146 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 3, 1888. 
Gardening Notes from Ireland. 
Farm Gardening. 
Ik }’our issue of the 13th ult. there appears some 
extracts from a letter of Mr. W. H. Hall, J. P., of Six 
Mile Bottom, Cambridgeshire, on “Farm Gardening 
in Ireland.” I really thought this subject was dead 
and buried long since, but it appears there are still 
people amongst us who have time and leisure enough 
to “keep hammering away,” under the impression 
that they alone will be able to resuscitate the laid 
ghost. Admitting all Mr. Hall’s contentions as to 
climatic conditions, and the capability of the soil in 
Ireland to produce the numerous fruits and vegetables 
he enumerates, all his arguments come to nothing when 
the question of profit has to be considered. Under 
present conditions there are no profits for Irish growers 
of fruit and vegetables in their own or in English and 
Scotch markets. Even if the skill and enterprise 
which he says the Irish farmer does not possess, were 
present, I should like to know how he is likely to 
succeed when pitted against those who have the “ skill 
and enterprise,” and a market almost at their own 
doors 1 Is not the skilled and unskilled foreigner 
beating the “skilled and enterprising” English farmers 
in their own markets ? and in the face of this, Irish 
farmers are invited to start orchards all over the 
country ! Well, I need not quote the old adage of 
“ once burned, &e.,” but Irish farmers have, good cause 
to remember the fate of the orchards that at one time 
dotted the face of the whole country, but which, in the 
rage for the consolidation of farms, were ruthlessly 
swept out of the possession of the tenants, and became 
the happy scratching grounds of bovines. I should 
like to know what grounds Mr. Hall has for saying 
that there need not now be any fear that confiscation 
of his improvements will follow the “skill and enter¬ 
prise ” of the Irish farmer. Why, every day he goes 
into the land courts his improvements are being con¬ 
fiscated, and his future rent is actually based on the 
improvements effected by himself and his ancestors. 
But in this respect how can the Irish tenant expect 
to be better off than his English brothers ? Mr. Hall 
would do well to see that there is no confiscation of 
tenants’ improvements in England before he busies 
himself about Ireland. 
Chrysanthemums. 
While we have heard a great deal about the destruc¬ 
tion dealt out in many places to pot Chrysanthemums 
by the couple of frosty nights we had at the beginning 
of October, it comes upon one rather as a surprise to 
meet with beds of them showing a most extraordinary 
profusion of flowers. Let your readers just imagine a 
circular bed, 7 yards through, and with the whole 
space covered with bloom, and they may have some 
idea of the effect such a mass of flowers will produce 
at this season of the year. This splendid bed is to be 
seen at present in the People’s Gardens, Phcenix Park. 
It is not the only one, however, as there is another 
equally good, but not so large. The beds contain 
three varieties, the middle being filled with one having 
its flowers made up of a white centre and blush-tipped 
edges ; round this centre there is a broad belt of Jardin 
des Plantes, and the edge of the bed is composed of a 
very broad band of Madame Desgrange. Besides these 
beds there are numerous groups of Madame Desgrange 
planted in the borders, all in splendid bloom, showing 
neither in flowers nor foliage the least trace of injury 
from frost. This is also the case in the St. Stephen’s 
Green Park, where I found four varieties looking 
remarkably attractive. These were Madame Desgrange, 
La Yierge, a very beautiful white ; George Wermig, a 
good yellow, and a variety of a brick-red colour. A 
bed centred with single Dahlias, still in moderate 
bloom, and having a broad belt of white Chrysan¬ 
themum La Yierge, looked very well. 
Other Plants Still in Flower. 
It is remarkable how lightly the frost touched some 
plants in both the above-named places, as I found the 
borders still looking gay with clumps of Sweet Pea, 
CEnothera, Clarkia, Eschscholtzia, pink and scarlet 
Phlox, Golden Rod, Mignonette, several varieties of 
Aster, or Michaelmas Daisy, &c. On a piece of rock- 
work in Phcenix Park Nicotiana affinis was fresh¬ 
looking and flowering, also yellow Calceolaria, Alyssum, 
Aubrietia, Yeronica, Valeriana, &c. In two large beds 
numerous Gladioli were showing more or less bloom, 
as was also Anemone japonica alba. There are 
numerous well-grown specimens of green and variegated 
Hollies looking very beautiful just now, with their 
wealth of red berries ; and standard Cotoneasters, where 
well placed, are even more brilliant in effect than the 
Hollies. 
