742 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 21, 1888. 
GardeningNotes from Ireland. 
Roebuck Castle, Co. Dublin. 
As many of your readers are, I have no doubt, aware, 
Roebuck Castle is the residence of E. P. Westby, Esq., 
and probably they know, too, that its fame as a garden¬ 
ing establishment is chiefly due to the vigilance, know¬ 
ledge and zeal of the gardener, Mr. Patrick Brachen. 
No matter where you look in this establisment, or 
•what horticultural department you inspect, Mr. 
Brachen can justly point to many practical illustrations 
of his high cultural attainments, and explains at the 
same time why his success, while he continued to 
exhibit plants, fruits and vegetables, was of so marked 
a character. But although he no longer competes for 
horticultural honours, everything in his charge still 
continues to show the exercise of as much thought and 
ability in their treatment, as if the ordeal of competition 
were intended. Hence I found an all-round abundance 
of good things : good Grapes, good Peaches, and good 
plants. The great point of attraction, however, is, I 
think, the really splendid 
Tropical Fernery 
"Which is to be seen here. The profusion and tropical 
growth of Ferns is marvellous, and once seen will 
hardly be forgotten. Here we have Alsophila australis, 
12 ft. to 16 ft. high, with a wealth of fronds running up 
and bending over, as if the plants were enjoying all the 
natural resources of their native soil and temperature. 
Another remarkable tree Fern isCyathea dealbata, with 
a stem 8 ft. to 10 ft. high, its beautiful silver-backed 
fronds showing oft’ to great advantage. Of equal pro¬ 
portions is a plant of Cyathea Smithii, and also some 
fine plants of Dicksonia squanosa, D. antarctica, and 
D. regalis; the latter one is known here still as 
Cibotium regale, although I believe it has been placed 
in the genus Dicksonia. I have found it in other 
places retaining the old name, notwithstanding the 
arrangement of the botanists. 
Lomaria ciliata. 
I have never seen such a fine specimen of this Fern 
before, either in height or health. It stands fully 4 ft. 
high, and is altogether a grand example of high 
cultural skill ; yet this excellence in Lomaria ciliata 
is, if possible, surpassed by some beautiful plants of 
Todea. T. superba is growing here most luxuriantly, 
receiving apparently the same treatment as other Ferns 
in this department, and yet one specimen is 5 ft. 
through. It is usual to grow this plant under a bell- 
glass, but nothing of the kind is used here, nor would 
it be needful, as, in regard to shade, it is well protected 
by numerous large-growing Ferns in its vicinity. I 
also saw good plants of Todea pellucida and T. africana. 
As a shade plant in this class of fernery, nothing, I 
think, is more effective than 
Ficus repens, 
And for that purpose it is grown here abundantly. 
Trailing up the face of huge rockery work, up pillars, 
festooned across underneath the roof in every con¬ 
ceivable form, and producing j ust now what I believe 
is not usual with the plant in this country, immense 
quantities of fruit, its effect is really fine. The 
various irregularities of its growth, with its beautiful 
dark green foliage, in contrast with the light feathery 
fronds of tall-growing Ferns, are all good points in-the 
Ficus repens for such positions, and can hardly be 
excelled by any other plant. It would require more 
extensive details than I can enter into, and greater 
descriptive powers than I possess to convey to the 
minds of your readers an adequate description of these 
ferneries ; indeed, I fear it would be a useless task to 
attempt, as I think no description would succeed in 
conveying a just idea of their extent and grandeur. 
The grandeur and beauty must be felt to understand 
it, and this, a description could hardly hope to 
accomplish. 
Laing’s Strain of Seedling Begonias. 
As fine, if not the finest, batch of seedling Begonias I 
have yet seen, and it appears I saw them rather on the 
decline, was here in one of the houses. These plants 
have been grown from seed supplied by the famous 
raisers of Begonias at Forest Hill, and give evidence of 
the first-class stock from which the seeds were saved. 
Robust and luxuriant in stems and foliage, it was no 
surprise to see the great size attained by the flowers 
developed on such extra-fine grown plants. Some idea 
of the general size of these may be formed when I 
mention that 4 ins. across was a usual breadth for 
many of the flowers, and that in some few instances 
nearly 5 ins. across was reached. Among the lot there 
were also some fine doubles, and the whole collection 
gives a good guarantee of what Begonia growers may 
expect from seeds supplied by this eminent firm. 
