May 4, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



321 



Westliead, Esq., late M.P. for York, and he has retired from 

 Lea Caatle to take a similar situation near Hereford. It is 

 only a few years ago that Mr. Gough was presented by the 

 Foresters of Kidderminster and the eurrouuding district with 

 a valuable gold watch and chain as a testimony of their respect, 

 and more recently his late employer made him a free.member 

 of the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution by paying a 

 "life subscription. His confreres, on hearing that ha was about 

 leaving them, quickly organised a dinner committee. Nearly 

 fifty gardeners and others dined together at the Fox Inn. 

 Councillor Hasell occupied the chair, and Mr. E. Bennett, head 

 gardener to the Earl of Stamford and Warrington, Enville, the 

 vice-chair. We have not space for the eucomiams they passed 

 upon him to whom the tribute was paid. 



Amono the plants which have received honour and 



religions veneration among the Hindoos, the Dooe-gbass (Cy- 

 uodon Dactyloa) holds a prominent place. Its usefulness, added 

 to its beauty, induced them in their earliest ages to consider it 

 the abode of a benevolent nymph, and it is employed in many 

 of their religious ceremonies. It owes much of its honour to 

 its great tenacity of life, being regarded as an emblem of im- 

 mortality ; and the Veda celebrates it, under one of its names, 

 in words which indicate its supposed myslic origin : — " May 

 Durva, which rose from the water of life, which has a hundred 

 roots and a hundred stems, efface a hundred of my sins, and 

 prolong my existence for a hundred years." The extreme 

 rapidity of growth in this Grass is here referred to, and it is 

 •stated that, by merely chopping it in pieces and sprinkling 

 these on prepared ground, a verdant sward may be obtained in 

 a few weeks. The Doob-grass is frequently introduced by name 

 in the popular stories of the country, and the roots are esteemed 

 loiedicinal. — (Nature.) 



" LiUEEL Joe." — Caution. — Seme time last year we 



cautioned the public against purchasing " rare " specimens of 

 Ferns from an impostor known as " Fern Jack," who, by his 

 clever artifices, succeeded in deceiving several collectors sup- 

 posed to be " well up " in Ferns. We have now to caution 

 them against purchasing at their doors of another vendor of 

 plants — a boy, whom we will dub " Laurel Joe," as he deals 

 -chiefly in that popular evergreen. This cunning individual 

 professes to sell young "Rose Laurel" trees, as he calls them, 

 at a very cheap rate ! The trees he offers are about a foot in 

 height, in healthy condition apparently when sold, with their 

 " roots " nicely covered up in moist mould, a little piece of the 

 root protruding, however, to show that there ia no deception ! 

 'We have seen this week some of the Laurels sold by " Joe " to 

 a lady amateur gardener. She was about to set the " shrubs ;" 

 but, previously to doing so, loosened the mould from the roots, 

 when she discovered that she had purchased merely some 

 cuttings of a species of Laurel, without any root of its own 

 whatever ! Each cutting had a slit at the bottom, which served 

 to hold tightly a piece of any root which might be inserted 

 previous to putting on the clay covering. The imposition is 

 decidedly ingenious ; but we advise the public, before purchas- 

 ing " Rase Laurels " at their doors, to uncover the " roots ! " — 

 '{Brighton Herald ) 



In the northern district of Alaska the various Grassesi 



which form an important portion of the vegetation, are woven 

 into mats, dishes, articles of summer clothing, such as socks, 

 mittens, and hats, by the Indians and Esquimaux. Mr. W. H. 

 Ball states in his report upon the resources of that region, that 

 in winter the Grasses are neatly tied in bunches, and shaped to 

 correspond with the foot ; they are then placed between the foot 

 and the sealskin sole of the winter boots worn in that country. 

 " There they serve as a non-conductor, keeping the foot warm 

 and dry, and protecting it from contusion to an extent which 

 the much-lauded moccasins of the Hudson Bay men never do. 

 in fact, I believe the latter to be, without exception, tbe worst, 

 most uncomfortable, and least durable covering for the foot 

 worn by mortal man." — [Nature.) 



NOTES MADE DURING A TOUR IN 

 IRELAND.— No. 8. 



POWERSCOURT, CO. WICKLOW. 

