Way 2 *. 1889. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
417 
are covered with peat and planted with Ficus repens, Ferns and Begonias 
in variety, the whole forming a most pleasing picture. The next house 
is a Melon house. At the time of my visit it was used for propagating 
purposes, ripe Melons not being required there until August, that being 
the time Viscount and Viscountess Gough usually return to this their 
palatial residence in the west. The remaining house in this range is a 
fernery containing a collection of such varieties as are usually to be 
found in a well kept garden. I may add all the houses in this range 
are span-roofed. A small greenhouse containing Azaleas, Camellias, 
Libonias, Callas, Cyclamen, and other well grown greenhouse plants 
was then noticed. 
The next range consists of the fruit houses, and magnificent struc¬ 
tures they are for the purpose, with plenty of room for the workmen to 
do the necessary tyiDg and thinning. The first house in this range is 
devoted to Nectarines. The varieties are Downton, Elruge, Albert Victor, 
Lord Napier, and Pitmaston Orange, one tree of each. Two are trained 
up the front trellis, which comes as far back as the path ; the remaining 
trees are trained on the back wall. All the trees both back and front 
have a clear stem of from 3 to 4 feet. I should have previously stated 
that all the houses in this range are three-quarter span-roof. The 
Nectarine house is 45 feet in length and 15 feet wide ; it is not heated. 
At the time of my visit the trees were going out of flower, and there 
appeared then every prospect of a magnificent set of fruit. They are 
in perfect health and well trained, the growth being of just the stamp 
every gardener likes to secure to be certain of a crop. 
The next house is a vinery 36 feet long and 18 feet wide, filled with 
Madresfield Court, Lady Downe’s, Muscat of Alexandria, Buckland Sweet¬ 
water, Mrs. Pince, and Black Hamburgh. The Vines are broken regu¬ 
larly and well with the exception of Muscat of Alexandria, which are 
rather weak, but doubtless they will strengthen with the lengthening 
days. The bunches were then showing on the Black Hamburgh. Bach 
Vine in this, as well as in the vinery yet to be noticed, is furnished with 
three rods. Mr. Dunne informed me that the bunches were quite as 
large oh the three rods as when only one was carried up to each Vine, 
and judging from some bunches of Lady Downe’s then in bottles they 
would weigh about 2 lbs. each. Each rod is allowed to carry about 
eighteen bunches, the house must therefore form a fine sight when the 
fruit is ripe. , 
The second vinery is a counterpart of the first as regards length, 
breadth, and method of training ; the varieties are Black Hamburgh, 
Alicante, Black Prince, Gros Colman, Lady Downe’s, Mrs. Pince, and 
Trebbiano. This being the late house it had not been long started, and 
growth had not then commenced. The back walls of both vineries are 
covered with massive old plants of Zonal Pelargoniums planted in 
holes made in the path fifteen or sixteen years ago. The roots are gone 
no one knows where; the plants are, however, alike serviceable for 
supplying cuttings and flowers in abundance. 
The remaining house in this range is a Peach house, 65 feet long by 
15 feet wide. It contains one tree each of Late Admirable, Salwey, and 
Teton de Venus (the last mentioned is a stranger to me), two Barringtons, 
and three of Royal George. The trees are trained on the same principle 
a9 the Nectarines, and like them are in an excellent way for bearing a 
grand crop of fruit. This house also being unheated, the trees are in a 
similar stage of growth. The stages in the vineries are filled with 
Pelargoniums and other small bedding plants, while on the floor of the 
Peach and Nectarine house are stood succulents and various plants used 
for subtropical bedding. The entire range is fitted with both an 
inside and outside border. Each house contains an immense tank for 
taking all the rain water from the roof of the houses. 
On the wall outside the Peach door I noticed a very fine plant of 
Clianthus puniceus, which thrives admirably without any protection 
other than that derived from the wall. Roses, Strawberries, and bush 
fruits occupy the remaining portion of this garden, with herbaceous 
plants in the borders. 
There is another much larger kitchen garden, but the month of 
March is not a good time to make notes on this department. I will pass 
on, merely remarking that it was beautifully clean, and the walls 
covered with a good collection of well-trained fruit trees, the majority 
of them having been grafted by Mr. Dunne. As we were leaving this 
garden I noticed on the wall against the garden door a magnificent 
specimen of Garrya eliptica, the best I have yet seen. Leaving here by 
a circuitous route we reach what is now the American garden, but 
which twenty years ago was a veritable swamp. On one side is the 
large lake, of which more anon. When Mr. Dunne took this piece of 
ground in hand, owing to its low level he found it necessary to raise 
the beds above the water level. As near as I can recollect they are 
about 18 inches above the ground level, but by turfing up the sides of 
the beds the effect is excellent. Owing to the subsidence of the soil the 
plants were all lifted a few years ago, and the beds refilled and 
replanted. Rhododendrons, Skimmias, Pernettyas, Heaths,and Veronicas 
are all planted in separate beds, while choice plants are in beds 
together. Most of the beds, I was informed, contained Lilium auratum 
and Gladioli. The shade from the larger occupants suits them admirably, 
and forms an excellent groundwork. At the extreme end of this 
garden is the rosery. The beds here are on the same principle as those 
previously mentioned. Not much was to be seen of the Roses but the 
recently pruned bushes. The whole of the soil in the beds had to be 
brought in ; no light undertaking it was either. A beautiful view is 
obtained here of the Castle, which is built of limestone dug in the 
locality, whi'e flowing up to within a few feet of its walls is the lake. 
