2.26 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 8, 1888. 
Gardening otes from Ireland. 
Simmons Court Castle, Donnybrook. 
This is the residence of James McCann, Esq., and in 
the beauty of its grounds, and the excellence of the 
horticultural practice there carried out, can vie with 
many of the best of the kind to be found about Dublin. 
Independent of its fine modern appearance, the history 
of the place, I believe, can be traced back to very 
remote times, but unfortunately I am not sufficiently 
instructed in antiquarian lore to give your readers 
information on the subject. That it has a history, 
however, is evident from the Ivy-clad ruin of an old 
castle or abbey, portions of the walls of which are still 
standing within the grounds, and, of course, give a 
very picturesque appearance to them. Other reminders 
of departed greatness are to be found in the shape of 
two mounds, one of which is said to be the remains of 
a monastery that flourished here in the bygone ages. 
Both mounds, with the exception of some cut stone 
steps which lead to the top, are hidden with a dense 
growth of Escallonia rubra at the base, while the tops 
are surmounted with a rampant growth of Ivy, 
Briars, &c., the former now showing its berries in 
great profusion. These two mounds stand in the 
well-kept pleasure grounds, and the almost natural 
wildness of the growth of the plants on them, when 
contrasted with the neat and well-kept grounds, has 
a very pleasing effect. 
The Lawn. 
This has some fine old Beech trees standing on it, one 
being a Copper Beech of immense size of stem and 
large spread of branches. There are numerous speci¬ 
mens of Evergreen Oak (Quercus Ilex) to be found of 
good size, but from an arboreal point of view the gem of 
all the trees is a fine old Yew, Taxus baccata. It 
stands at the edge of the lawn opposite the dwelling- 
house, and its branches overshadow a portion of the 
avenue in front. Some idea of its massiveness may be 
formed when it is stated that its stem at 6 ft. or 8 ft. 
from the ground is 12 ft. in circumference, and 
although it commences to carry branches at a height 
of 6 ft. from the ground, these measure from 11 out to 
out ” about 56 ft. This splendid tree, with its 
remarkable stem flutings, no doubt dates the com¬ 
mencement of its growth some hundreds of years back. 
The Pleasure Grounds. 
These lie at the back of the mansion, and have several 
fine trees growing on them. One is a good specimen 
of Cupressus macrocarpa, with a stem measuring 10 ft. 
in girth at 4 ft. from the ground, and having a spread 
of branches 40 ft. through. There are two trees of 
Araucaria imbricata, 16 ft, high; a large healthy 
Mulberry, which yields fruit in abundance every 
year ; several plants of Cedrus Deodara, and a fine 
Garrya elliptica, looking well just now, with a good 
show of its silvery catkins. On a line which divides 
the pleasure grounds from some meadow land outside 
them are growing some fine trees of Austrian Pine, 
which prove a most effectual shelter in high storms. 
For this time of year there is a very nice appearance 
given to a long border by having the two outer or 
edging lines done in Golden Feather, inside them lines 
of dark dwarf Beet, many plants of the new Draciena 
Beet being amongst them, and a centre line of Canter¬ 
bury Bells. Unless one saw such common things as 
these lined out as they were here, it would be difficult 
to form an idea of the neatness and effective colouring 
of the plants. 
The Garden. 
This is cleanly and well kept, and is laid out in 
squares, along each side of which is planted espalier, 
bush, and pyramidal fruit trees. There are two Rose 
borders running the whole length of the garden, right 
and left of the central walk, and filled with numerous 
leading varieties of hybrid perpetuals. The season’s 
growth of wood on these is very strong, and a long way 
ahead of what is usually to be met with. It may on 
this account be worth while giving a few remarks on 
the way the borders were prepared for the reception of 
the plants, for I think it will be generally admitted 
that the success or otherwise of Rose-growing depends 
mainly on the kind of preparation the soil receives 
previous to planting. The soil here, judging from its 
appearance, is favourably constituted for Rose-growing, 
but Mr. Gough, who is a first-class practical man at 
his business, was not content with its good natural 
conditions, so he emptied out the borders to a good 
depth, and filled them with well-enriched rotted-grass 
turf, taken from a field before planting a crop of Potatos. 