 YiNES occupy a prominent position at Powerscourt. In the 

 noble range of glass already alluded to, four houses or compart- 

 ments, each about 50 feet in length and tolerably wide, are de- 

 voted to them. At the time of my visit their condition was in 

 every respect admirable — nothing very sensational, but all 

 good and promising. I had to note nothing very particular in 



the construction of the houses, or the general management of 

 the Vines. All the latter were planted inside, and pruned and 

 trained on the close single-rod pystem. Mr. Dunn, however, 

 has had to do battle with one of the direst enemies of the Vine 

 — the Vine Aphis, Phylloxera vastatrix. This dreadful enemy 

 is but little known in this country. It has but lately, indeed, 

 been brought under the notice of our scientific men. Long 

 may we be spared from any closer acquaintance, for of all the 

 terrible pests a gardener has to contend with, and they are 

 manifold, " this bears the bell." The Vino aphis is a small 

 sort of Coccus, producing gall-like excrescences upon the young 

 shoots and leaves, as well as upon the roots of the Vine, and 

 so completely paralyses its further progress. It spreads also 

 with wonderful rapidity, so that where once introduced (and it 

 is a foreign introduction), the whole house is almost doomed to 

 destruction. In some gardens every Vine has been destroyed, 

 and no possible cure has yet been discovered, excepting by the 

 simple process of " stamping out " — i.e., by the complete re- 

 newal of the Vines, soil, and all concerned. 



It was, indeed, pleasing to learn that Mr. Dunn had at last 

 got rid of it. That which seemed at one time, and to most 

 people, almost a hopeless task, has been overcorae by incessant 

 perseverance in this way. All the Vines have been taken up, 

 their roots thoroughly washed free from every particle of soil, 

 the entire borders renewed, and then replanted. It is believed 

 that thus it has been entirely overcome, and let us hope it is 

 so. Looking at the Vines, which even after this severe ordeal 

 are very luxuriant, not the slightest symptom is apparent. To 

 Mr. Dunn we must, therefore, ascribe the credit of first being 

 able to point out the way to us of conquering the Phylloxera 

 vastatrix. 



Taking a peep at vinery Ho. 1, planted about two years ago 

 with Black Hamburghs, Royal Muscadine, Royal Ascot, &c., 

 these were doin^ well, and promised a good crop this season. 

 Viuery No. 2 is filled with a variety of Grapes for summer and 

 autumn use, such as Madresfield Court, a truly first-class new 

 Grape, Buokland Sweetwater, Duchess of Buccleuoh, Chasselas 

 Muaqiie, Mill Hill Hamburgh, Frankenthal, Trentham Black, 

 &o. These were also but recently planted, but promised well 

 for another year. 



Passing on we enter another vinery, which is devoted to late 

 Grapes, chiefly Muscats. These were bearing a good crop of 

 fair-sized bunches of large and very evenly-sized berries of 

 that deep amber hue, the Mint mati of ripe Muscats. Some 

 Frankenthals and Alicantes were likewise good. The Muscat 

 Hamburgh, however, was a failure, and it has so far disgusted 

 Mr. Dunn that it is to be replaced with Madresfield Court. In 

 yet another vinery was a splendid assortment of late sorts, all 

 bearing a good heavy crop. The fruit in this house was in- 

 tended for use in February, March, &a. The sorts mostly 

 relied on and esteemed are Lady Dowue'a and Trebbieno. The 

 Barbarossa (Gros Guillaume) and West's St. Peter's find no 

 favour here, and are to be disoirded. It is singular how tastes 

 differ, the latter variety being iu my opinion one of the most 

 pleasant-flavoured of Grapes. 



Mr. Dunn manages to keep his Grapes until very late in 

 spring — Trebbiano until the beginning of April, and Lady 

 Downe's last year until the middle of May. The French 

 system of cutting the Grapes and keeping them iu the fruit- 

 room, by inserting the end of the stalk in a bottle of water, 

 has been tried hero pretty extensively, and found to answer 

 fairly. Some Grapes cut in November have kept good until 

 March ; not quite so well as those left on the Vines, nor is the 

 flavour found so good. It is, however, a practice recommended 

 when the vinery is required to be used for another purpose, 

 which would endanger the keeping of the fruit on the Vine. 



Glancing now at the flower garden in the immediate front of 

 the houses just noticed, and enclosed on the other sides by 

 high walls covered with Arbor-Vitte, Laurels, and Ivy, we have 

 certainly one of the stiffest and ugliest sights of Powerscourt, 

 about an acre and a half of gaudy colours — scarlet and yellow, 

 yellow and scarlet. It is a garden of the old geometric Dutch 

 style, numerous small beds on gravel with Box edgings, requir- 

 ing an immensity of plants to fill thecn, and endless care. So 

 tar as it could be made beautiful it was done so by Mr. Dunn. 

 It was gratifying to me to learn that it is intended to sweep it 

 away at an early date as soon as the termoes, now iu course of 

 formation, shall have been completed. These terraces lie on 

 the south front of the mansion, by which they will be com- 

 pletely overlooked. Judging by what has already been done, 

 although it is dangerous to speak of half-finished worB, they 

 will be very grand. Naturally the grouad and situation favour 



