302 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTTGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  24,  1895, 
Rose  Muriel  Grahame. 
Ix  my  notes  on  new  Roses  lately,  I  said  that  this  pretty  Rose  was  a 
sport  from  The  Bride.  I  find,  however,  that  it  is  really  a  sport  from 
Catharine  Mermet,  and  therefore  not  a  daughter  but  a  sister  of  The 
Bride.  I  do  not  think  that  it  makes  much  difference,  but  it  is  as  well 
to  be  quite  accurate  in  such  matters.  It  is  said  also  to  be  more  vigorous 
in  growth  than  The  Bride. — D,,  Deal. 
Rose  Showing— The  Duplicate  Question. 
We  would  be  glad  to  have  the.  opinion  of  experts  as  to  the  following  : — 
There  was  exhibited  at  the  recent  show  of  the  Horticultural  Society 
of  Aberdeen  a  stand  of  thirty-six  Rose  blooms,  in  which  appeared  one 
bloom  named  “La  France,’’  and  another  “Climbing  La  France.’’  The 
wording  of  the  schedule  is  thirty-six  H  P.  Roses  “dissimilar.’’ 
The  stand  referred  to  was  awarded  first  prize,  and  we  being  of 
opinion  that  the  above  two  named  Roses  are  identical,  lodged  protest, 
which  the  Committee  dismissed.  The  idea  both  of  Judges  and  Committee 
was  said  to  be,  that  althoagh  one  coaid  not  observe  any  difference 
between  the  two  specimens  shown,  still  they  must  be  distinct,  as  the 
plant  of  one  is  of  a  climbing  habit  while  the  other  is  dwarf  1 
Now  such  is  not  the  practice  of  the  National  Rose  Society  or  of  the 
R.H.S.,  who  both  lay  down  in  their  rules  for  judging  that  such  blooms 
are  to  be  classed  as  the  same  variety.  Besides,  the  exhibitors  of  the 
stand  in  question  are  members  of  the  N.R.S.,  and  should  they  not 
consider  themselves  bound  by  its  rules  whenever  exhibiting  ? — James 
Cocker  &  Sons. 
Rose  Exhibitions  and  the  Railway  Companies. 
In  looking  through  the  columns  of  yoar  journal  dated  August  27th, 
I  find  (page  198)  a  correspondent  complaining  of  excesses  being  charged 
on  Rose  boxes  conveyed  to  Rose  exhibitions  by  railway  companies,  a 
complaint  I  am  surprise!  has  not  been  made  before  this. 
I  think  it  a  great  indiscretion  on  the  part  of  the  companies,  consider¬ 
ing  (as  your  correspondent  says)  that  it  is  the  exhibitors  who  make  the 
shows.  One  thing  is  very  evident — if  there  were  no  exhibitors  there 
would  be  no  shows,  and  if  there  were  no  shows  there  would  be  no  need 
for  excursion  trains  running  thereto,  consequently  the  railway  com¬ 
panies  would  find  their  financial  returns  materially  reduced  ;  therefore 
it  is  incumbent  on  all  railway  companies  to  reasonably  consider  the 
matter,  and  to  discontinue  their  demands  for  excess. 
I  think  that  if  the  Committee  of  the  National  Rose  Society  were  to 
take  the  matter  up  aod  communicate  with  the  managers  or  directors  of 
the  several  railway  companies,  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  getting 
such  concession  made  I  would  even  go  further  than  that,  and 
modestly  ask  that  all  Rose  exhibitors  attending  any  show  in  the  United 
Kingdom  should  be  conveyed  for  both  journeys  at  single  fare.  Why 
should  they  not  ?  They  do  it  for  the  public  in  the  way  of  excursions, 
and  I  have  not  the  slightest  hesitation  in  predicting  if  they  were 
approached  on  the  subject  the  request  would  be  granted.  May  I  ask 
the  N.R.S.  Committee  to  make  an  effort  on  this  point?  it  would  be  a 
great  boon  to  all  exhibitors. — M.  W, 
A  HARDY  PLANTSMAN  IN  IRELAND. 
{Continued  from  page  279.) 
Glasnevin  Botanic  Gardens. 
Dublin  and  its  environs  are  well  supplied  with  tramways  for  the 
advantage  of  those  who  are  economical  from  choice  or  necessity,  or  who 
are  not  exactly  disposed  to  trust  themselves  to  iLe  skill  of  the  drivers  of 
the  Irish  jaunting  cars  or  the  surefooted  ness  of  their  horses. 
We  Scotsmen  are  generally  credited  with  keeping  a  watchful  eye 
over  “  the  bawbees,”  but  I  shall  not  say  which  of  the  above  reasons 
decided  me  to  take  the  useful  and  comfortable  car  from  Nelson’s  Pillar 
in  Sackville  Street  on  my  way  to  the  Glasnevin  Botanic  Gardens. 
