532 THE GARDENER. [Nov. 



mention in this connection the improved methods of cultivation, the novel pro- 

 cesses of propagation, the wonderful multiplication of trees, plants, and vines, and 

 the never-ending desire to possess everything new, from whatever source it may 

 come, and the universal zeal to ascertain the true value of all new productions. 



The ingenious methods of gathering, preserving, and packing of fruits, and the 

 improved means of safe transmission to distant markets, are among the most im- 

 portant advances in this new era. To such perfection have these been brought, 

 that not only our small tender fruits come to us a hundred or a thousand miles 

 in good order, but the Grape and the Pear travel from the Pacific to the Atlantic 

 coast. While penning this address. Pears and other fruits have come to our own 

 hands from California in perfect condition ; and, to add to our surprise, the Pears 

 of that State are finding a market in Japan ! Our cheap and convenient postal 

 facilities for the transmission of seeds, scions, and plants, promoting the intro- 

 duction of new fruits into the remotest parts of the land, are such as no other nation 

 has ever enjoyed, yet not more than commensurate with the demands of our exten- 

 sive territory ; and we trust the day is not distant when we shall have equal facili- 

 ties for such reciprocal advantages with the whole world. 



NOTES FROM THE OLD COUNTRY. 



After leaving Edinburgh, we called at Dalkeith, the noble seat of the Duke of 

 Buccleuch. It was here that M'Intosh, author of the 'Book of the Garden' 

 and other works, was once gardener. The same position is now held by Mr 

 Thomson. We Avill say en passant, that to be able to obtain and keep such a 

 situation as the Duke's gardener at Dalkeith, is a great honour. We have no 

 similar position for men in this country. The nearest approach might be that of 

 superintendent of a park, large cemetery, or the like. The flower-garden attached 

 to Mr Thomson's dwelling would be something to talk of here, let alone that of 

 his employer. 



The gardens noted at Dalkeith are some distance from the palace, and are part 

 of the fruit gardens of the same. Except for noble park-like expanse, and shrubs, 

 the palace has no particular dressed scenery, the flowers being, as we said before, 

 in and around the fruit-garden — greenhouses, fruit-houses, &c. These houses, if 

 we mistake not, were designed and built while M'Intosh was gardener here, and 

 the ' Book of the Garden ' contains plans and designs as then executed, given at the 

 time as the most perfect samples of glass structures for the purpose then extant. 



The present manager has sent out many new Grapes of great merit, but White 

 Lady Downes, a very fine late-keeping variety, is yet to come out, and is considered 

 equal in every respect to the well-known Black, with the additional advantage of 

 being of needed colour. His Golden Champion Grape had bunches full 5 pounds. 

 In one house we noticed Vines with first-class fruit on year-old Vines. Here were 

 some liouses long since cleared of fruit, the Vines soon ready to be pruned 

 and started for next year's crop ; some were then "just right for the tooth," 

 Bome with 10 pound bunches, while others were as late as it is possible to have 

 them. The idea is to have the late keepers hang on until the first early crop is 

 ready. Pine-apples are here grown in very large quantities— some 800 plants in 

 all : everything is in the most perfect order, and in quality the plants hard to 

 beat. Many houses devoted to flowers were a sight to see ; one at the time of 

 our visit had nothing but Calceolarias in it, had been in flower eight weeks, but 

 was still a bank of blossoms. Another house had mostly Geraniums, of the 

 Zonal class, including many double ones, and certainly for dazzling effect it was 

 extremely rich. Each plant was perfect in itself; none very large, while the 

 whole was one bank of blazing colours. Very conspicuous was a variety called Le 