Perhaps I ought to mention that the colours were most 
diversified, and consisted of white, cream, yellow of 
different shades, pink and crimson, both light and 
dark. 
The Pleasure Grounds. 
The bedding here is reserved chiefly for spring work, 
the arrangements not requiring any summer bedding, 
but from what was remaining it was to be easily seen 
that, when at its best, the design and floral effect must 
have been very good. In these pleasure grounds are 
grown fine groups and lines of hybrid Rhododendrons, 
all well furnished with a good healthy growth, and 
which must have been a rare sight when in flower. 
The Out-door Fruit Department. 
I have already alluded to the splendid crops of Grapes 
and Peaches to be fouud in the houses devoted to their 
culture ; and the hardy fruit department, including 
walls and open spaces, may be dismissed with the 
observation that it will be fully burdened with a 
heavy crop. 
American "Wonder Pea has established itself well in 
the estimation of growers, and I find it receiving much 
attention from them. It is sometimes recommended 
as an early Pea, but many growers consider it best as a 
second early sort. On a late occasion I saw it growing, 
and the crop was enormous, for although only about 
3 ft. high, the stems from the ground up were a mass 
of pods. A mistake is sometimes made in treating this 
Pea as a dwarf, and therefore failing to provide stakes 
for their support; but it will be found that more 
satisfaction is gained by using materials for keeping 
them off the ground. It is of good flavour, and ought 
to make a first-class market Pea. 
A Band Promenade for the Glasnevin Botanic 
Gardens. 
After much struggling and striving on the part of a 
few individuals, the band promenades in these splendid 
gardens have been commenced for this season, the first 
performance having been given on the 12th inst. It 
was thought at one time, as the promenades were 
so popular, and the attendance so good, that enough 
voluntary subscriptions would be raised from the public 
to pay the expenses of the bands, but the public failed 
to pay for their music, and the few responsible 
individuals were left in the lurch. I suppose it is 
hoped a different state of things may result this year, 
but I fear very much it will prove to be a repetition 
of last year. It is said the matter might be a little 
more successful if some of the committee who control 
the gardens, showed themselves a little less averse to 
these musical promenades, and trusted more to popular 
discretion in their conduct. It is said also that when 
funds are available for the purpose, a new house will 
be devoted to the growth of succulent plants alone. 
This would be a step wisely taken, as the present 
arrangement is anything but satisfactory, and as to 
such succulents as are used for bedding purposes, the 
gardens appear to be very deficient, the people’s parks 
being a long way ahead in this respect.— W. D. 
-- 
THE GROVE, TEDDINGTON. 
Amongst many other beautiful residences nestling 
amongst the trees on the Middlesex side of the Thames 
is that of W. Howard, Esq., The Grove, Teddington. 
The large old trees give the place an air of antiquity, 
and although comparatively close to the river, it enjoys 
quiet seclusion, whether looked at from the Thames or 
from the public highway passing quite close to it. On 
the occasion of our visit we were welcomed by Mr. 
G. A. Bishop, the gardener, who escorted us through 
the houses and beautiful grounds. Having recently 
taken charge of the place, he has already wrought many 
improvements upon it; but much remains to be accom¬ 
plished until he gets everything under his control and 
in thorough working order. Being the day after the 
Teddington flower show, which was held in the grounds 
at The Grove by the kind permission of the proprietor, 
the plants exhibited by Mr. Bishop himself had not 
been reinstated in their accustomed places, so that 
opportunity was being taken to overhaul the stages and 
make a fresh arrangement of them. Although 
there had been no time to prepare them specially for 
the show, yet Mr. Bishop had been very successful. 
Last year, upon taking charge of the place, he found 
the Vines in very ill condition, and the Grapes very 
badly shanked, so that he resolved to root them all up 
and make fresh borders. Two houses were served in 
this way, and a few only of the old Vines retained, 
including Foster’s Seedling, Madresfield Court, and 
Black Hamburgh. These are now bearing heavy crops 
of fruit, and at present there is no appearance of 
shanking or of cracking. All are ripe, and some prizes 
have been obtained with fine, well-shaped bunches of 
Foster’s Seedling, having large clean-skinned berries. 
