408 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ November 2J, 1870. 



have both proved themselves ignorant of the statute of limi- 

 tations. Three years ago I had the First Crop and Bingleader 

 above noticed fully 3i feet high. I know this is above the 

 ordinary height. Peas, like other things, are affected by cir- 

 cumstances, hence it is as well to speak approximately. 



It is generally admitted that this variety of Pea, whichever 

 name it bears, is the earliest Pea known. It is also one of the 

 most productive, and in some localities is all that can be 

 desired as an early Pea. Another early Pea of the first order 

 is Dickson's First and Best. In the particular soil I have to 

 deal with, I find it the most satisfactory of all early Peas I 

 have tried. It is not so early as Bingleader by three or four 

 days, but for good pods and plenty of them, and for robust 

 growth and constitution, it is unsurpassed by any Pea of its 

 season. 



I do not propose to take in review a long list of varieties. It 

 is easy to err in growing a multiplicity of kinds. A useful 

 and reliable variety for general cropping I find in Princess 

 Boyal. It is a good hardy sort and never fails to do its duty. 

 Sown at the same time, or a day or two before the early ones, 

 it comes in well in succession, and so does Champion of Eng- 

 land, which is a few days earlier than Princess Bryal and 

 Veitch's Perfection, two Peas which have few superiors. 



I grew Maclean's Premier last year for the first time. I am 

 satisfied it i3 a Pea of sterling merit. It is very robust and 

 stood the hot weather of last summer better, far better, than 

 any Pea in the garden. It was sown at the same time as the 

 others above mentioned, and proved the most really service- 

 able of any. It is a few days later than Veitch's Perfection. 



Premier and Ne Pins Ultra are capable of doing all that is 

 required of late Peas. For very late pickings, early ones sown 

 in July are the best to be depended on. This year I let a few 

 of the First and Bast ripen on the haulm. I gathered and 

 sowed them on the 13 th of July. They have proved very 

 useful. I gathered the last dish on November 7th. 



The nature of my soil is very light, and the district is visited 

 with a low rainfall ; indeed, on an average, if it has not the 

 lowest rainfall in England, there is only one exception. I 

 have under these circumstances found it no child's play to keep 

 up a regular supply of Peas during the past two seasons. Deep 

 trenching alone would not have done it. Supplementary to 

 deep trenching of the ground, I resorted to sowing in trenches, 

 and leaving the Peas to grow as it were in miniature ditches, 

 which once a-week were filled with water. By these trenches I 

 could effectually irrigate the crop. I mixed a little salt in the 

 ■water, sufficient to give it a distinct saline taste, and was re- 

 warded with a fair supply of Peas, and not a vestige of mildew. 

 After watering I gave the trenches a dusting over with dry soil 

 to arrest evaporation. I had a few rows sown on the level and 

 earthed-up, but found it absolutely impossible to get sufficient 

 water to the roots, and they did little or no good. 



I have reason to speak well of the furrow-system of growing 

 Peas, and not Peas only — Beans, Cauliflowers, and almost 

 all other crops were similarly treated, and the plan passed me 

 through two very trying seasons in a far more comfortable 

 manner than if I had not adopted it. My advice to those 

 similarly circumstanced to myself is, Trench deeply, and sow 

 and leave the rows in hollows, instead of sowing on the level 

 and earthing up. I sow none on the level but the earliest crop. 

 — J. "Weight, Gardener to Hon. -I. L. Melville. 



pairing their nests at this unusual period of the year. The 

 Violets in the hedgerows in this neighbourhood seem also to 

 have been misled and induced to believe that spring had ar- 

 rived, as they are now in full bud, and if the weather should 

 continue open, will be in flower in a fortnight, as they are 

 already showing colour. — E. C, Oakham. 



GRAPES IN DALKEITH GARDENS. 

 On reading the report of Dalkeith Gardens by a correspon- 

 dent in your number of October 27tb, 1 observe that there is no 

 mention made of the "White Lady Downe's Grape. Having 

 paid a visit to these gardens on October 28th, I saw this Grape 

 in great perfection, growing side by side with its parent, the 

 black Lady Downe's. I feel satisfied that when this fine 

 Grape shall have become more generally known, it will be the 

 favourite late white Grape. I can confirm all that your corre- 

 spondent has said relative to Pines, seedling Grapes, &c. I 

 noticed some of the latter showing immense sized bunches and 

 berries. The Golden Champion is there growing strongly ; it is 

 a grand-looking Grape, and is of excellent flavour. I also saw 

 some excellent bunches of the Alicante. I grow the Calabrian 

 Baisin Grape noticed by your correspondent ; it is a good late 

 Grape. — Eobekt Fleming, Gardener to Richard Houghton, Esq., 

 Sandheys, Liverpool. 