This I consider one of the principal features of Lough Cutra. An area 
of 1300 acres of land is under water. It is three miles in length and a 
mile and a half in width at its widest points. Several large islands are 
dotted about on it ; the largest is seven Irish acres in extent. These 
islands are all well wooded, and as viewed from the steps leading from 
the rosery it forms one of the prettiest pictures imaginable. A fact 
relating to the overflow of the lake may inierest your readers, as it did 
me. After leaving the lake the water runs, forming a narrow river, for 
a short distance, until an enormous fissure in the rocks, locally called 
“ The l.adle,” is reached, through which it flows at an enormous rate 
for perhaps 50 yards through the rocks, emerging again into the Punch 
Bowl, an enormous depth. Looked at from above the water appears 
quite stationary, similar to a well on a gigantic scale. At the opposite 
side it enters the rocks again, and, with the exception of a bird’s-eye 
view a quarter of a mile distant from the Punch Bowl, is not seen again 
until it breaks up some seven or eight miles distant from the point where 
it enters the rocks. To retrace our steps. Mr. Dunne said we must see 
the garden on the island. Stepping into a boat we were soon rowed 
across to what appeared an island of lichen-covered trees, but which 
on landing proved as beautiful a garden as one could anywhere behold. 
It is about an acre in extent, and I think nearly every hardy shrub in 
commerce is represented. They are planted as isolated specimens in the 
grass, in beds and borders of every conceivable shape and form. Pictur¬ 
esque rockeries formed with quaint stones raised from the lake abound 
on either side, while at one end is a very pretty summer house built of 
similar material, and covered with creepers ; the interior is covered with 
cork from floor to ceiling. One would need to spend a day on this island 
to become acquainted with everything ; our time being limited we are 
compelled reluctantly to leave it. I may be allowed to state that all 
the planting, making of the border, rockeries, and summerhouse, was all 
carried out under Mr. Dunne’s superintendence, well backed by the 
generosity of his noble employer, to each of which great credit is due 
for turning a wilderness into such a beautiful garden ; in fact, the 
remodelling of the houses, grounds, and gardens has been carried out 
under Mr. Dunne’s supervision during his period of twenty years’ 
service. It will be admitted he is the right man in the right place. I 
must candidly confess that I have not seen a garden I so much admired, 
judged from every standpoint, in all Ireland as this one. 
Recrossing the lake we land near the flower garden, which is now 
empty of plants, as, owing to the absence of the family at this season, 
spring gardening is not attempted, the whole forces being concentrated 
on making a brilliant display in Pelargoniums, Calceolarias, Begonias, &c. 
The garden is a geometrical one ; the only one I have seen like it was at 
Marlfield, Co. Tipperary, when that place was in the heyday of its 
glory, and furnished the pattern of Lough Cutra. Between the flower 
garden and the Castle is a wide expanse of grass, in which are large 
beds, where subtropical bedding is carried out. As we are to return 
by rail from Gort we are obliged reluctantly to leave ofi exploring 
the garden and mount the car kindly supplied us, and make a 
hurried drive to that station, commencing our return journey, which 
was not completed until midnight. In conclusion, permit me to tender 
our heartiest thanks to Mr. Dunne and his genial helpmate for their 
unbounded courtesy and hospitality, particularly to me a comparative 
stranger, and to the chief of the Waterford and Limerick Railway for 
the facilities on the return journey, and which would have been as 
fully granted for the outward trip had circumstances allowed of their 
acceptance.— Handy Andy. 
PENTSTEMON GENTIANOIDE 3. 
Among autumn-flowering plants of a hardy or semi-hardy 
nature and dwarf in habit, the many hybrids which have originated 
from the above-named plant have but few rivals. Their general 
habit of growth and freedom of flowering singularly adapt them 
for purposes of bedding, but in such arrangements they are by 
no means commonly seen ; indeed it is the exception and not 
the rule to meet with them at all. Their cultural requirements 
are among the simplest, and when planted out in the beds or borders 
they need no more care than the usual summer bedding plants. 
One point, however, I claim for these flowers which is still wanting 
in the majority of gardens, and that is their very distinct colours 
and handsome spikes of flowers at a time when the Zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums have all been beheaded for next year’s stock, and the 
majority of bedding plants are on the wane ; the full value of these 
hybrid Pentstemons then becomes more apparent, and in favoured 
localities where they pass the winter in the open ground with 
impunity they make a most effective display, and of course flower 
much earlier than in cases where annual planting is an absolute 
necessity. Many flower lovers in the north grow these extensively, 
and think highly of them, and doubtless they would be equally 
esteemed southwards were they better known. 
Where mixed bedding arrangements are undertaken Pentstemons 
should always be to the fore. They would also appear to good 
effect as a margin to a bed of Chrysanthemum Madame C. 
Desgrange or G. Wermig, and equally so to Aster Amellus 
bessarabicus, all of which flower at the same time, while they 
make a very pleasing bed by themselves. Last year I planted a 
collection of these at the end of May, and having secured sufficient 
