March 30, 1871. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOETIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



237 



of the foremost men in his profession, Mr. McDonald, from the 

 Phcenix Park, Mr. France, forester, &c., before inspecliDg the 

 gardens I took a drive ont a distance of three miles to see the 

 farrfamed Powerscourt waterfall, which is situated at the head 

 of a deep and well-wooded glen in Powerscourt deer park, and 

 is one of the great sights of the county of Wicklow. 



This splendid waterfall is formed by a mountain stream, 

 the Glenisloraue, its waters being collected fiom the sides of 

 the adjacent mountains. When in flood the waters pour over 

 the tremendous precipice, upwards of 300 feet in height, in 

 one unbroken sheet of white foam and spray, sublimely con- 

 trasting with the dark overhanging woods and rocks, forming 

 one of the grandest sights to be seen in Ireland, or, perhaps, 

 in the three kingdoms. The valley through which the river 

 flows after the fall is beanUfulIy wooded, the steep, almost per- 

 pendicular rocks on one side being clothed to their summits 

 with many beautiful trees, growiug out, it would seem, of 

 nothing but the 

 Bolidrock. 



Eeturning, all 

 along the route 

 were many single 

 specimens, lines, 

 and clumps ol the 

 choicest Coniferfe, 

 which seem to 

 have been planted 

 with the greatest 

 profusion every- 

 where about the 

 place during the 

 last few years, and 

 nearly all seem to 

 be thriving well. 

 How beautiful i.s 

 the appearance of 

 Pinus insignis in 

 its bright lively 

 pea green colour 

 in contrast with 

 the darker shades ! 

 In a very few 

 years, it taken care 

 of, the trees will 

 form a sight of 

 themselves worth 

 going all the way 

 to Ireland to see. 



Essaying now to 

 speak of the gar- 

 dens proper, where 

 the high cultural 

 ability of Mr. 

 Dnnn is so well 

 displayed, 1 will 

 take a hurried run 

 through the vari- 

 ous ranges of glass 

 houses, which are 

 rather extensive, 

 and present many 

 special features of 

 attraction. The collection of stove plants, &c., is altogether 

 splendid, winning as they do for Mr. Dunn many prizes at the 

 Dublin exhibitions. Fruit, also, is extremely well attended to. 



Bat, to particularise a little, I have to notice first a range of 

 halt-span ho uses, some 160 feet in length, about 14 feet wide, 

 and 12 feet high, of new and superior construction. This 

 range is in four divisious, No. 1 heing devoted to Figs but 

 recently planted on a raised bed in the centre, 4} feet wide and 

 18 inches deep, the trees trained to a wire trellis along the 

 roof. Nothing could be more promising than the appearance 

 of these trees. On the shelves were numerous small plants, 

 grown for the decoration of the conservatory. I noticed here 

 a good batch of young Chamosropa excelsa and liumilia, which 

 it is intended to plant out in the pleasure grounds, they being, 

 as Mr. Dunn stated, quite hardy here. Division 2 was devoted 

 to Melons and Cucumbers on one side, and on the other was a 

 sort of propagating pit. The former seemed to be doing well, 

 although the house is far too lofty for such things. In the 

 winter this house is used for the forcing of Asparagus, Sea- 

 kale, Dwarf Kidney Beans, &c., the bed being heated with 



The Powersconrt Waterfall. 



hot-water pipes. Along the front shelves were fine lots of 

 plants for winter decoration, such as Poinsettias, Euphorbia 

 jacquiniffiflora, Dracaenas, Crotons, &e. The third division is a 

 plant stove, in which I noticed many fine specimens of fine- 

 foliaged plants, Ferns, and Orchids. Amongst the former 

 Anthurium cordifolium stood out well, having leaves 34 inches 

 by 26 inches ; Cjanophyllum magnificum, grown as it ought 

 to be from cuttings annually, was very fine, upwards of 7 feet 

 in height, and clothed with splendid leaves, 39 inches by 25, to 

 the very surface of the pot; Sphasiogyne cinnamcmea, over 

 5 feet high, equally perfect and beautiful ; Sph^rogyne lati- 

 folia ; a huge plant of Diefienbachia picta, 8 feet in height and 

 9 feet in breadth ; Alocasia macrorhii^a variegata, A. Veitehii, 

 Pandanus Veitehii, Pandanus javanicus, nine or ten varieties 

 of those now popular plants, Marantas, amongst which Veitehii 

 showed up well ; Dianella purpurea with its graceful blue 

 berries, Caladiums in variety. Nepenthes, Dracieaas. sud 



Crotons. Twin- 

 . • -- ,:,. , _^ ing about the roof 



some of the climb- 

 ers looked exceed- 

 ingly well, such as 

 Hoya imperialis, 

 just a mass of 

 hloom, AUamanda 

 Snhottii, A. gran- 

 diflora, Vanillas, 

 Ipomieas, &c., and 

 along the front a 

 few good Orchids, 

 as Dendrobes, Cj- 

 pripediums, and 

 Odontoglots. Di- 

 vision 4 is another 

 plant stove, and 

 in this there were - 

 likewise many-fine 

 plants — a noble 

 plant of Tbeo- 

 phrasta imperi- 

 alis, 9 feet high, 

 clothed to the 

 ground ; Panda- 

 nus elegantissi- 

 mus, very large ; 

 Cyeas revoluta, 

 good ; Fittonia ar- 

 gyroneura, Gym- 

 nostachyum Ver- 

 pchaffelti, Crotons, 

 Dracaenas, Ma- 

 rantas, and a fine 

 collection of Ly- 

 copods doing well 

 in 14-inch pans. 

 Cissus diEcolor, 

 hanging in loose 

 festoons all over 

 the roof, inter- 

 mixed with Clero- 

 dendron Thom- 

 sons, Bongainvil- 

 lea, AUamandas, Passiflora pricceps, and Stephanotis, looked 

 exceedingly pretty. 



Leaving this range we cross over a large, open, gravelled 

 yard, where it is intended to have pits for Melons, Cucumbers, 

 and bedding plants. Here were placed a great quantity of 

 Strawberries for forcing, Keens' Seedling being the principal 

 early sort used. Around this yard are all the usual garden 

 offioea, beginning with Mr. Dunn's house, which, with all due 

 respect, I say is not worthy of Mr. Dnnn (although a bachelor) 

 nor of Powersconrt. All the other buildings are very complete, 

 and well adapted for their intended purpose ; gas and water 

 are at command wherever required, affording great convenience 

 at all times. This ought to be far more frequently the ease 

 than we find it, even in the best gardens of this country. 



Passing on I entered the principal range of glass by the back 

 of the conservatory, which forms the centre of the range, being 

 flanked on either side by two vinerie? — lean-to's, and having at 

 each end a span-roofed plant house. The conservatory is a 

 fine, large, roomy house, 50 feet long by 35 feet, and about 

 20 feet high. The roof is in thiee spans, supported by eight 