Deceived Books and Violets. — Letters have been published 

 lately speaking of rooks in various parts of the country re- 



NOTES MADE DURING A TOUR IN IRELAND. 



No. 3. 

 THE PHCENIX PARE, DUBLIN. 



Magnificent, in truth ! "Wonderfully grand and expansive 

 is Phoenix Park, Dublin ! All Ireland is justly proud of it. 

 Iu comparison with it our great London parks sink into insigni- 

 ficance in all the elements of natural beauty and grandeur ; 

 and, as regards extent, the Phcenix might engulf any two of 

 them, and there would still be room to spare. The Phoenix 

 Park forms the west-end of Dublin, on the north side of the 

 muddy Liffey. It is here all the great officers of the state re- 

 side. Within the park various portions are enclosed — splendid 

 domains indeed, for the residences of the Lord-Lieutenant, the 

 Chief Secretary, the Under Secretary, and the Banger, my 

 friend Mr. Charles McDonald (all of which will be separately 

 noticed), besides many other government establishments ; also 

 the police barracks, where some eight hundred youDg Irish 

 police are trained, and the Hibernian Schools, where maDy 

 hundreds of young Irish boys, the orphan sons oi soldier3, 

 &c, are educated and trained for soldiers again. This is a 

 noble institution. There are churcheL=, and schools, and teachers 

 for the Catholic boys, as well .as for the Protestants. On the 

 Sunday, in company with Mr. McDonald, I attended the church 

 of the latter, and was much pleased with the demeanour of the 

 boys. "What a boon it is for these poor boys to be educated 

 and cared for thus, instead of being allowed to grow up in idle- 

 ness, misery, and crime ! After deducting all these enclosed 

 policies, the extent of Phoenix Park is somewhat more than 

 1700 acres. 



From the Dublin end to the other is a grand avenue, nearly 

 three miles in length, and almost straight. About the centre, 

 where several avenues intersect each other, is an imposing 

 pillar with a figure representing the phoanix — that mythical 

 bird. This was erected by the celebrated Lord Chesterfield, 

 who laid out the principal parts of the park, and did so much 

 generally for Ireland. The avenue is one of Decimus Burton's, 

 and much more modern ; it is nobly and well proportioned, 

 marred greatly, however, in my opinion by the stiff and formal 

 style of the planting of the trees in round groups, placed 

 opposite each otber. Many of the trees, too, are evidently ill- 

 suited for their position, being chiefly American Limes, which, 

 although they have been planted many years, are yet low and 

 stunted. Limes are very much over-rated avenue trees ; ex- 

 cepting in good moist soils and sheltered situations, they should 

 never be planted. How immeasurably inferior to the Planes 

 and Elms ! Just alongside there are large, old, and mag- 

 nificent specimens of the Dutch English Elm, forming part of 

 the old avenue. How grandly they look, and how beautifully 

 they have been planted in blocks of eight, forming an irregular 

 yet continuous line, giving one an idea of immense extent. 

 The planter of these trees was a true artist. The style of the 

 planting of these trees completely puts into the shade the more 

 modern attempt. With the exception of these splendid Elms, 

 the trees of the park are in no way remarkable. Numerous 

 attempts at planting groups and masses of trees here and there 

 have been made, but in general with little success. The situ- 

 ations where trees are wanted are somewhat exposed, and the 

 soil is dry and gravelly, so that it is a work of some difficulty 

 to get the trees established. Several lamentable errors of 

 judgment in the selection of the suitable varieties of trees in 

 recent plantations were apparent ; Ash, Larch, &c, being fre- 

 quently planted on the dry gravelly banks, where such trees 

 are as likely to grow as if they were planted roots uppermost. 

 It would also be far better to plant smaller trees in such ex- 

 posed places. Long spindly subjects planted in such situations 

 never succeed. The natural tree of the park is the Hawthorn. 

 There are thousands upon thousands of them, splendid trees 

 too. In September they were covered with their red berrieB. 

 How exquisitely sweet and charming they must be in their 

 white dress of May and June ; the whole air must be loaded 

 with their perfume. Here, then, is the tree to plant in the ex- 

 posed places ; at all events, as nurses, until they become es- 

 tablished, to others greater and finer. Much, however, may be 