Weather Influence. 
It is a matter of general remark how beneficial has been 
the influence of the late dry warm weather on all 
growing crops. Roots of all sorts appear to have made 
up for time lost during summer, and Mangolds, Carrots, 
Turnips, Parsnips, &c., that it was thought would not 
be equal to ordinary years, now give indication of more 
than average crops. Mr. Conway, of the Rathbone 
Union, a report of whose management appeared a short 
time ago in The Gardening 'World, says his root 
crops are making quite as much progress in growth now 
as they did a month ago, and he reports that some 
long red Mangolds, which he lifted last week for 
inspection, weighed 19 lbs., and White Belgian Carrots 
4^ lbs. This is very encouraging, and should the 
present warm state of the weather last a few weeks 
longer, we may hope that the vegetable supply will 
keep abundant, and that fruits now outstanding, as 
well as all kinds of roots, will have time to be fully 
matured. 
Passiflora ccerulea in Flower. 
It is considerably out of the usual course to find a plant 
of this in flower at the present time, yet I saw a fine 
one of it lately, 24 ft. by 6 ft., showing quite a lot of 
flowers. The position was a well sheltered one, which 
would perhaps account for it having escaped any 
injury from the late frost. 
The Inducement to grow Fruit for Market 
in Ireland. 
The following case, as given by a gentleman living in 
co. Wexford, will show the folly of attempting to grow 
fruit with a view to profit, for, as will be seen, the 
gentleman in question not only failed in gaining any¬ 
thing by his little transaction, but was actually a loser. 
Last week he despatched to a well-known fruit factor, 
for sale in the Dublin market, a parcel containing, as 
well as I remember, about fifteen dozen of picked 
Pears. For the carriage of these he paid Is. 6d., and 
the factor’s note after the sale was to the effect that the 
lot was sold for Is. 4 d., out of which 2d. commission 
fees had to be deducted. It is reasonable to suppose 
that after such experience the gentleman, if he happen 
to have Pears again, will eat them, or if this be not 
practicable, he will pursue the less costly plan of dis¬ 
tributing them among his friends or neighbours. 
The Forthcoming Chrysanthemum and Fruit 
Show in Dublin. 
In both these departments a good exhibition is anti¬ 
cipated, and it is said that Chrysanthemums will be 
finer, generally, than any seen at previous shows. 
The competition in hardy fruits will be very keen 
and very good, as there will be more entries, and the 
fruit of a better class than those staged for the past 
few years.— W. I). 
-*->£<*- 
HEPATICAS. 
I employ the common name by which this charming 
early spring-flowering plant is known. The proper 
designation is Anemone Hepatica. The varieties 
grouped under this heading represent the smallest com¬ 
prehended in the genus ; but small though they are, 
they are very effective, and have a great decorative 
value. Hepatica appears to be an adopted Greek word 
—the adjective of Hepar, the liver, and it is applied to 
a plant with three-lobed leaves used in the affections of 
that organ. The Hepatica is remarkable for its low 
tufted growth, and the number of blossoms a well- 
established plant will put forth. It roots deeply, 
throwing down straight into the soil a number of tough 
wire-like roots that reach a great depth, and when it 
becomes thoroughly established in suitable soil, clumps 
will grow into a large size. There are a good number 
of varieties, some throwing flowers to all appearance 
similar, but when they are closely examined, it will be 
found that they vary in small particulars, though 
enough to constitute a distinct variety. I find, in the 
case of single white Hepaticas, small differences, such 
as some being of better form than others. Some have 
small flowers, others larger, and the stamens differ in 
colour likewise, and so, while a number of plants of 
the single white might appear to the casual observer to 
be the same, to the observant mind that scans the 
blossoms more closely, small but decided differences 
will manifest themselves. I have no doubt but that 
these differences will run through all the single forms, 
as seedlings can be obtained from all of them. 
