IRISH GARDENING. 



Primula malaenides, a large collection of Chiy- 

 santlieinuuis, also many winter-flowering 

 Geraniums and Jk-gonias, including souie 

 hybrids raised here, the best being Greenfields 

 Queen, raised in 1915. , 



The accompanying jjhotograph shows a col- 

 lection of Rhododendrons, taken in May, at 

 Gi'eenfields, where many hundreds are grown. 

 The varieties are as follows : — Pink Pearl, Alic.', 

 Lady Eleanor Cathcart, Marie Van Houtte, 

 Minnie, George Hardy, J. H. Agnew, Lady 

 Clemont, Fastuosum flore pleno, &c. 



The stables, where some good horses first 

 saw the light, form a. background to these, and 

 are 'coveicd to roof-toj) with Paul's Scarlet 

 Climber, Solanum Jasminoides, and Clematis 

 Flamula overhanging the door-posts where once 

 stood Eclipse Lally — that Lally of noted fame — 

 and where nf)w stands Charles O'Malley, 

 another famous horse. 



P. S. 



Autumn Tints. 



Seldom have we had a season so resplendent with 

 autumn colour as this year, and we may probably 

 attribute the cause to the exceptionally dry, sunny 

 weather, which has been the special feature of 

 the past summer. In some places there has been 

 a drought, more or less severe, and on account of 

 it a few trees suddeidy dropped their leaves long 

 before their wonted time; while others, curiously 

 enough, have not had tints as satisfactory as is 

 usmd with them. Why this should be so, I am 

 not able to explain. It may have been occasioned 

 f)y the general absence of any very great heat; 

 for, at Rostrevor at least, we never appeared to 

 have enjoyed quite as much warmth as in other 

 smnmers. Moreover, in several instances the 

 foliage remained on the plants longer than in 

 normal years, and as we had a very sharp frost 

 early in Novemlier, it is possible that some of it 

 was damaged iiefore it had time to turn. Re this 

 as it may, however, the very much larger propor- 

 tion of the vegetation was quite unaffected by 

 drought or by other adverse conditions, and when 

 tjio fall of the leaf became due, it exhibited a 

 Iirilliancy of hue that has hardly been surpassed 

 witlnu our memory. The coi^imonest trees of orir 

 native woods have been very remarkable in this 

 respect; Beeches, Birches. Wild Cherries, Horse 

 and Sweet Chestnuts, Oaks, even Garden Fruit 

 trees, <fec., combined to blend together in grand 

 and in liarmonious profusion many varied and 

 lovelv shades of In-own, red, orange, and yellow. 

 The whole landscape then assumed a vivid colour- 

 ing, such as we read of as of constant recurrence 

 in a drier climate than our own, but whicli does 

 not often fall to oiu' lot to witness. Nevertheless, 

 despite the general humidity of Ireland, wdiich 

 keeps our grass green and flourishing, but which, 

 to some extent, does not perhaps conduce to a 

 fine autumn display, there are many exotic plaiits, 

 hardy in this country, which nearly always give 

 coloiir, so that it is easy to get a good effect from 

 them as well as from some of our native Iruids. 

 The subject being now in our minds, it may be 

 desirable tn note a few species that will im- 

 prove our plantations and shrubberies, just as 



the year is ended, and when tlic ))h-dli i)erio(l oi 

 winter is about to commence. 



There are few plants that colour so well as the 

 various forms of the genus Enkiauthus, a small 

 group, which belongs to the Heath Order, and is 

 related to Rhododendron. They are Asiatic in 

 origin, and hardy everywhere. They seem to grow- 

 slowly, and eventually become sturdy bushes, 

 some G feet or more high, interesting at all times 

 of the year, but very much more so when the leaf 

 turns; for then they become vivid, and gorgeous 

 masses of red, forming most brilliant patches of 

 colour, that at once arrest the attention of every 

 passer-by. They were peculiarly attractive this 

 season, almost resembling scarlet Pelargoniums. 

 There are several sorts in cultivation, of which 

 E. campanulatiis, E. japonicus, E. siihspssilis may 

 be mentioned; E. cervuiis is in every way desir- 

 able, but, as far as my experience goes, it is the 

 least remarkable in autumn. Mr. Bean describes 

 E. Jiiiiuihticiis in his well-known work, which 

 grows to a larger size than the others, but I have 

 not seen it. Oxydendron arboreum is a kinsman 

 of Enkianthus, rather a small tree than a shrub; 

 its leaves have a distinctly acid taste, from which 

 peculiarity it is commonly called the Sorrel tree, 

 and late in the sea.son it produces bimches of 

 white Lily-of-the-Valley-like flowers, after which 

 the foliage becomes scarlet, but not in so con- 

 spicuous a way as its ally first mentioned. Most 

 of the Azalea section of Rhododendrons, more- 

 over, assume a red tint. Another genus, Euony- 

 mus, belonging to a different natural order, con- 

 tains some deciduous species, that are to be 

 recommended; the common Spindle tree, E. 

 innnpneii.'i, is well known for fruit and autumn 

 disi)lav. so also the more handsomely-berried E 

 Idfifiiliua. But the best of all are E. ahiftis and 

 E. verrucosus, both of which turn to a bright, 

 clear pink rose; this year it was deeper in tone; 

 a wonderful and unusual tint of colour in the 

 dying leaf; they are interesting shrubs, though 

 without wealtl] of flower; the former is furnished 

 wings of cork along the ))rancldets the latter is 

 covered with curious dark glands of excrescences, 

 that give the bark a strange appearance. E. 

 sangumcus is, I think, a new species; it also 

 colours well, and has much merit. 



Spini'ii prunifolid is one of the few, nerhaps thf 

 only form, of the genus that develops a rich 

 scarlet in autumn, thereliy adding charm to that 

 uopular race of shrubs; ,S'. Thiinhrrgu, one of the 

 first to show bloom in the early spring, assumes 

 a duller ruddy colour. Belonging to the same 

 onloi' is FJiotiniii riUi)fia (rariabilis], too nfton 

 incorrectly called by nurserymen Povrthifrn 

 f,i(j\if(i—a very different thing, and not, I believe, 

 to' be found in cultivation. It is the only known 

 deciduous species of the genus, and is to be com- 

 mended for its beautiful autumn dress of orange 

 and red. We may add that its allies, the June- 

 berry, Amelanchier canadensis, a small tree, the 

 shrubby Chokeberry, Pyrus arhvtifolia. both 

 i^rimson, as well as the larger P. meoalocnrpn, 

 introduced from China some few years ago as 

 No 997 Wilson, with magnificent entire leaves, 

 that turn to a fine russet brown. Eucruphia 

 pimuififoVia, which is smothered in white flower 

 in summer, was a disappointment this year, for 

 the drought seemed to shrivel up the bloom as 

 it tried to expand; but the nlants here have given 

 compensation for this deficiency, and late in 

 November they became flaming masses of orange 

 red As a rule, they show some colour, but never 



