down uiidcnK at li. The 

 flowers, produced singly on short side branches, 

 are white, with a red blotch at the base of each 

 petal. 



C. Jaiirifoliiis^ ;dso a tall grower, will exceed 

 6 feet in height when flourishing. The leaves 

 are broader than those of C. ladaniferus, mar- 

 gins wavy, upper surface dark green, the lower 

 furnished witli down. Tlio flowers are j)ure 

 white, produced in panicles on shoit side 

 shoots. 



