Editorial Notes. 599 



glaucous variety of Fkca nohilis exhibited by Messrs. W. Paul and 

 Sod, of Waltham Cross Nurseries, before the lloyal Horticultural 

 Society. This is the most oruamental of the varieties of this noble 

 Fir, and is to be found in most of the leading public and private 

 collections of conifers in Britain ; but to see it in all its glorious 

 majesty, connoisseurs of Coniferte should pay a visit to the famed 

 collection at Castle Kennedy, Wigtonshire, N.B., where it grows by 

 the hundred in all its pristine vigour and loveliness. To see the long 

 avenues of this noble silver Fir, stretching across the smooth lawn and 

 terraces between the old Castle of the Kennedys and the magnificent 

 new Castle of Lochinch, with the sheen of its silvery foliage glisten- 

 ing in the rays of a bright autumn sun, is a sight that once seen is 

 not hkely to be easily forgotten. All these splendid trees, ranging up 

 to 50 feet in height, are grafted plants, " worked" by Mr. Fowler, who 

 for many years has been gardener there to the Earls of Stair, and under 

 whose able and intelligent management the magnificent collection of 

 conifers, for which Castle Kennedy is so celebrated, has been formed 

 and grown into splendid condition, with great skill and wonderful 

 success. In the early days of Ornamental Coniferte planting, 

 he was an ardent collector of every species likely to prove useful, 

 and amongst other species got possession of the true glaucous or 

 silvery variety of Picca nohilis. It was then very rare, and impossible 

 to be procured in any quantity, but Mr. Fowler being a keen and 

 accurate experimenter, as well as an enthusiastic admirer of handsome, 

 trees, set to work to increase his stock of the silvery noble fir by 

 grafting, and was thus one of the earliest in this country to prove 

 beyond a doubt that most coniferous trees can be grafted with 

 as much certainty and as good results, as any other family of 

 plants in the vegetable kingdom. The chief point to be observed 

 after the operation of grafting has been performed, is, to carefully watch 

 and assist the scion to form a leader. Should it not do so of its own 

 accord within a few years after being grafted, the head of the scion 

 should be bent over and the point tied to a peg near the ground ; the 

 point buds pinched out, and also the leading buds pinched of all the 

 strongest laterals, and by this means the scion is induced to break 

 into growth from the base of some of the branches low down near to 

 the graft. AVhen such breaks have made an inch or two of growtli 

 they should be all rubbed off but two, which are left for the first 

 season. The second season the best shoot of the two is selected for 

 the future leader and the other pinched, to prevent it interfering with 

 the symmetrical growth of the tree. The bent down top soon assumes 

 the habit of a branch, and the grafted tree gives no farther trouble, 

 and in many instances grows with a luxuriance never attained by the 

 same variety on its own roots. 



