458 Notices. — Ireland. 



those for flavour. Of the peaches there were a great variety, all very fine and 

 ripe. Some of the nectarines and apricots were extremely large ; of the latter 

 there was only exhibited one kind, the Moorpark. The melons were very fine, 

 and there was a great competition in them. Several pine apples were exhibited, 

 all perfectly ripe, and generally large. The judges, however, withheld the pre- 

 miums, in consequence of the fruit not being cut. The carnations, pinks, and 

 piccotees were of pre-eminent beauty, and the candidates for prizes in these flowers 

 more numerous than, from the unfavourable season, we could have expected. 

 Previous to other shows the skill of the florist has usually been directed to force 

 into blow the flowers on which he rested his claims ; but this time it appeared 

 that his utmost exertions were requisite to retard their florescence, and that with 

 all his care he was only able to exhibit a succession, instead of the primary 

 blossoms. It is but a proper tribute to merit, to mention here that Mr. Pennick, 

 gardener to Peter Latouche, Esq. of Bellvue, would have obtained a prize for 

 carnations, but for having sent only four flowers, when the regulations of the 

 Society required six. 



Amongst the exotics and ornamental plants with which the stage was decorated, 

 we observed the lily of the valley tree (Convallaria arboreaP) and the Nerium 

 Oleander splendens, fine specimens of which were sent by Mr. Downes, gardener of 

 Thomas Crosthwaite, Esq. of Dollymount. The Norfolk island pine, (Dombeya 

 excelsa) and a great variety of egg plants and cockscombs, from Mr. Dunphy, gar- 

 dener to Austin Cooper, Esq. of Abbeville, attracted much admiration. A Shaddock 

 tree from Mr. Poole, gardener to W. Rutherford, Esq. was, to the generality of 

 visitors, decidedly the most curious and interesting production displayed : it was 

 loaded with fruit, many of which were more than twice the size of a full-grown 

 orange; so that the majority of spectators supposed that they were over-grown 

 oranges. Mr. Lane, gardener to Mrs. Colville, Clontarf, brought a strong, 

 healthy Zante currant vine ( Vitis lonica,) with several clusters of grapes nearly 

 ripe, affording a marked and curious contrast to the large bunches of Syrian, 

 Muscat, and Hamburgh grapes which lay on the stage beneath. The vine, to 

 which we allude, is of that species which produces the Zante currants, used here 

 for culinary purposes, and of which, we believe, the first plant grown in the 

 empire was reared from seed by the late Sir Joseph Banks, who strongly recom- 

 mended the planting of it against the walls of graperies, where he found it thrive 

 uncommonly well. 



A letter was received, previous to the show, from Mr. — — — , gardener 

 to the Earl of Gosford, accompanied by a flower of the Carolina kidney- 

 bean tree (Glycine frutescens), the first which has been produced in Ireland. — 

 The flower resembles much the laburnum, but is of a bright lilac colour. 



After the adjudications had been concluded the Society dined together. — 

 (Irish Farm. Jour.) 



Introducing Trees and Shrubs. In a letter in the Irish Farmer's Journal of 

 June 17th, by G. W. Irvine, Esq. on the subject of hedge-row timber, it is stated 

 that Mr. Mackay, Curator of the Trinity College Botanic Garden, has, within 

 these twenty years, introduced more plants to Ireland than all the other proprie- 

 tors and cultivators put together. He is stated to have recently introduced some 

 American species of poplar which are expected to prove valuable acquisitions as 

 timber trees. 



The Yucca gloriosa has flowered with uncommon vigour this season in Lady 

 Ormonde's conservatory at Castlecomer. The plant in question has been under 

 the management of Mr. Reecks, her ladyship's gardener, for the last fifteen 

 years. It is now eighteen feet high; the stem fourteen inches in circumference, 

 and the flower, consisting of some hundreds of large beautiful bell-shaped blos- 

 soms, is nearly four feet in perpendicular height. It will probably continue in 

 blossom a fortnight. (Irish Farm. Jour.) 



The Inistioge Grape. Our readers will probably recollect a statement in all the 

 newspapers last year, of the great success that attended the exertions of Mr. Pren- 

 dergast, of Inistioge, in the county Kilkenny, in bringing a particular species of 

 grape to the greatest perfection in the open air, without any artificial heat what- 

 ever. We are now informed by a correspondent, that these same grape-vines have 



