IRISH GARDENING. 



175 



certainty, and althougfh it is probably fairly 

 prevalent in some parts of Ireland as well as in 

 Great Britain, its real economic significance 

 and the extent of the damage done by it is, as 

 yet, hardly known with accuracy. G. H. P 



Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. 



THE schedule for the spriii_^ show, 1909, is now in the 

 hands of members. The council has not at the 

 immediate present been able to arrange the date 

 on which it will be held, but that, approximately, will be 

 mid-April ; nor is it at the moment of writing defi- 

 nitely settled where the show will be held. These 

 details when fixed, however, will be at once noti- 

 fied. Copies of the schedule may be had on applica- 

 tion to the secretary at the society's offices, 5 Moles- 

 worth Street, Dublin. A new class will be found in the 

 spring programme for tree (winter-flowering) carna- 

 tions, six pots (pots not exceeding seven inches) being 

 asked for in at least four distinct varieties. There is also 

 anew class for six pots of St. Brigid Anemones (pots 

 not exceeding seven inches) in at least four distinct 

 shades of colour, as well as an additional class for 

 hyacinths. Apropos of the latter, the reading of the 

 schedule, "Hyacinths, six pots, three of one variety 

 in each pot," and also the smaller class, three pots, three 

 in a pot, will scarcely, 

 we think, be taken for 

 anything but what is 

 intended — viz., six and 

 three distinct varieties 

 respectively ; b u t a 

 doubt has been ex- 

 pressed as to the clear- 

 ness of the wording. 

 In any case and in all 

 cases where any ques- 

 tion of the kind does 

 arise in the interpreta- 

 tion by prospective 

 exhibitors, all can and 

 should be definitely 

 settled by communica- 

 tion with the secretary. 

 At the council meeting 

 on October 8th a 

 superb example of 

 violet culture was seen 

 in a bunch of Princess 

 of Wales, a foot across, 

 sent in by Mr. J. 

 Hume Dudgeon froin 

 his gardens at Mer- 

 V i 1 1 e , Booterstown, 

 a first class certificate 

 of cultural merit for 

 the same being 

 awarded to Mr. D. 

 O' Leary , Mr. Dud- 

 geon's gardener, a 

 similar award being 

 also made for a bunch 

 of mammoth mignon- 

 ette sent by the same 

 gentleman, who also 

 contributed, with 

 other things, spotless 



blooms of Magnolia grandijiora, appropriately staged 

 with its own glorious foliage. Of all exotic ever- 

 greens which not only tolerate our climate, but 

 flourish in the more favoured spots of the Green 

 Isle, one is inclined to give the palm to this Carolinian 



shrub, a few fine examples of which are to be found in 

 old County Dublin gardens. The largest we know of, 

 however, is growing in the gardens of the Loreto 

 Convent, Bray, covering a large area of a lofty wall. 



Seven new members were elected at the last council 

 meeting (October 8th), Messrs. C. F. Ball and J. J. 

 Egan, J. P., becoming annual members, and as practical 

 members Messrs. D. O'Leary, Jas. Dawson, W. Usher, 

 T. Masterson, and W. H. Craig. This, added to re- 

 cent previous elections, with names booked for election 

 at the next council meeting, the 12th inst. , is encourag- 

 ing, but, like Oliver Twist, we want more. 



Fuchsia Riccartoni in the West. 



THE following passage is quoted from the new book, 

 "Alpines and Bog Plants," by Mr. Reginald 

 Farrer, the author of " My Rock Garden," 

 recently alluded to in these columns : — 



" Beneath the august cone of Croagh Patrick lies a 

 tiny little ruined abbey, buried almost to its eaves in the 

 encroaching sands of the shore. Far away beyond a 

 great square island, blue and very pale, stands up on 

 the uttermost rim of the great pale sea. And in this 

 remote corner of peace and death Fuchsia Riccartoni 

 has made itself a beautiful shroud for the dead shrine. 

 Everywhere, amid the walls and ruins and sandbanks, 

 wave its long slender arms, and a million scarlet trum- 

 pets in the sunlight dance up and down with every faint 

 cool breath that hovers landward over the face of the 



-Potato Tubers attacked by Ordinary 

 prevalent this season. 



Scab, 



{Dr. Pethybridge. 

 WHICH IS so 



water. Only their incessant flicker disturbs the imme- 

 morial tranquility which holds this heart of long dead 

 holy activities as it lies buried in the shifting sand, 

 embalmed in the golden tranquility of a golden summer 

 afternoon." 