However  that  may  be,  early  on  a  Saturday  forenoon  one  who  is  a 
“  crank  ”  on  the  subject  of  hardy  flowers  might  have  been  seen  on  the 
top  of  a  Glasnevin  car.  A  good  run,  which  was  a  welcome  contrast  to 
that  on  the  steam  tram  the  previous  day,  took  me  to  my  destination, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  I  was  under  the  exceptionally  able  guardianship 
of  Mr.  F.  W.  Moore,  the  well-known  curator,  and  deep  in  the 
examination  of  an  unusually  large  collection  of  Saxifrages  and  other 
rock  plants  which  are  grown  as  reserves  in  pots. 
As  an  old  Scotch  lady  once  said  to  roe  of  my  rock  plants,  they  are 
“twittery  wee  things  just  like  wild  things,”  but  have  a  great  fascination 
for  many,  and  I  was  delighted  to  find  that  Mr.  Moore  has  a  great 
admiration  for  the  Saxifrages,  and  a  wide  acquaintance  with  their  points 
and  ways.  One  can  only  note  briefly  a  few  of  the  plants  in  this  part  of 
the  gardens.  Saxifrages  were  very  numerous,  many  seldom  seen  being 
among  them.  Among^lhose  observed  were  S.  bulbifera,  of  very  neat 
habit,  and  only  received  from  Kew  this  year ;  S.  capillaris,  S.  aretioides 
primulina,  S.  luteo-viridis,  S.  Guadini,  and  others.  Sedums  and  Semper- 
vivnms  are  also  largely  grown,  among  the  former  being  S.  monregalense. 
I  was  pleased  to  have  pointed  out  to  me  side  by  side  the  two  varieties  of 
Sempervivum  arachnoideum,  the  one  turning  reddish,  and  the  other 
always  keeping  its  greenish  colour.  Other  rock  or  border  plants  here 
were  Arenarias  biflora  and  multicaulis,  Draba  Murcelli,  Dianthua 
alpinus,  Campanula  elatines,  a  very  dwarf  and  pretty  species,  seldom 
seen  ;  Potentillas  opaca  and  alchemilloides,  the  rare  Schizorodon 
soldanelloides  from  Japan,  a  plant  all  lovers  of  alpines  will  desire  to 
possess  ;  Haplocarpha  Leichtlini,  Astericus  mauritanicus,  Pelargonium 
Endlicheranum,  Draba  Maweana,  and  many  others.  There  were  also 
many  shrubs,  including  Olearia  Ganni  and  the  rare  0.  insiguis,  the 
hardiness  of  the  latter  not  being  yet  tested. 
Leaving  this  interesting  reserve  garden  we  passed  to  some  exceed¬ 
ingly  interesting  plants  in  front  of  the  houses,  among  theso  being  Ranun¬ 
culus  Lyalli,  which  Mr.  Moore  informed  me  flowers  at  Glasnevin.  I 
was  delighted  to  have  the  opportunity  of  seeing  in  flower  in  the  open  the 
exquisitely  beautiful  Gerbera  Jamesoni,  which  was  recently  figured  in 
the  Journal.  It  was  most  attractive  with  its  bright  scarlet  flowers,  and 
I  was  not  surprised  to  hear  that  many  oftthe  visitors  to  the  gardens  took 
notice  of  it.  Another  plant  grown  here  I  should  have  liked  to  have  seen 
in  flower.  This  is  Dicentra  chrysantha,  a  yellow  Lyreflower  which  has 
frequently  been  imported  from  California,  but  which  few  seem  to  have  been 
able  to  succeed  with.  The  much-talked-of  Ostrowskia  magnifica  was  in 
bloom,  but  its  appearance  was  such  as  to  reconcile  one  to  past  failures. 
The  flowers  were  pretty,  but  the  foliage  withers  before  the  flowers  open 
at  Glasnevin,  and  Mr.  Moore  does  not  entertain  a  high  opinion  of  this 
plant. 
A  look  at  the  fine  Victoria  Regia,  not  then  in  flower,  was  an  accept¬ 
able  variety,  and  I  was  almost  stopped  in  my  progress  by  the  beauty  of 
the  colouring  of  the  exquisite  Nymphtei  stelhta  in  a  tank  in  the  same 
house.  The  variety  known  as  the  “  Berlin  variety  ”  was  even  more 
beautiful,  while  the  lovely  flower  of  Nelumbium  speciosum  was  so 
charming  that  I  was  loth  to  leave  it.  There  were,  however,  flowers  out¬ 
side  more  in  my  way,  so  we  had  to  leave  for  them. 
