July 29, 1880. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
97 
out next winter. I will consider the subject in a future issue.— 
Robert D. Long. 
GERANIUM PRATENSE FLORE-PLENO. 
The ordinary double variety of this old British species is well 
known and is attractive as a border plant, but the continental form 
represented in fig. 20 far surpasses it, and is unquestionably one of 
the most effective border plants in cultivation. The flowers are 
perfectly double, large, and well formed, and are borne in great 
profusion. The plant is more dwarf than the ordinary double 
variety, growing from 18 inches to 2 feet high according to th e 
nature of the soil, and forming a compact bush covered with hun¬ 
dreds of bluish-purple flowers. The spray figured was gathered 
Pig. 20 .—Geranium pratense flore-pleno. 
from a plant in Mr. Laxton’s Experimental Garden, where its 
superiority over the familiar type was very apparent, for both 
were growing together. This is a border plant of the first order 
of merit, and no one seeing a well-grown specimen can fail to 
admire it, and there are few growers of hardy flowers who would 
not desire to possess it. The lower leaves are much larger than, 
those produced on the stems, and one of- them is shown in out¬ 
line behind the spray. The plant continues expanding its flowers 
over a'considerable period, and thus remains a long time in 
beauty. __ 
The Weather and the Potato Crop in Ireland. — I see 
on page 70 of the Journal that the Potato disease has appeared 
in several parts of England. I have much pleasure in stating 
that with us, or in this locality generally, so far there has not 
been a trace of it. I have recently been through much of Munster, 
