4 Tour in the West of Scotland 



469. 



attraction of a most interesting up-growing 

 family, one can easily conceive the variety of 

 features that is being introduced into the 

 lawns and pleasure-grounds of this noble 

 family. The fine specimen trees, both round- 

 headed and those that assume a somewhat 

 p}Tamidal habit, have been preserved care- 

 fully in all salient spots, and look dignified, 

 overshadowing many of the suffruticose race. 

 Continuing our course over a very well-kept 

 v.alk of a serpentine character, and emerging 

 through a leafy canopy, we all of a sudden 

 confront the gardens. 



Before passing on to the walled gardens 

 there is a charming flower-garden recently 

 remodelled, and, in fact, restored and largely 

 extended from the adjoining copsewood, by 

 Mr Connon. This is a delightful retreat, and 

 leaves an impression upon the visitor of the 

 most favourable kind. There is nothing 

 elaborate about its formation ; it is exactly 

 suited for a quiet educated taste. There is 

 material in it for an uninterrupted display of 

 flowers, and then what with the closely-shaven 

 laA\Ti, and the variety of form of the many 

 shrubs and plants that have found, some a 

 permanent and some a temporary home, it is 

 quite captivating and insinuating in its in- 

 fluences. Of course there are abundant 

 masses of verbenas, pelargoniums, calceo- 

 larias, lobelias, and such other gaudy plants, 

 as seem to have satiated the eye of the pub- 

 lic ; but when such material as that is cor- 

 rected by specimens of choice conifers, by 

 masses of rhododendrons, by Ghent and 

 other azaleas, by a selection of choice 

 American shrubs, and by collections of heaths, 

 so that the effect, though brilliant, is nicely 

 toned down, and not out of hamiony with 

 the adjacent scenery. To keep up the line 

 of beauty Mr Connon has planted the two 

 principal borders in the centre of the kitchen 

 garden upon the ribbon system of decorative 

 gardening. The long lines are certainly 

 effectively backed up by a nice assortment of 

 apples on espaliers, which are now in excel- 

 lent bearing order. In front of these are 

 lines of the pale blue ageratum, the bright 

 lemon-coloured calceolaria amplexicaulis, a 

 scarlet form of pelargonium, the variegated 



Alyssum, the fine soft Purple King verbena, 

 the effective and best of all the variegated 

 zonal pelargoniums, golden chain, and a most 

 effective broad hne of lobelia, which, notwith- 

 standing the drought that prevailed, was 

 beautiful beyond its fellows. 



Returning to these espaliers for apple-cul- 

 tivation, we observed that five wires had been 

 extended at equal distances, and fastened 

 Avith staples on proper supports. The yield 

 from this multiple cordon will be something 

 tangible ; and supposing the practice of cul- 

 tivation is antient as our gardens are, it is 

 delightful to see it again attended to. A 

 thorough renovation of the trees in the gar- 

 den is contemplated and carried out with a 

 proper regard for supply in the one instance, 

 and, as opportunity offers, with a somewhat 

 limited staff" in the other. All the apples 

 planted are grafted on Paradise stocks, and 

 they give promise of an early fruitfulness, 

 accompanied with a desirable degree of 

 stamina and vigour. Some capital samples 

 of Stirling Castle, Lord Suftield, Duchess of 

 Oldenberg, Hawthornden, and many of the 

 pippins, were apparent in walking round. So 

 aged are some of the trees in this garden as 

 to have trunks like a moderate-sized forest 

 specimen, and some of the more gigantic 

 of them have been utilized for the make-up 

 of Gothic arches to train climbers upon. The 

 wall-fruit shewed a fair crop on select trees 

 — the plums, as represented by Green Gage, 

 Lawson's Golden Gage, Golden Drop, and. 

 Kirk's Seedling, being particularly good in 

 quality. 



The forcing houses comprise such standard 

 sorts as Hamburgh and Muscat grapes, yield- 

 ing good crops. Apricots refuse to succeed 

 out of doors generally in the West of Scot- 

 land, but there was a plentiful supply at 

 Buchanan, in an orchard-house, where stan- 

 dards were planted, and surface dressed every 

 year. The range of peach houses is 120 feet 

 long, and contained an excellent crop of very 

 good fruit, Royal George, Noblesse, and 

 Late Admirable, were great in size, and 

 the yield, from the space, far above a fiill 

 crop, while Violete Hative and Elruge nec- 

 tarines were equally grand in quality. As an 



