June 14,189^. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
475 
Btout stalks, and is quite one of the best in any section. Lady 
Churchill, terracotta ; Jane, pure white, twisted petals ; Mrs. D. B. Crane, 
cerise pink ; Effie, deep crimson, large and early are also good. 
Pompons are freely employed, they cover the lower part of the wall so 
well and flower in such profusion. Prince of Orange, bronze yellow ; Soeur 
Melaine, which opens its pure white blossoms early and in abundance ; 
Black Douglas, an excellent companion to the latter in point of colour, 
dark crimson ; President, maroon coloured flowers on stout footstalks ; 
Mdlle. Elise Dordan, muslin rose, excellent in every respect; Golden 
Circle and St, Michael, yellow, are excellent kinds. Snowdrop and its 
sport, Primrose League, as the names imply, give us useful ^coloured 
flowers in abundance.—E. Molyneux. 
STEPHEN'S GREEN, DUBLIN. 
Stephen’s Gbeen is centrally situated in the southern portion of the 
city of Dublin, bisected by the River LiSey. Formerly as a square 
enjoyed only by the privileged few, it was in 1880 opened to the citizens 
cissi’and the gay Dutch bulbs in assorted colours and varieties brighten 
up the beds in spring, to be afterwards replaced by the 61ite of summer 
bedders. Each season flnds Mr. Kearney to the front with new designs 
for his carpet beds ; in fact, his “ carpets ” cannot be beaten, nor are- 
they shaken by comparison with any similar work on this side of the 
Channel. Very evident also is his taste for hardy plants, though the 
proximity of a forest of chimney pots is not, nor does it appear to be 
favourable to some of the choicer plants in this class, yet the long 
border near his house is eagerly scanned by amateurs, and a great 
advantage is the legibly written labels, that “ he who runs may read 
and learn likewise. A stretch of greensward in one part does not bear the 
legend “ Please keep off the grass,” and here “ Young Ireland,” repre¬ 
sented by many of the waifs and strays of a city, enjoy the pleasures of 
“ the turf,” whilst their elders find accommodation on the numerous 
seats, which are liberally provided. 
The principal [ trees and shrubs [are mostly deciduous, Thorns pre- 
Fig. 77.—view IN STEPHEN’S GREEN, DUBLIN. 
by the munificence of Lord Ardilaun, to whom the public are indebted 
for the transformation converting it into a splendid piece of art 
gardening. The lake (fig. 77) is a prominent feature, gracefully out¬ 
lined and admirably planned, peeps from different points give one the 
idea of a larger extent than really obtains. The waterfall, over which 
the supply comes tumbling, is a fine specimen of rockwork building, 
and might be taken for Nature pure and simple if the buildings in the 
background could be concealed from view. Waterfowl in great variety 
are the usual never-ending source of interest to visitors. Many rare 
species would require an ornithologist to describe them. Mr. Kearney^ 
the Superintendent, says they come from the Arctic to the Antarctic 
regions, a brief but comprehensive description. 
In the centre of the 24 acres comprising the Green is an old eques¬ 
trian statue of His Majesty Georgius Secundus who long presided here, 
ere it was invaded by the landscape gardener’s art. Dating from the 
good old days of 1758, a passing thought lends the idea that horses have, 
too, changed with the times, and that the particular breed, a specimen 
f which the King is caracoling on, is now extinct. The beautiful broiize 
ta’ue of Lord Ardilaun in a qriet nook facing the College of Surgeons, 
erected in 1892, is by its dignity and repose a pleasing objet d'art. 
Good examples of bedding are always noticeable in the Green. Nar- 
dominating. Evergreens have not received that consideration in the 
planting their merits deserve, consequently the winter aspect shows a 
weak point not ebservable during the leafage of summer. The same 
want is felt more or less in other squares and grounds of the city ; 
possibly the situation is not one of choice for planting evergreens in 
variety, though in no place would they by their cheerful tone have a 
happier effect. Hollies attain the rudest health in Dublin surroundings. 
The grounds of Lord Iveagh’s residence in the immediate neighbourhood 
are adorned with many fine examples, amongst which the Hodgins’ 
variety is conspicuous in shapely specimens of this bold dark-hued 
Holly. Thorns have in times long past entered largely in the planting 
of Dublin and its environs ; most of these in the Green, I believe, date 
their birth long prior to its conversion. Charming as they are when in 
flower, the pleasure is of but brief duration. Perchance the prominence 
given to them in “Auld Lang Syne” had some connection with the 
historic weapon—ye Blackthorn. 
But few of the thousands who daily visit this popular resort come in 
a spirit of criticism. Quiet enjoyment and respectful observance of the 
‘'Tables of the Law,” erected at the chief entrances, characerise all 
sorts and conditions of folk who patronise the artistically planned and 
scrupulously well-kept grounds,—E. K., Dublin, 
