JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ November 17, 1870. 



and fashion of Dublin flock here on the Sunday afternoon in 

 .great numbers ; it is their great meeting place, and a very 

 delightful one. From here also we have a good view of the 

 monument to O'Connell, which is chic-fly remarkable for its 

 extreme ugliness, yet it is much thought of. A little is done 

 here in the modern style of flower gardening, there beiDg groups 

 and beds of scarlet Pelirgoniums, &c, arranged with good 

 taste and effect, yet in no way destroying the principles of the 

 place as a botanic garden. Botanic gardens, pure and simple, 

 are very dry and uninvitirjg places to the unscientific portion 

 of the people, and there is nothing, I think, more ugly and 

 disappointing than the arrangement of plants in strict botanical 

 fashion. At Glasnevin all are harmoniously and pleasantly 

 blended; it is a true botanic garden, yet every part of it is 

 pleasing and interesting. 



The collection of plants both under glass and in the open air 

 is very extensive and varied. There is a considerable number 

 of glass houses, which are very good substantial buildings, well 

 adapted for the purposes for which they are designed, not ex- 

 cepting the large Palm stove itself, although it is, perhaps, one 

 of the ugliest glass structures erected in any country, it having, 

 when viewed externally, more the appearance of a huge over- 

 grown barn than anything else. It is, nevertheless, internally 

 well adapted for its occupants. The height of this hideous 

 pile is upwards of 60 feet ; it has a very steep span roof, and 

 one end is of brick, with a chimney as in the gable end of a 

 great farm house. Say what one may about its fine contents 

 and its suitability for them, it is a sad, a great disfigurement 

 to an otherwise almost perfect garden. I believe it cost for 

 erection about £2000, for which sum, although miserably in- 

 adequate, it would surely have been easy to have produced a 

 better design. 



Coming now to the contents, I am all admiratioD. There 

 are some splendid examples of Palms of great size and in full ' 

 health and vigour. One, a species of Cocos, was more than 

 50 feet high, and truly noble ; Latania borboniea with its great 

 shield-like leaves was also very large. So were several species 

 of Cycas. We find here some noble tree Ferns, as Cyathea 

 slogans and serra, 15 feet, with large and beautiful fronds, 

 Alsophila Cooperi, &c. ; but I must not particularise amongst 

 so many. In addition to this there are other large houses for 

 Palms, forming a portion of a long mixed range of rather lofty 

 half-curvilinear-roofed houses. In one of these is a specimen 

 of Phcenix dactylii'era, with a huge spreading head, and a stem 

 upwards of 2 feet in diameter ; Chama^rops Martiana, 20 feet ; 

 and a fine specimen of Charrjterops cbinensis, or Hemp Palm, a 

 very distinct and imique Palm. There were also very fine 

 plants of Corypha australisand Jubaaa spectabiiis, the latter Dr. 

 Moore stated to be quite hardy. I noticed here a fine plant of 

 the Baonapartea in flower, which was very handsome. In an- 

 other house were some fine Cactuses and a large plant of Cereus 

 Eussellianus ; also a Mango tree laden with fine fruit, which, 

 I was told, ripens off admirably. There were also some fine 

 plants of Brownea grandiceps with their curious tufts of newly 

 developed leaves, which give it such a singular aspect. 



Although not, perhaps, in the order in which they stand, I 

 next come to the Victoria house, having a ridge-and-furrow 

 roof. The Lily looked well, the leaves were large, and it had 

 several flowers. There were here several large plants of Ne- 

 penthes. 



In other houses we find a fair collection of Orchids in good 

 sondition, and a great number of seedling Nepenthes and Sar- 

 racenias, than which there are no more beautiful and interest- 

 ing plants, especially when in the young state. Next we enter 

 a large New Holland house, where there is a fair collection of 

 these plants, also of Agaves, Sempervivums, &c. 



I have yet to notice one of Glasnevin's greatest features in 

 the plant way — namely, its collection of tree Ferns. They are 

 here in great quantity and variety, and for the most part looked 

 well, but I fancied they would have liked a little more heat. 

 In a small circular house there is a truly handsome specimen 

 of Cyathea medullaiis over 20 feet in height; there are also 

 imported plants of Alsophila australis and excelsa with stems 

 over 8 feet high. What must be the age of Ferns like these ? 