The Vines do not seem to have suffered by the renewal 
of the borders. Young canes raised from eyes in spring 
have been planted, and in order to secure a crop canes 
have been planted in boxes and trained up the roof. 
They are now well furnished with bunches. Tomatos, 
including Acme and Trophy, occupy the stages. 
In the plant houses we noticed some well-flowered 
specimens of Jacobinia magnifies, both foliage and 
flowers of which were dark in colour. Flat-trained 
specimens of Coleus were also well coloured. A beau¬ 
tiful and useful Caladium is Prince Albert Edward, 
the leaves of which are closely blotched and mottled 
with white on a green ground, while the mid-rib and 
principal nerves are of a deep red or crimson. Another 
fine old-fashioned ornamental-foliaged plant, namely, 
Calathea zebrina, was grown to large size. Amongs£ 
Ferns was a fine specimen of Cyathea australis and 
some Lomarias ; and although the collection of Orchids 
at present is but small, Mr. Howard takes a lively 
interest in them, and intends increasing the stock. 
The kitchen garden is well stocked with fruit trees 
and vegetables, the latter of which will be plentiful 
this season, owing to the abundance of rain and the 
rich alluvial soil of the Thames valley, so noted for 
producing fine crops. About 150 yards of garden wall 
are occupied with Plum trees, while 300 yards are 
occupied with Peaches, bearing a tolerably fair crop, 
but, as at most other places, it is not so good as last 
year. 
The flower garden occupies a terrace of some 150 yards 
in length, and variously planted with shrubs, groups 
of Conifers and summer-bedding plants. The employ¬ 
ment of a large number of blue Violas has a telling 
effect, especially when planted in long lines where the 
eye can follow them alongside of a grass walk. Besides 
some of the larger and better-known kinds, there was 
a pretty variety of Viola cornuta named Mauve Queen, 
and which, although an improvement on the type, is 
considerably smaller than those which rank with the 
Pansy in size. Amongst Pelargoniums, Crystal Palace 
Gem was notable for the fine colour which the foliage 
had assumed, notwithstanding the small amount of 
sunshine which we have had. Some carpet bedding 
was also in very good form considering the short time 
Mr. Bishop has had to get up a stock of plants for the 
purpose. The figures consisted of Alternantheras on a 
groundwork of Mesembryanthemum cordifolium va- 
riegatum, with dividing lines of Kleinia repens. 
"We were very much interested in the collection of trees 
and shrubs that have been planted profusely about the 
grass lawns, which are all in excellent order, and to 
which the public had free access on the day of the show. 
Groups of Cupressus Lawsoniana ranging from 20 ft. to 
25 ft. high, and pyramidal in outline, were the picture 
of health, as were specimens of Thuya orientalis, 
Araucaria imbricata, Thuya gigantea, and species of 
Pinus. Abutting on the flower garden are huge 
specimens of Elms, Limes, Horse Chestnut, and others, 
ranging from 50 ft. to SO ft. or more in height. 
Amongst the choice subjects is a specimen of the 
Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba), about 60 ft. in 
height and in rude health. The Honey Locust 
(Gleditschia triacanthos), with its plumy foliage, is 
about 50 ft. high, but is, perhaps, not so uncommon 
as a specimen of Magnolia Umbrella, about 50 ft. high, 
with its huge leaves and white fragrant flowers. A 
specimen of the Judas Tree (Cercis siliquastrum), 
standing on the grass and unprotected in any way, 
stands about 35 ft. high, and consists of three leading 
limbs, that have forked almost at the ground line. 
Two of these have each a diameter of 6 ins. or 8 ins. 
Fruit is being freely produced, while that of last year 
still hangs in great abundance upon the trees, so that 
the effect must be very fine in spring while in flower, 
and again in autumn, when the fruit has assumed a 
bright red colour. The Cucumber Tree (Magnolia 
acuminata), although not so striking as M. Umbrella, 
is nevertheless a most handsome subject, of some 40 ft. 
in height, with a pyramidal outline. M. obovata 
discolor, better known as M. purpurea, maintains its 
character as a large bush, bearing flowers that are 
purple externally and white internally. Very con¬ 
spicuous is a huge spreading specimen of the common 
Box (Buxus sempervirens), which forms a clump some 
12 or 14 yards in diameter. It all proceeds from one 
original tree ; hut the main limbs coming in contact 
with the ground, have taken root there, forming a 
