572 



The Country Gentleman s Magazine 



large house in a few years. The Muscat 

 house was full of extra fine fruit, averaging, 

 over all, about 3 lb. per bunch. Estimating 

 that, and then looking to the number of 

 bunches, there would be something like from 

 20 to 24 lb. of grapes on each rod, which is 

 a very heavy crop for a 13 feet rod. Mr 

 M'Connachie adopts the principle begun 

 under Mr Meredith's tuition, of stopping the 

 wayward bunches at the period of setting, 

 which induces a compactness very desirable 

 for all cultivators to imitate. In one of the 

 later vineries there were black St Peter's, 

 Lady Downes, Hamburgh, and Muscat 

 Hamburgh on its own roots, but by no means 

 so good in quality or finish as its compeers, 

 and not at all equal to those which we 

 subsequently inspected, and of which we 

 shall yet treat upon at Castle Kennedy. 

 All these, with that single exception, were 

 noble fruit, such as must, indeed, give un- 

 qualified satisfaction to the owner and em- 

 ployer. In the late black house there were 

 Victoria Hamburghs, quite as large in berry as 

 damsons ; but then the flavour is not at all 

 in keeping with the name which it bears. 

 It is quite insipid, and then it is a shy setter, 

 requiring to be artificially impregnated. Black 

 Prince was much finer than we ever saw it 

 before or since, the bunches and berries and 

 bloom being quite up to the mark. On that 

 one vine,"gmoreover, there were eight bunches, 

 and it is only a fair estimate to say they would 

 weigh 30 lb. This is great grape growing, 

 indeed such as would astonish Mr Hill the 

 champion Black Prince grower if he saw it, 

 the corrective manipulation of stopping these 

 bunches adding powerfully to their contour 

 and effect. In this house, also, was a vigor- 

 ous vine of the Black Damascus, It bore 

 extra good fruit of its kind. It is considered 

 a good late sort by the grower when properly 

 mature, only it is somewhat of a tardy setter. 

 This is owing to the glutinous drop that hangs 

 on the stigmatic surface, which a good shak- 

 ing disperses, and allows fructification to take 

 its course. The skin of this grape is very 

 crisp, something in that respect like Chasselas 

 Musque', and has the same tendency to crack 



at the maturing point. A great point notic- 

 able in inspecting this little range, the vines 

 were comparatively free from red spider, and 

 yet not a single puff of sulphur had been 

 used, not even so much as painting the pipes 

 with the idea of generating sulphurous acid. 

 The great health that prevailed was the best 

 antidote to the insidious approach and de- 

 vastating influence of the nimble red-coated 

 enemy. The whole place was in a good state 

 of keeping, and the results specified bear 

 ample testimony to the general ability of Mr 

 M'Connachie. 



A rather inviting porter's lodge on the op- 

 posite side of the road induces us to have a 

 hurried run over Mr Martin's grounds, a 

 gentleman holding a high position in the 

 commercial capital of Scotland. We find ex- 

 ceedingly well-maco-damized well-kept roads, 

 and pleasure grounds to match, with a few 

 nice portable specimens of conifers dotted 

 over the lawn. The gardens, and indeed the 

 whole place is new, and considerable sums 

 of money must have been spent in rearing 

 what ultimately must be a well-appointed 

 place. A fine range of hothouses adorn the 

 principal wall in the kitchen-garden, some of 

 them forming long limbs in span-roof form, 

 standing north and south. Vineries are re- 

 cently planted, and will in a few years be 

 useful for supplying a table throughout the 

 year. The plant department of the estab- 

 lishment is rich and varied, especially in such 

 things as foliage plants, that so much entice 

 ladies and gentlemen. These are to be found 

 in several houses especially reserved for them, 

 and must be useful for in-door decoration of 

 all kinds. Retracing our steps into the 

 approach, and crossing over a neat orna- 

 mental cast-iron bridge, we make the best of 

 our way to the station, for, according to previ- 

 ous arrangements, the mapping out of our 

 journey necessitated as to proceed with all 

 despatch, return to Glasgow in time to catch 

 the last train of the Glasgow and South- 

 Western Railway for Ayr, so as we might be 

 able early in the morning to see the birth- 

 place of Burns, and reach Kilkerran, the seat 

 of Sir James Fergusson, by ten o'clock. 



