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IRISH GARDENING. 



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IRISH GARDENING. 



75 



AN ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY. 



Offices— 53 Upper Sackville Street. Dublin. 



Florence Court or Irish Yew. 



FEW ornamental evergreen trees have at- 

 tained such a wide popularity, especially 

 in church-yards or cemeteries, as the up- 

 right, Florence Court or Irish yew {'I axus 

 baccata fastigiata). It may be interesting to 

 learn that the historical progenitor — the parent 

 of all the Irish yews — is still alive and has its home 

 in the beautiful demesne of the Earl of Ennis- 

 killen at Florence Court, County Fermanagh, 

 near to where it originated as a sport. 



Two plants were originally found growing 

 in a wild state, about the year 1767, by a Mr. 

 George Willis, of Ahitirourke, when out coursing 

 for hares, on a rock in the mountain above 

 Florence Court, called Carrig-na-inadadh or 

 *' Rock of the Dog," locally known as " Willis' 

 Rock." These he dug up, and planted one in 

 his own garden and brought the other in his 

 coat pocket to his landlord. Baron Mount 

 Florence (subsequently first Earl of Ennis- 

 killen), at Florence Court, where it was planted 

 and still grows. The tree that he planted in 

 his own garden grew there till the year 1865, 

 when it died. 



The parent tree at Florence Court is growing 

 in an uncongenial position and in rather damp 

 soil, and for many years suffered considerable 

 damage from cutting for propagating — cuttings 

 having been sent to all parts of Europe and 

 America. Its present dimensions are — height 

 25 feet, and at 10 feet from the ground the cir- 

 cumference is 66 feet. Being partially shaded 

 by adjacent high trees, this specimen has a 

 scraggy and looser habit of growth than its off- 

 spring growing in open positions and in better 

 soil. The photograph is from the shaded side, 

 and shows two main stems rising close together 

 from the ground, the fork being almost visible. 

 The stem to the left measures 43 inches and 

 the one to the right 36 inches in circumference 

 at 9 inches from the ground. Mr. Sutherland, 

 the gardener, says this tree is improving in 

 health, as it has never looked so well during the 

 past fourteen years as at present. 



There are now at Florence Court several very 

 fine specimens. One at the end of a large 

 herbaceous border near Mr. Sutherland's house 

 is 33 feet in height, and at 10 feet from the 

 ground measures 36 feet in circumference. 



I have not been able to ascertain the date when 

 or by whom the variety was first distributed. 

 However, it appears to have been in commerce 



early in the 19th century. The following' 

 advertisement in The Gardeners' Chronicle for 

 November 5th, 1842, supports this theory : — 



'■'■Irish Yews. — S. Farrell & Coy. offer to the 

 Trade a large stock of Irish Yews from 8 inches 

 to 3 ft. high. The plants are strong and well 

 rooted, and would be disposed of on moderate 

 terms. — Belfast, November ist, 1842." 



This yew takes a prominent part in large and 

 small landscape decorations, and when judici- 

 ously placed there is not a more effective subject. 

 As an instance, there are in the gardens at 

 Caledon Hill, County Tyrone, 59 of these yews 

 arranged in a large square that had been a 

 flower garden in years gone by, but is now set 

 apart for the yews. The majority of these trees 

 have been re-arranged since they were first 

 introduced, and average about 30 feet in height. 

 The largest specimen, which has not been moved 

 since it was first planted, is 33 feet high, and at 

 10 feet from the ground measures 58 feet 3 inches 

 in circumference. The position and surrounding 

 trees, deciduous and coniferous, for which the 

 demesne at Caledon is justly celebrated, con- 

 trasting with this great group of dark-toned 

 yews, produce a peculiar but really grand 

 effect. 



The upright yew can only be propagated 

 true to type by cuttings, as the seed produces a 

 hybrid with the growth of the common yew and 

 the foliage of the Florence Court yew. 



Our thanks are clue to Mr. T. Maguire, The 

 Orchard, Enniskillen, for the photograph ; and 

 for some of the historic information to the Rev. 

 W. Armstrong Willis, J. P., Llanvaches Rectory, 

 Magor, Monmouthshire, who is a great-great- 

 grandson of the Mr. Willis who found the first 

 Florence Court yew ; also to Mr. Sutherland for 

 the valuable information and assistance in 

 taking measurements. Peter Brock. 



A Note on Fertilisers. 



THE thoughtful cultivator recognises the 

 difference in feeding requirements 

 between ordinary annual crops and 

 those that are of a perennial nature. In the 

 first group the manure must be readily available 

 if the crop is to benefit, while in the second 

 group — growth being slower— it is better and 

 more economical to use a slow-acting fertiliser 

 or one that gradually dissolves in the soil. 

 Speaking generally, veg-etables and annual 

 flowers require quick-acting compounds of 

 nitrogen, phosphorus and potash, the relative 

 quantities needful for producing the best results 

 depending upon the richness of the soil in these 

 constituents at the time of application. While 

 annuals, or those treated as annuals, entirely 

 depend for their development upon the food 



