December 9, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
523 
Amaranthus melaneholicus ruber, a useful red-foliaged plant for bedding 
in warm situations. Ammobium alatum grandiflorum, one of the best of 
the Everlastings, and very useful for bouquets either green or dried. 
Aquilegia coerulea, hybrids, and chrysantha are good selections, but all 
the varieties are quite worthy of cultivation. Aster.—Dwarf German 
Asters were very successful with us this year. They were perfect pyra¬ 
mids, the flowers being wedged together quite tightly, and they were a 
fortnight earlier than other sotts. The dwarf Chrysanthemum-flowered 
Aster is a little later and taller, and the flowers are larger but not so 
numerous. Victoria is a tall variety with very fine flowers, as also is 
Truffaut’s Pneony-flowered ; but on account of the height of the last two 
they are not so well adapted for small beds or near the edges of borders. 
Balsams.— Good strains of these are very useful for the conservatory. 
Begonia.—Some excellent flowers may be had from a packet of seed of 
the Tuberous Begonias, and all would be worth growing, for they make 
good bedding plants if they are planted in a sheltered position, Brachy- 
come iberidifolia is one of the prettiest little annuals grown either for 
beds or borders, and flowers until frost comes. Calendula Meteor, a 
prettily marked Marigold, and quite worthy of a place in the mixed 
border, being useful for cutting. Candytufts are very pretty in masses, 
but they are soon over. Cannas are useful for sub-tropical bedding ; the 
seed should be soaked eighteen or twenty hours before sowing. Canter¬ 
bury Bells should not be despised for borders; the rose-coloured one is 
very pretty. Celosia pyramidalis plumosa makes a good pot plant both 
for room decoration and conservatory. It requires careful watering after 
it has finished growing. Chrysanthemum tricolor and segetum grandi- 
flora make showy clumps or back rows in borders. Clarkias are pretty 
individually, but are not very showy at a distance. Collinsias are pretty 
and showy, but do not last long enough. Coreopsis coronata is attrac¬ 
tive ; it makes good clumps or rows for the border, and I have seen very 
pretty beds of them, and they continue flowering until frost comes. 
Dianthus Heddewigi is beautifully rich in the markings of the flowers ; 
they are very suitable for planting in small beds or front of borders nea. 
walks, as their colours are too quiet to be seen at a distance. Delphi¬ 
niums make very striking clumps for the back of borders or in the shrubr 
bery. Digitalises are very good companions for the last-named in shrub¬ 
beries, and also naturalising under trees where they are not too dense- 
Eschscholtzias are very showy in clumps near the front of borders. 
Gaillardias.—These are hardy perennials. They are best sown in August 
and planted in rutumn, where they are to remain. Globe Amaranth is 
a useful pot plant for conservatory and room decoration, but like the 
Celosia it must be carefully watered or it will damp off in a cool house. 
I have some now that have been in bloom over three months. Godetias 
make very showy clumps in a mixed border, and they continue flowering 
until frost kills them. Helichrvsums are the most useful of the Ever¬ 
lastings for winter decoration. They should be grown on a piece of ground 
where they can be easily reached, as they should be visited every alter¬ 
nate day to cut them before they are open, as they are not so useful when 
they show the centre. Honesty is very pretty for winter decoration, 
apart from its usefulness for spring flowering ; a few should be grown in 
all gardens. Senecio Jacobaea is useful for clumps where variety is wanted, 
but I do not care for it as much as some others. Larkspur The Emperor 
is a beautiful strain, but all are very pretty ; if they would but live the 
summer through they would be invaluable. Limnanthes Douglasi.—This 
and the Nemophilas are very pretty for spring bedding ; but they are 
generally in their best just as we want to put the summer bedding out. 
Linum grandiflorum rubrum is a very showy plant for sunny borders. 