The Roses give evidence, by their strong wood-growth, 
that the soil is most suitable for them ; the whole of 
the borders are filled with fine shoots, and as the bloom, 
even in the past unpropitious season, was good, they 
are giving a good return for the extra trouble taken 
with them. 
The Houses. 
Attached to the dwelling-house is a very handsome 
conservatory : the roof is curved in form, and the 
whole constructed of iron, and highly ornamented. It 
is used for flowering plants chiefly, and is filled at the 
present time with a collection of well-grown finely- 
bloomed Chrysanthemums. Among these were some 
plants of Cullingfordi, remarkably good in bloom and 
of fine colour; Elaine, Ballantine, George Glenny, 
James Salter, Mrs. Dickson, Source d’Or, "White 
Yenus, Empress of India, &c. There is another long 
range of glass, also constructed of iron, and of incurved 
form. This range is divided into several portions, each 
devoted to a separate use. At the entrance are numerous 
flowering plants, while another portion contains a lot of 
well-grown plants of Cytisus racemosus, om specimen 
being 4 ft. high, and as much through : Camellias, 
Azaleas, Cinerarias, Zonal Pelargoniums, &c. One 
division, which is used as a Melon house, had a 
collection of splendidly-grown and beautifully-bloomed 
fringed Chinese Primroses. These were all seedlings 
of the present year’s growth, and many of them were 
flowering in 7-in. and 8-in. pots, and were carrying fine 
heads of bloom, covering in many instances the whole 
surface space of the pots. The foliage was remarkably 
stout, and measured fully 2 ft. through. The colours 
of the flowers were various, but the whites were 
specially noticeable by their free blooming, and the 
size and form of the flowers. A division was also 
devoted to the growth of Adiantums, Palms, &c., and 
some clusters on balloons ; another to Vines on the 
roof, but just now contains a collection of Cyclamens 
and Cinerarias ; and yet another having the back wall 
and part of the side and roof occupied with a 
Nectarine. Another portion contained a large plant of 
Marechal Neil Rose. 
Strawberries. 
These receive special attention, large quantities being 
forced for early use and exhibition, in which latter case 
Mr. Gough is a well-known prize winner at the shows 
of the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. For 
next year’s work, the stocks on hand at present are 
occupying a long range of frames, where they will 
remain until transferred to the forcing house. On the 
whole, I think that it is not often one can drop now¬ 
adays, and at this time of the year, on a place so neatly 
and well kept, and where things in general are so well 
done. 
The “Mums” at Glasnevin. 
When sending my notes on the Chrysanthemums in the 
Glasnevin Botanic Gardens a couple of weeks since, I 
had no idea that public attention would be so much 
excited about them. At the time I wrote there was 
nothing like a general bloom out, but I expressed the 
opinion that a -week or ten days would see them well 
into flower. Well, that has been so, and the public 
attendance has been most extraordinary. The house 
in which they have been shown, has been, while the 
plants were at their best, inconveniently packed with 
visitors, and especially so on Sundays. The visitors all 
appeared to be well pleased with the display, and 
good right they had to be, for never before had 
they seen such a prodigious show of bloom brought 
together in one house, and all of such excellent quality. 
— W. D. 
The South of Ireland and the Culture of 
Early Fruits and Vegetables. 
I would recommend “ W. D.” and the general readers 
of The Gardening World to read a series of articles 
published in the Nineteenth Century for 1888, entitled 
the “Coming Reign of Plenty,” and I guarantee that 
he and they will be made wiser in their generation 
thereby. The papers are written entirely from an 
English point of view, and if applicable to England, 
why not equally so to the sister country, Ireland ? My 
argument is this, that with a State-aided institution on 
a gigantic scale—say, 1,000 acres near Ban try, where 
the sons of small holders from the congested districts 
of the whole of Ireland could be educated and taught 
everything on a big scale, from Tomato-growing to 
Pine Apples, the peasantry would in a few years be 
able to realise from Irish soil food of a more valuable 
quality for the English and Scotch markets than they 
do at present. 