The  Thistle-like  Gundelia  Tournefoiti  was  a  striking  contrast  to  the 
delicate  beauty  of  the  Nymphasa,  but  the  next  plants  I  noted  were  both 
interesting  and  beautiful.  These  were  the  hardy  Crinums,  of  which 
there  are  several  at  Glasnevin,  among  them  being,  as  was  to  be  expected, 
C.  Moorei,  first  grown  successfully  by  the  late  Dr.  David  Moore  at 
Glasnevin,  and  named  in  his  honour  by  Sir  J.  D.  Hooker.  By  way  of 
parenthesis  one  may  be  allowed  to  remark  upon  the  happy  selection 
made  in  the  appointment  of  his  son,  Mr.  F.  W.  Moore,  as  curator  in 
succession  to  his  distinguished  father.  I  was  too  late  to  see  the  most  of 
these  Crinums,  which  were  splendidly  grown;  but  I  had  the  gratifica¬ 
tion  of  seeing  in  bloom  the  new  C.  yemense  from  Arabia,  with  white 
flowers,  which  were  noted  at  the  time  as  being  “  very  fine.” 
In  front  of  the  houses  my  attention  was  attracted  by  some  of  the 
Alstidmerias,  the  orange-coloured  A.  revoluta  being  exceedingly  fine, 
and  a  mass  of  A.  Diazi  with  lovely  pink  flowers  quite  a  treat  to  see.  A 
run  through  several  of  the  houses,  in  one  of  which  were  some  special 
pets  of  Mr.  Mocra’s,  the  South  Afiican  and  Australian  Droserae,  before 
whose  superior  attractions  our  native  Sundews  may  hide  their  diminished 
heads.  As  1  saw  them  with  the  sun  shining  through  the  drops  of  water 
with  which  they  were  hanging,  they  seemed  as  if  bedecked  with 
diamonds. 
The  bog  garden  and  the  lake  with  its  Water  Lilies  were  also  visited, 
and  here  I  received  not  only  mneh  pleasure  from  the  beauty  of  the 
flowers,  but  also  instruction.  It  was  a  lesson  to  me  to  see  the  magnifi¬ 
cent  spikes  of  Primula  Poissoni,  between  3  and  4  feet  high,  growing  in 
the  bog  garden,  and  flooded  in  winter.  I  have  previomly  spoken  of 
Iris  Easmpferi  as  grown  at  Glasnevin  under  the  same  conditions,  and  1 
am  certain  that  no  one  who  has  seen  these  exquisite  Irises  in  full  flower 
would  not  long  to  have  flowers  like  these. 
The  new  Water  Lilies  are  largely  grown  at  Glasnevin  also,  and  no 
more  beautiful  surroundings  could  they  have  than  there,  where  the 
grounds,  admirably  kept  yet  so  naturally  planted  with  established  trees, 
add  to  the  picture  presented  by  the  placid  water,  on  which  calmly  float 
the  beautiful  leaves  of  the  Nymphseas,  among  which  sre  their  charming 
flowers.  It  was,  of  course,  not  the  season  to  see  the  many  bulbous 
plants  planted  in  the  grass,  but  those  who  know  their  effect  in  such 
places  as  Kew  can  understand  bow  beautiful  Glasnevin  must  be  when 
the  early  bulbs  are  in  bloom. 
One  of  the  most  attractive  features  is  the  rockery  recently  con¬ 
structed  for  the  hardy  Ferns,  and  which  it  is  intended  to  still  further 
•  xtend.  I  regret  that  I  cannot  speak  with  the  requisite  knowledge  of 
these,  but  the  beauty  or  curiosity  of  so  many  of  the  new  forms  was  so 
great  that  had  I  not  been  up  to  the  ears  in  other  hardy  plants  I  would 
I  ave  been  sorely  tempted  to  engage  in  their  cultivation — a  temptation 
often  felt.  Many  of  Mr.  E.  J.  Lowe’s  new  ones  were  here,  some  of 
exquisite  grace,  oir  wonderfully  altered  from  tb<j  original  spec  es.  Todea 
superba,  under  the  shade  of  a  tree  and  with  a  sheet  of  glass  over  it,  wag 
very  beautiful. 
The  rock  garden  was  next  visited,  and  a  good  many  notes  taken, 
of  which  the  number  of  sheets  of  paper  before  me  forbid  making  full 
use.  Hieraciam  gymnocepbalum,  with  fice  woolly  leaves,  was  attractive. 
Severa*  new  Acsenas  were  also  seen,  among  them  being  A.  Buchanan! 
with  pretty  leaves  of  a  pea-green  colour.  The  Mexican  shrub,  Abelia 
floribunda,  was  very  beautiful  with  its  rosy  purple  flowers.  Cistus 
florentinus  looked  very  happy,  and  I  was  pleased  with  the  appearance  of 
Teucrium  fruticans,  with  flowers  of  pale  blue.  Euphorbia  rpinosa  was 
interesting,  and  Cardunculus  pinnatus  and  Potentilla  arg  ntea  were 
both  pretty.  Especially  beautiful  was  the  soft,  rosy  oo'oured  form  of 