Love-lies-Bleeding.— A few odd plants dotted about between shrubs or 
raised borders are very attractive ; but the ground should be rich, as they 
do not grow sufficiently on poor soil. Lupines are very rrnamental for 
clumps in borders, but they are soon over and leave gaps at an awkward 
time for filling. 
Marigold.—Good strains of the double dwarf French variety are quite 
worthy of a bed in the flower garden, they are also useful for rows or 
clumps. The tall French single striped is very pretty when the flowers 
are well marked. I have been trying for some time to get them without 
seifs, but cannot do so. Mignonette.—Machet and Miles’ Spiral are good 
varieties either for indoors or for beds. Tropseolum.—The King of Tom 
Thumb section make very showy beds on poor ground ; if the soil is rich 
the leaves hide the flowers. Sweet Peas.—A mixture of these affords a 
number of flowers very useful for cutting, and should be grown in every 
garden. Perilla atropurpurea lacinatus are useful for summer bedding. 
Petunias are good bedders; they should have a warm situation, and the 
soil should not be too rich. Phlox Drummondi.—Some of these are very 
beautiful, but they do not do well here, they are apt to die in the middle 
of summer, leaving very bad gaps. Pyrethrum.—Selaginoides is the best 
variety with me. Stocks.—East Lothian is the best variety for generrl 
purposes, and The Queen is beautiful for spring and early summer. 
Tagetes signata pumila.—Very useful for bedding, but not equal to the 
Calceolaria. Zinnias should find a place in every garden.—J. L. B, 
DONERAILE, MALLOW. 
One of the many places of interest which the lover of horticulture 
will find worthy of a visit, if pleasure or business should take him to the 
south of Ireland, is Doneraile, the picturesque seat of Viscount Doneraile, 
situate about six miles to the north of Mallow Junction, on the Great 
Southern and Western Railway. After an invigorating cross-country 
drive upon a jaunting car, the visitor will have no difficulty in gaining 
admission to the demesne, as, owing to the courtesy of its noble owner 
the park is open from daylight till dark. Entering by the main entrance 
we first notice some noble specimens of Beech and Oak, with some of the 
finest Ash trees in the country, and the oldest Larches in Ireland. A fine 
stream, which abounds with trout, winds its way through the eu ire 
length of the park, its banks being beautifully planted with Pampas 
Grass, Rhododendrons, &c. The carriage drive crosses this stream by a 
substantial stone bridge, and divides to the right and left. Taking the 
road leading to the mansion, we seek the gardens, which are enclosed 
with a high wall, and we obtain the guidance of the intelligent gardener, 
Mr. Swanborough, who first shows us into the principal flower garden, 
which, at the middle of August, presented a scene not easily forgotten. 
Over 1100 Tuberous Begonias are used in this garden. Passing along tie 
centre walk, we have on each side four long beds, each 60 feet long by 
8 feet wide, filled with these lovely flowers. The style of planting is 
one well worthy of more than passing comment. Each plant is 3 f^et 
apart, with 1§ foot between the rows, thus causing the plants 
to form squares, which are carpeted underneath with Mesem- 
bryanthemum, Lobelias, Sedums, &c. There are several other beds 
filled with these plants, the favourite varieties being Madame O. 
Lamarck, Paul Masurel, General Roberts, Vesuvius, Souvenir de 
William Saunders, Massange de Louvrex, and Louis Van Houtte, 
While a very large collection of all the most approved varieties are grown, 
some very good seedlings are also in the collection, and not a few are 
likely to prove worthy of preservation. Zonal Pelargoniums are also 
employed, but we were informed that it is intended to discontinue their 
use, as they propagate the Begonias to take their place, only using the 
ornamental-foliage Pelargoniums. Of late the seasons have been so wet 
that Zonal Pelargoniums are almost useless in this part of the country. 
