IRISH GARDENING. 



59 



are white, borne in panicles, and create a 

 pleasing effect in July. 



Escallonia pterocladoii, from W. Patagonia, is 

 a rather small habited species, producing nume- 

 rous pink and white flowers and tiny leaves. It 

 does fairly well, as a rule, when planted in a 

 position sheltered from cold winds. 



E. punctata, also from Chili, is a fairly hardy 

 sort, producing corymbs of red flowers on some- 

 what erect shoots, which are clothed with glab- 

 rous green leaves, dotted on the under side ; an 

 ornamental shrub which will attain a height of 

 six feet or more under favourable conditions, 



Escallonia rubra. Chili, is occasionally met 

 with on walls and in the open where suitable. 

 The flowers are red, appearing in July. This is 

 a rather fine species, and produces fairly large 

 leaves which are plentifully dotted on the under 

 surface. 



There are several other species oi Escallonia 

 such as revoluta, viscosa, pulvcrulenta, &c., 

 which doubtless have merits of their own, and 

 should certainly be included by those who have 

 facilities and suitable conditions. 



An important point to be noted is, that the 

 Escallonias begin to flower after the spring and 

 early summer flowering shrubs are over, and 

 thus extend the season, connecting up as it 

 were with autumn flowering subjects. Pro- 

 pagation may be effected by means of cuttings, 

 on a slight hot bed, or kept close and shaded 

 under a handlip^ht. 



a^* ^* fi^^ 



Roses. 



By O'DONEL BROWNE, M.D. 



DURING recent years various horticultural shows 

 have, sprung up through the country, and since 

 these have been in existence the quality of most 

 of the exhibits have, I am glad to say, improved. 

 These shows have given us two, at least, good lessons to 

 learn — (i) to grow better flowers, (2) to be more ready 

 to work at our gardens. There is a marked improve- 

 ment year by year by some rosarians' exhibits, but there 

 are others who have not taken the trouble to learn their 

 lessons, and it is to the latter class that in the present 

 article I want to write. The person I find that has not 

 improved is generally in the so-called amateur (a 

 wretched name) class ; by this I mean those who do all 

 the work themselves. Their exhibits are slovenly, put 

 up anyhow, blooms of all ages, without any care or 

 trouble. If it could only be once pointed out to these 

 exhibitors how seriously it affects a judge's opinion to 

 have nothing to say to their exhibit, or if it could be 

 pointed out how badly their exhibit mars the whole 

 look of the show, this careless arrangement of 

 beautiful flowers would soon cease. The old ad- 

 age, " What is worth doing is worth doing well," 

 should be pinned on these eyesores of exhibits. 

 Can it be that they only send flowers to help the 

 show? If they only knew it, they are far from a 

 help, but a hindrance. Is it that they have no eyes to see 

 how others can manipulate flowers of the same quality, 

 and make them look lovely? Where could you get finer 

 stagers of flowers in the whole world than our Irish 

 Nurserymen ? Nowhere, and I have seen all the rose ■ 

 men stage. Now, amateurs please try and be tidy. No 



one is asking you to stage stuff as good in quality as our 

 larger growers — bu/: be tidy. Just spend five minutes 

 and watch any good grower at his flowers. He does not 

 bring his cut blooms in a boot box — no, he brings them 

 in water properly wired and cared for. You may ask 

 why all this trouble ? — they are not worth it, I hear you 

 remark Well — if this is your opinion — then stay at 

 home, as you are only a nuisance and laughing stock to 

 us ; and we can enjoy a laugh ! The person it most aff"ects 

 is the poor judge. From my heart I pity the man who has 

 to judge really inferior quality blooms. It is quite easy 

 to judge high-class roses in comparison to rubbish. 

 There never yet was a judge who ever wanted to see a 

 card on your box with " disqualified for untidiness " or 

 some such remark on it ; but I really honestly believe 

 if it were once done it would serve its purpose. It is not 

 such a great trouble to do a thing properly as it ought 

 to be done, and is to the most of us a real honest delight. 

 How often has it been said " So-and-So should have won 

 if he had staged his flowers better." I am glad Mr. So- 

 and-So was beaten, as he deserved it, and I hope he will 

 be beaten every time until he does learn. How is it that 

 a gardener with rough hands can so manipulate his 

 flowers to make them appear better than yours ? There 

 is more than the hand in it ; I am certain at the present 

 time there are two men who really shine at staging 

 roses, and it has often been argued in my presence as 

 to which is the better stager. One of these men has the 

 other at a disadvantage, inasmuch as he personally 

 superintends the actual growing of the flowers on the 

 trees, whereas the other man only sees the flowers ready 

 to be staged for the first time in the tent. But when it 

 comes to staging the last-mentioned man can usually 

 pinch home by better staging. I should like to give 

 them each a box of blooms of equal merit, and really 

 see whether the cleverness lay in staging or in growth 

 and staging. At all events a good deal depends on 

 staging. I will try and tell you how it is done some time 

 soon, but before I close let me ask you to go and study 

 the exhibits at the April show of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society. As the solicitors say, " you will see something 

 to your advantage." 



i^ e^* ^* 



Tuberous Begonias. 



Begonias as a cultivated race are relatively new to 

 gardens. They have sprung up and obtained their 

 present popularity within practically this generation. 

 They stand in the first rank as bedding plants, and have 

 in many places superseded the much used pelargonium 

 for such purposes. They have a wider range of colour, 

 endure longer, and can stand the effects of beating rains 

 much better than the older favourite. 



The present garden forms are the result of careful 

 hybridising. The original species (about six) are natives 

 of Peru and Bolivia, some of them growing at an eleva- 

 tion of 1 1,000 to 13,000 feet. With a single exception {B. 

 Pearcet, which is yellow) all the wild progenitors of our 

 garden varieties are red-flowered, yet these hybrid 

 varieties have a range of colour from scarlet, crimson, 

 and pink through orange and yellow to pure white, with 

 innumerable intermediate shades. 



The tubers are usually started in gentle heat in April, 

 gradually hardened off, and planted out by the beginning 

 of June. 



They seem to grow best in a sandy loam intermixed 

 with leaf mould. The soil should be previously well 

 dug and manured with thoroughly decayed farmyard 

 manure. After planting, it will be wise to mulch the 

 surface of the soil with litter or with cocoa-nut fibre if 

 litter is deemed too unsightly. 



By keeping to one colour for one bed a glorious and 

 continuous display can be secured throughout the sum- 

 mer months. For varieties the catalogues of up-to-date 

 nurserymen should be consulted. 