The risk in setting up peasant proprietors at present 
is that with free trade, the rough farm produce such as 
is grown in Ireland may yet reach very low prices, 
followed by a repudiation of the purchase money in like 
proportion. To avoid this, teach the Irish peasant 
how he can obtain as much as possible of the eight 
millions that the English people are paying for foreign 
fruit and vegetables. As regards the development of 
the fertile resources of the south, it is only very lately 
that we have had railway communication direct to 
Bantry and Schull from Cork, and without this all the 
education in the world would be thrown away. I still 
contend that the 20,000 workers from the river Lee to 
the coast line would be better employed if they could 
change their harvest from August and September to 
March, April and May, and that while the distance 
from Penzance or Guernsey to Glasgow is so great in 
proportion to that of Cork, the thing is well worth 
trying. We should have hundreds of acres of Sea 
Kale, Asparagus, early Broccoli, to cut in February, 
as in Cornwall, and early Potatos, while cut flowers 
also could be produced in the open air. I had a letter 
last week from a flower farmer in the Scilly Isles, who 
blesses his stars that the farmers in the Isles took to 
flower-growing in time to save them from ruin. He 
tells me that where ten years ago they could not pay their 
.rents, they can now do so, and put by something for a 
rainy day. The Dublin April and May shippers to 
Glasgow have the risk of a glut, but the February and 
March Cork shippers have not so much to fear in this 
direction, because the “early bird catches the worm.” 
The Cork Strawberries are always three weeks in 
advance of Dublin, and Dublin is the best market. If 
with Strawberries, why not with everything else in 
proportion?—IF. B. Hartland, Cork. 
-—>X<-- 
EDINBURGH NURSERIES.— III. 
New Golden Acre. 
Situated on the north side and lying on the outskirts 
of the Scotch metropolis is the New Golden Acre 
Nursery of Messrs. Ireland k Thomson, within easy 
reach of all the principal stations, by tramcar or 
omnibus. It is comparatively of small extent, but 
mostly covered with glass which has recently been 
considerably extended. On the opposite side of the 
w T ay is Windlestrawlee Nursery, where forest trees are 
extensively grown, while the Craigleith Nursery, where 
ornamental trees and shrubs are grown to great per¬ 
fection, is only ten minutes’ walk distant. In the 
limited time at our disposal we could only inspect the 
houses at New Golden Acre. 
Stove Plants. 
Several houses are devoted to different classes of 
subjects that require stove treatment, and considerable 
attention is given to them, especially to those that are 
grown extensively for table and other decorative 
purposes. Crotons and Dracrenas are largely required 
in the neighbourhood, and are in bright, clear, and 
healthy condition. The rusty scaly-stemmed Sphsero- 
gyne latifolia, with its huge ribbed leaves, offers a fine 
contrast to the velvety ojive-green leaves of its close 
ally, Cyanophyllum magnificum ; and again to the 
handsomely-striped foliage of Leea amabilis. Gardenia 
florida and G. radicans, the two leading kinds, are 
grown in some quantity. The popularity of Ficus 
elastica variegata is evidenced by the rapidity with 
which it becomes distributed throughout the country. 
Brightly coloured are the leaves of Acalypha musaica, 
A. Macafeeana, and A. marginata. The pinnate leaves 
of Rhopala Pohlii, better known as R. corcovadensis, 
have an interesting appearance from the rusty or 
reddish brown tints of their under surface. 
Aroids are represented by beautiful specimens of 
Alocasia Sanderiana, with itscuriously-scollopedmargin, 
by the bronzy green, silvery-veined A. Thibautiana, 
and by A. intermedia, with shield-like leaves. A collec¬ 
tion of these would be incomplete without the long 
pendent leaves of Anthurium Veitchii and A. Warocque- 
ana, which, in large plants, develop into noble propor¬ 
tions. Easily accommodated Caladiums are C. bicolor 
pumila, with a large central red blotch, and the silvery 
blotch of C. argyrites. C. Yerdi is red, with a green 
margin, while C. candidum is white with narrow green 
veins, and Perle de Brezil, with a similar distribution 
of colour, are good exhibition kinds. 
Dracaenas amongst stove plants constitute some¬ 
thing of a specialty with Messrs. Ireland & Thomson ; 
and although the kinds are most varied, the narrow¬ 
leaved and more elegant sorts have the preference. 
D. Lindeni is grown in considerable quantity and 
the foliage is particularly fine coloured. D. bellula, D. 
elegantissima and D. gracilis are very graceful narrow¬ 
leaved kinds, with a red or crimson margin. Other 
