74 



IRISH GARDENING. 



native plants. There are dainty water-lilies of 

 the Laydekeri and Pyg-nicea sections, Cape pond- 

 weeds {Aponogctoii), LwmantJieinum pel/a/inii, 

 and others to choose from. 



For school gardens, too, these tiny artificial 

 "ponds " are most useful, and should certainly 

 be included in the scheme of instruction. There 

 is a peculiar fascination about water-plants, and 

 their inclusion in a garden adds considerably to 

 its attractiveness. 



5^* C^* ^^ 



Roses. 



By O'DONEL BROWNE, M.D. 



I\ my last article I gave a few hints about the stag-- 

 ing of flowers in shows, pointing out how some- 

 times we see flowers of good merit staged badly, 

 thereby losing points to the exhibitors. Roses are 

 generally shown in two ways, either exhibition blooms 

 in boxes or tra3's or in vases. There are other wa3's, 

 but in Ireland these are the two chief methods. Inas- 

 much as there is a preponderance of classes for boxes, 

 I will discuss this kind of exhibit first. An}' handy man 

 can make a rose box if he has a pattern to ^o by ; there 

 is nothing difficult about it, provided you give your 

 order in ample time so as to allow the paint to dr}'. 

 The size of the box or tray, should 3-ou prefer the latter, 

 is laid down by the R. H. S. and N. R. Society's rules,* 

 and local show committees should insist on exhibitors 

 closel}^ adheiing to the proper size, as nothing detiacts 

 more from the look of the show than boxes of diffierent 

 sizes in the same class. The depth of tra}' shoukl 

 be at most 4 inches and not less than 3I inches. The 

 width of all ^boxes must be ^18 inches, and the length 

 varies with regard to number of blooms. 

 Here ai-e the lengths — 



Length Depth Width 



6 box 1 ft. 4 in. 18 in. 



9 ,, 1 ft. 6 in. 4 ,, 18 ,, 



12 ,, 2 ft. 4 ,, 18 ,, 



18 ,, 2 ft. 9 in. 4 ,, 18 ,, 



24 ,, 3 ft. 6 in. 4 ,, 18 ,, 



All these measurements are outside measurements. 

 Inside the box there is a tray pierced with holes at 

 equal distances to hold the tubes containing water and 

 an inner tube holding the wired blooms. This tra}- 

 should be neatly covered with the very best moss pro- 

 curable, not moss with grass through it, as one often 

 sees. That found in woods on trees is the best. It 

 should be searched for a week or so before a show, and 

 well watered every day, and search should be made a 

 couple of times at night for slugs in it. Nothing can 

 relish a rose in a box on the way to a show more than 

 a slug. It is safer to moss your tray a day or so before 

 a show, and water it carefully. Tubes with wires com- 

 plete can be had from Mr. Foster, Ashford, Kent, or 

 from Frank Cant & Co., Braiswick Nurseries, Col- 

 chester. I do not know Cant's price, but Foster's 

 charge is 5/6 per doz. post free. Any seed shop can 

 get them for you, but get them in time. Tubes should 

 be filled with water, not from the main, but from a 

 bucket of soft (for preference) water on which the sun 

 has been shining for a couple of hours. I forgot to say 

 that two six boxes can be used for a twelve, but it is 

 best to have a box for each size — it saves time when 

 travelling from home. The lids of boxes should be 8 to 

 9 inches high, made of j^ inch deal boards the same as 

 tray, and should have the corners strongly- protected 

 with angle plates, and be well provided with strong 

 handles. The hinges used are what are called "right 

 half butts " to allow lid to slide off tray when at show. 



* Naas Horticultural Society has adopted this rule- 



A lock and key is best, but do not forget the key ! 

 There should be ample ventilation at the sides of the 

 lid, and these holes should be covered on inside with 

 close wire netting or perforated zinc to prevent dust 

 entering. Inside and outside the box must be painted 

 a dark green and any initials you care to have, so as to 

 recognise your box any time. When you are travelling 

 }ou must keep a constant eye to your boxes, as railway 

 folk in ignorance treat them very roughly, and an odd 

 tip does wonders to keep all level and right side iippcr- 

 vivst. When you reach your show you should first of 

 all take a peep and see how your blooms have travelled, 

 and before you go any farther, look and see if much 

 water has escaped from joltings on the way. Any 

 empty tubes must be replenished. In his new book 

 Mr. Pemberton lays great stress on this watering of 

 roses ; he holds that a change of water is injurious, but 

 we all do it, and some of us do not suffer so very much. 

 It is surprising what water a young bloom can absorb. 

 Some exhibitors plug the mouths of the tubes with moss 

 to prevent anv over-splashing, but I think it makes a 

 box look inisightly. If you reach the show the night 

 before the exhibition or in the very early hours of the 

 morning of the show — when you have seen to these 

 little preliminaries— it is well to close down yoiu" lid 

 again--but if you are about the boxes then give your 

 roses air by propping up the lid by inserting a flower 

 vase-pot or a brick between tray and lid, or make the 

 hasp on the lid keep the lid off the tray by propping it 

 on the tray. Mr. Pembeiton ad\ises you, if you have 

 time, to '''^ ^o and take forty winks" — both you and the 

 i-oses will benefit by this piece of advice. Of course, 

 this only applies to a show where }Ou arrive early in 

 the moiiiing. 



5^^ 5^^ fi^^ 



Ard Cairn Seedling Daffodils. 



Mr. Wu. Bavlor IIartland sends us a box of lovely 

 blooms of seedling daffodils raised at the Ard Cairn 

 Nurseries. One, a Poelicus seedling- with pure white 

 perianth leaves, is named after Miss Rose Bedford, 

 daughter of the gardener at .Staffan. It was so named by 

 the late Mr. Burbridge, and Mr. Hartland has repeated 

 to us the circumstances imder which it received the 

 name. Mr. Burbridge was on a visit to Ard Cairn, and 

 on seeing the seedling exclaimed — " Hallo, Hartland ! 

 you have a lovely thing here, the whitest thing I have 

 ever seen. Let me name it after a dear friend of mine." 

 And so it was there and then named " Rose Bedford." 



Two others — Polly Eccles and Jenny Woodhouse — 

 are here illustrated. Polly Eccles is represented by the 

 two central blooms shown in front view : it is a lovely 

 bicolor, segments pale primrose, trumpet a richer tone, 

 serreted and folded back. The ffowers are small but 

 really beautiful. Jenny W^oodhouse is a shapely bicolor, 

 the perianth and trumpet being of the same length, the 

 latter being distinctly flanged. Two other blooms of 

 special interest are Lorna Doone, a handsome self- 

 yellow of the Ajax type, and the rare White Minor, a 

 most delightful little flower. 



5^^ 5^* e^^ 



Herbs. — Time was when every well-regulated garden 

 grew its quota of herbs ; now, they are rarely found 

 save and except in the gardens of the old-fashioned 

 country mansion, and here and there in the garden of 

 the cottager. Probably the ease with which dried 

 herbs can be obtained in packets has had most to 

 answer for in the decline of the herb in popular favour, 

 but certain it is that our gardens are the poorer for the 

 absence of such sweet old-time favourites as rue and 

 rosemary, mint and marjoram, thyme and tarragon, 

 sage and savoury, balm and basil, chervil and chamo. 

 mile. H. C. Philbrick. 



