344 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Norember 3, 1870. 



discover so many of theBe expensive plants. In our stove 

 and ornamental-foliaged plants we have, no doubt, the moBt 

 beautiful forms of vegetation, and being so, I think they should 

 be but sparingly introduced, or not at all, unless the other 

 portions of the garden are in harmonious keeping. In such 

 places as Powerscourt and Mr. Bewley's, at Blackrock, the hot- 

 house plants formed a fine feature in perfect harmony with the 

 whole ; but I see no beauty in stove plants which have to be 

 reached through other portions of the gardens much neglected. 



The modern style of flower gardening in Ireland is following 

 much in the same direction as in England — endless bands and 

 stripes of gaudy colours. We cannot but admire such blazes 

 as we sometimes see, when well done, but too often they are 

 extremely repulsive. At Mount Merrion, near Dublin, the 

 display of tricolor and bronze Pelargoniums was magnificent 

 in the extreme, far exceeding in their brilliant colourings and 

 general effectiveness anything I could have anticipated in the 

 flower garden. With us bronze Pelargoniums planted out of 

 -doors are in general dingy and dull, but at Mount Merrion they 

 were more brilliant than we have them under glass. Possibly 

 h good deal of this superior excellence may be attributed to 

 the more soft and gentle humid atmosphere of Ireland, which 

 is more favourable to leaf-development and coloration than our 

 own climate. 



I must here enter a word of protest against the employment 

 of coloured-leaved Beet amongst flowers to such an inordinate 

 extent as was the case in Ireland. Nothing, possibly, could have 

 shown worse taste than in many of the instances where it was 

 used. The plant has a very striking and unique appearance, 

 and should be used sparingly. I do not object to its use now 

 and then. It is well adapted for mixing with other fine-foliaged 

 plants in large beds, as against the white-leaved Centaurea, or 

 even the yellow Pyrethrum ; but, as I observed it in several 

 instances in small beds along with Verbenas, Mrs. Pollock 

 Pelargonium, &c, it had a most detestable appearance. The dry 

 season had in several instances prevented the other occupants 

 from growing to any considerable size, so that the dark-coloured 

 leaves of the Beet, which seemed to thrive everywhere, gave 

 some of the gardens around Dublin the appearance of fields 

 of Mangold. A far finer plant having much the same colour 

 of leaf, and which seems particularly well suited for Ireland, is 

 the Iresine Lindeni. The older variety, I. Herbstii, seemed 

 in Ireland to take the place of Coleus "Verscbaffelti with us, 

 which I was rather surprised to find does not succeed in Ire- 

 land ; at all events I only saw it on one or two occasions. 



The Zonal Pelargoniums seemed to find a happy home in 

 Ireland, and one of the most telling and favourite varieties 

 was no other than Amy Hogg, her pleasant lively face lighting 

 up many an Irish garden. 



The great number of Irish Yews, studded over the Irish gar- 

 dens like military sentinels in their unbending stiffness, was 

 also another feature that attracted my attention. At Carton, 

 Maynooth, they were grand and imposing. 



Fruits are on the whole not quite so well represented as I 

 had expected to find them. Grapes were in many places exten- 

 sively grown and well, although I saw nothing sensational. 

 Pine Apples seemed to be but little grown ; at all events I saw 

 few in my travels. Peaches were, as a rule, excellent and 

 well cultivated. Orchard houses seemed to be at a low dis- 

 count since Mr. Bewley's famous ones have succumbed. Out- 

 door fruits were extremely abundant, and in many gardens 

 I found very fine collections. Pears on pyramids in the gar- 

 dens round Dublin were very fine. If a little more attention 

 were paid, Ireland would be a great fruit-producing country. 

 In many districts the climate is very similar to that of Jersey, 

 where the very finest fruits are grown. 



My too-short tour in Ireland was an extremely pleasant one, 

 for I met with many — very many — kind friends, although I 

 met them as a comparative stranger. Talk of freemasonry ! 

 why, the feeling of brotherhood amongst gardeners is far 

 exceeding that of any other class. We find ourselves at home 

 everywhere, yet nowhere have I found a welcome so warm 

 as in the Sister Isle. Much — indeed I suspect a very great 

 deal — of this overflowing kindness I owe to the high respect 

 in which my introducer, Mr. James Robertson, of Dublin, 

 is held. I owe to this gentleman many thanks for his valuable 

 assistance in enabling me to see so much of his adopted 

 country. 



My tour was confined to the gardens around Dublin, in the 

 counties Wicklow, Kildare, &a., and from that northwards to 

 Euniskillen and Belfast. I will furnish your readers with more 

 detailed notes on the more remarkable of the places I visited ; 



and I add as my opinion, that if in Ireland there are not so 

 many fine gardens as in England, yet they will bear comparison 

 with advantage in many respects. — B. 



GROUND LEVELLING AND PRACTICAL 

 GARDEN PLOTTING.— No. 3. 



DRAWING PLANS. 



Having given a short description of such materials as will 

 be necessary for a beginner, I will proceed to apply them to 

 their uses, commencing with fig. 6. 



1. To Bisect a Given Line. — Draw the line a b (fig. 6). Use 

 the compasses having a pencil leg. Put the steel point of the 

 compasses in point a. Open the compasses until the distance is 

 greater than the half of the line a b, and with the pencil 

 describe the arc d d. Shift the steel point of the compasses 

 to point b, and with the same radius draw the arc c c. The 



AC 



Fig. 6. 



Fig. 7. 



points where the two lines cut each other, as in d c, d c, are 

 perpendicular to or square with the line a b. Draw a line 

 from the points of intersection — that is, from point d c, to 

 point d c, and it will bisect or cut the line a b, into two equal 

 parts, as at m. 



2. To Describe a Square on the Line A b. — The line a b 

 (fig. 7) is 1 inch in length, and represents 8 feet, being drawn 

 to the scale of 8 feet to the inch. Erect a perpendicular line 

 from point b, which is done in the following manner : — Take 

 any two equal distances from point B, say the points d d; place 

 the steel point of the compasses in point d ; open the com- 

 passes until the radius is greater than d d ; then with the 

 pencil describe an arc, as in c. Shift the steel point of the 

 compasses to the other point d; describe another arc, cutting 

 the former one, as in c ; draw the line B c, taking care it is as 

 long as the line A b. Two sides of the square are now drawn, 

 and a and c are centres. Place the steel end of the compasses 

 in point A ; open them until the pencil will just meet point b ; 

 and turn the compasses round and describe an arc, as in D. 

 Then shift the steel point of the compasses to point c, and 

 with the same radius describe another arc in d, cutting the 

 former one ; next draw the lines c d, and d a, and the square 

 is formed. To prove the square, if the diagonal lines A c, and 

 b e, are exactly equal in length, the square is perfect. 



Fig. 8. 



Fig. 9. 



3. To Describe a Circle. — The diameter a b, being given — 

 say 8 feet— find the half (4 feet) ; with the half as radius (d a) 

 describe the circle (fig, 8) with the compasses. 



4. To Form an Equilateral Triangle. — The base line A B 

 (fig. 9) ia 8 feet. Find 8 feet on the scale, With the com- 

 passes from A and b describe two arcs, outting eaoh other in 

 o. Draw a line from a to c, and from o to n, and the triangle 

 is complete. 



5. To Construct an Oval on a Given Line. — The line A b 

 (fig. 10) is 8 feet in length. With half the line, o, as radius 

 describe a circle. From a and b as centres draw aros, with the 

 radius a b, cutting each other in e. From e draw the line 