 If they do not produce stems more rapidly in their native 

 country than with us, they must be very aged. A plant of 

 Cyathea dealbata over Iven'.y years of age, with Dr. Moore is 

 only now beginning to form a stem : when will it be 20 feet 

 high ? This is in tree Fern house No. 2, where we find a large 

 lot of fine fellows, as Dicksonia antarctica with a 5-feet stem 

 grown at Glasnevin; another of the same branching into three 

 stems ; Cyathea medullaris, slender-foliaged ; Alsophila Cooperi ; 



Dicksonia squarrosa, C. Cunninghami, C. Smithii, and Leich- 

 ardtii, all very distinct and graceful. How very noble these 

 tree Ferns look, and how striking an effect have they in our 

 plant houses when judiciously placed with other things ! Out- 

 side, against the walls of one of these houses, I observed a very 

 beautiful and, to me, strange plant for the situation. It was 

 no less than Clerodendron fcetidum, with its great panicles of 

 reddish purple flowers. It is there a hardy plant. In a little 

 pond by the door I observed some fine examples of the Limo- 

 charis Humboldtii and the curious Trapa natans. 



At the back of one of these ranges Dr. Moore is now erecting 

 a lean-to having a northern exposure for the growth of Hyme- 

 nophyllums, Selaginellas, Todeas, &c. There is to be a walk 

 down the front of the house, then the bed about 8 feet wide up 

 to the back wail, on which the plants will be placed in a slightly 

 rustic style, and this then is enclosed by a glass partition 

 formed of sliding moveable sashes, so that the plants are in a 

 close glass case. This will be far better than the tiresome 

 bell and hand-glasses, through which no one can ever see the 

 plants. Dr. Moore has a choice collection of the above plants, 

 which, when once properly displayed, will prove very attractive. 

 In some low propagating pits I noticed many choice little things, 

 and in particular a new Anthurium named pedatumrepandum, 

 and the pretty Drosophyllums and Droseras, or Sundews, won- 

 derful in the extreme. 



In the open ground I was pleased to find our old mixed 

 border of herbaceous plants, which is always so full of interest. 

 Here I noticed many choice gems which I should have liked to 

 have culled. The pretty little Daisy-like Yittadenia trilobata 

 I had not before met with, although it is no new thing. In the 

 front of the chief range of houses, and along each side of one 

 of the main walks, this mixed border of herbaceous plants 

 was continued, along with a very large and fine collection of 

 Saxifrages. 



Coniferaa occupy a prominent place, and there are many in- 

 teresting and fine specimens. Abies Smithiana was 25 feet 

 high. There was a very large and fine plant of the Golden 

 Yew, as well as a curious naked-growing form of Cupressus 

 californica which I had not before met with. A Cedar of Goa 

 had been raised from seeds which had been kept eighteen years 

 — rather a remarkable instance of vitality in resinous seeds. 



More and yet more I could tell of the treasures of this place, 

 but I would just notice the fine collection of trees, Oaks especi- 

 ally, and one variety in particular, Quercus Louettii, truly a 

 charming tree. In the nursery grounds attached, where Dr. 

 Moore first proves the value of the trees and shrubs before 

 putting them out in the grounds permanently, I observed 

 many fine trees ; one a Chestnut — Castanea vesca pumila hete- 

 rophylla, was particularly striking. My attention was called 

 here to an example of the Orobanche growing on the Ivy — not 

 naturally, however, but, as Dr. Moore informed me, grafted on 

 it purposely by Dr. Moore himself. It was growing with its 

 usual character. I have never heard of this being done before. 

 I look upon it as rather a horticultural triumph. 



I hold Glasnevin in great estimation. It stands high in the 

 list of botanical gardens, and it is pre-eminently a beautiful 

 and enjoyable spot. Dublin may well be, as she is, proud_ of 

 her Glasnevin, and of the high, honourable, and just estimation 

 in which is held its talented director, Dr. Moore. — B. 



THE NEW GLADIOLUSES OF 1870. 



As several communications have reached me relative to our 

 prospects of new Gladioli, I am sure that those few who know 

 my excellent friend M. Souchet will be glad to have some intel- 

 ligence of him and his bulbs. I therefore Eubjoin a translation 

 of some extracts from a letter I have just received from him. 



" Up to this time our city has not suffered from the presence 

 of the enemy in our country. Many columns of Prussian artil- 

 lery, cavalry, and infantry have passed through our town with- 

 out stopping there. They have not done us any irjjury, but all 

 the country comprised within a radius of twenty leagues around 

 Paris haB been devastated. Our communications are often 

 interrupted ; but doubtless you are better informed concerning 

 the events of the war than we are. We have no news of our 

 friends living in the suburbs of Paris, especially of thoBe who 

 have left their homes. Where they are or what has happened 

 to them we are utterly ignorant of. This anxiety, added to 

 that of the final result of the bloody strife which we are now 

 engaged in, and the cessation of the ravages wrought by the 

 Prussians, sadly distress us.' At the same time we have not 