Passing through an archway we enter into another flower garden, which 
contains a rock garden, where a good collection of alpines is grown, 
Cactus Dahlias, beds of Stocks, Asters, Zinnias, and Scabiouses were all 
good, as well as lovely beds of Heliotropes, which filled the air with a 
delightful perfume. Some pretty carpet beds were also seen in this 
garden. The American garden contains some magnificent Rhododendrons 
and Azaleas, with Gladioli planted among them ; one bed was very 
attractive, Lilium auratum towering up from among the foliage of the 
Rhododendrons. There are some splendid specimens of Conifers here, 
and'Clematises climbing up the Apple trees were peculiarly attractive. 
Chrysanthemums are well grown, over 300 plants being included. About 
fifty are grown on the single-stem system, and about three flowers are 
allowed to expand upon a plant; the others are beautiful dwarf plants. 
Japanese are the favourites, and Mr. Swanborough is a staunch advocate 
of disbudding. Pompons are not much grown, some two dozen only, 
and these being all trained to a ring fastened about a feot above the pot. 
Of the houses, the first is a Peach house with a very long roof ; the 
fruit is all gathered here, and the trees, which are very old, looked 
remarkably clean and healthy ; they are planted in the front, and trained 
up close under the glass. On the back wall are planted some more trees, 
and Tomatoes are stood between them, these being planted in deep, narro w 
boxes, and bearing a grand crop of fruit. The front trees are not allowed 
to grow up high enough to shade those upon the back wall. The next 
house is a vinery (Black Hamburgh and Foster’s Seedling), which appear 
to be worn out, and we believe it is intended to do away with the Vines in 
this house, and convert it into a bouse for the production of cut flowere. 
Adjoining this is the late vinery, in which are some healthy young Vines 
planted in the spring of 1885. In another range of two Peach houses 
there has been a rather thin crop, owing to the bad weather at the time 
the trees were in bloom. In the frame ground we find a number of useful 
pits and frames, containing Primulas, Cinerarias, Bonvardias, Cyclamens, 
&c., all showing the care that is bestowed upon them, a useful little green¬ 
house being chiefly occupied with well-flowered Zonal Pelargoniums. The 
main range o f houses is heated with one of Cowan’s Limekiln Apparatuses 
The first division is a large lean-to greenhouse filled with miscellaneous 
plants, a fine Luculia gratissima occupying a large portion of the back 
wall, while on the front, trained up close under the glass, is a specimen of 
Bougainvillea glabra, such as is seen in few places. This plant is ad¬ 
mired by everyone that sees it. The exotic fernery contains some noble 
plants, and growing over a large tank is a handsome plant of Monstera 
deliciosa carrying several of its curious fruit. The back wall is covered 
with Ficus repent, Begonias of the Rex type, Adiantum cuneatum, and 
Selaginellas, all seeming quite at home, the wall presenting a verdant 
mass of tropical plants. On the front stage is arranged a fairly good col¬ 
lection of Orchids, among which are to be found most of the pouplar 
favourites. From the early vinery a fine crop of Grapes was cut this 
season, and in this house may be found a Vine called “ Isabella,” the 
berries of which emit a peculiarly strong odour, and when tasted the 
flavour somewhat reminds one of a Hautbois Strawberry. In the Palm 
house are two fine Bananas, the one maturing a large truss of fruit, the 
other an exceedingly strong sucker from a plant, the fruit of which was 
cut last April. Here is grown a useful collection of Palms and 
Hedychiums, two fine plants in 18-inch pots of H. coronarium being very 
noticeable. The plant stove contains most of the plants generally seen in 
these houses. On the roof is a fine plant of Stephanotis floribunda, 
which has borne an abundance of flowers. There are also good plants of 
Eucharis amazonica throwing up a large number of strong spikes. Next 
to this is the Pine stove, in which are a good number of strong plants with 
some very fine fruit upon them. There is a number of succession Pines 
coming on. Melons are well grown, fruits averaging 4 to 5 lbs. each 
having been obtained. 
Passing along the terrace walk, where we see some magnificent E ver- 
green Oaks, we reach the conservatory, which adjoins the mansion. This 