Three or four years ago, I placed out under a west 
wall a plant each of all the varieties I could gather 
together. They appeared to feel the dry summer of 
1887 keenly, and I had to mulch and water to keep 
them from being roasted up. But they bloomed finely 
on the whole when the spring came, and the moist 
cool summer of 1888 being favourable to the well-being 
of the plant, I am anticipating a fine bloom next 
spring. In planting I dug out a hole fully 1 ft. in 
depth, and in it I placed a mixture of good yellow 
loam, decomposed manure, leaf-soil, and sand ; th e 
plants were placed in this compost, the soil pressed 
firmly about them, and they are now well established. 
If Hepaticas are planted in the open they should be 
treated to a fit and good soil, and then there is some 
hope of answering the expectations of the planter. 
I have been somewhat disappointed in not getting 
seedlings from the plants. They, and especially the 
single blue and the single white, appear to mature their 
seed pods ; and I always take the precaution of top¬ 
dressing with some finely sifted soil, so that if any 
ripened seeds fall upon it they may have a chance to 
germinate. Up to this time I have not seen any 
results. Perhaps the seeds require to lie some time in 
the soil before they germinate. 
Of all the varieties I have, the double blue is perhaps 
the weakest grown. It is a variety impatient of 
disturbance, and therefore it needs to be planted and 
let alone. But then it is scarce somewhat, and this 
fact makes it necessary that when a plant has made a 
few crowns it should be divided to afford increase. It 
is a variety that must be well grown to see it to 
advantage ; the flowers are freely produced, but unless 
the plant is strong and doing well they are wanting in 
colour. Some of the single red varieties are very 
pretty indeed, and amazingly cheerful in spring. The 
double red makes one of the best border plants ; it is 
very free, and in suitable soil soon grows into a large 
clump. This and the single blue, which is equally 
good in the open border, are the commonest. There 
are several shades of single blue, and all are very 
pretty. 
Singular to state, there is no double white form. 
Whether it ever existed or not I cannot say, but I do 
not know a contemporary horticulturist who has seen 
it. It would be interesting to know how the double 
forms of the Hepatica originated. They date back so 
far that it is doubtful if anything like reliable in¬ 
formation can be obtained concerning them and their 
supposed origin. That the Hepaticas represent a charm¬ 
ing class of hardy spring-flowering plants there can be 
no doubt, and they deserve to find a place in every 
garden where they are likely to establish themselves 
and do well.— R. D. 
-- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society. 
I trust there will be a good competition for the 
Challenge Trophy, offered to the Chrysanthemum 
and Horticultural Societies, on the occasion of the 
great show at the Royal Aquarium, on November 7th 
and 8th. The idea is a novel and good one, and it 
provides a very interesting feature at the representative 
exhibition of Chrysanthemums held in the United 
Kingdom. I may state that what is required, is forty- 
eight blooms of Chrysanthemums, to consist of twenty- 
four incurved, in not less than eighteen varieties, and 
twenty-four Japanese, distinct. Now, as any number 
of exhibitors, members of any one society, can combine, 
to contribute such a stand, it appears to me that an 
excellent competition ought to result. Mr. Holmes 
has recently issued a circular to affiliated and other 
societies, calling attention to the competition ; and as 
some secretaries might be in doubt as to the best 
course to pursue, I may, perhaps, be allowed to set 
forth the course of procedure of my own society. As 
soon as Mr. Holmes’s circular came to hand, I convened 
a meeting of Chrysanthemum growers in the district, 
and laid the scheme before them. After some con¬ 
sideration a resolution was passed, that it was advisable 
to enter for competition ; and a committee of five 
growers was appointed to visit the exhibitors of 
Chrysanthemums, to select the flowers and make the 
necessary arrangements for providing and staging the 
same, I being instructed to make the entry. This 
seems to me to be a business-like way of going to 
work, and I think it is better to leave the matter in the 
hands of the exhibitors rather than in those of the 
secretary of the society.— R. Dean. 
Chrysanthemum, Florence Percy. 
I find that in referring to this variety last week, I 
inadvertently stated that it had received a First Class 
Certificate ; this is incorrect, although it has been 
before the Floral Committee of the N. C. S.; but the 
