THE 



GARDENER 



NOVEMBER 1879. 



SEEDLING HEATHS AT BOTHWELL CASTLE. 



OR many years — half a century at least — Bothwell Castle 

 has been justly celebrated for a collection of well-man- 

 aged Cape Heaths. For the last decade or two this 

 beautiful genera of plants has generally been too much 

 neglected, and their cultivation has not extended or kept pace 

 with that of other more ephemeral plants that are easily and rapidly 

 grown, and more available for the tear and wear of ordinary decora- 

 tive purposes. This, we think, is to be regretted. At Bothwell 

 Castle, Heaths have been steadily adhered to ; and any one who had 

 the pleasure of seeing the collection there in bloom last August and 

 September will, we think, agree with us in saying that it is a pity 

 Heaths are not more extensively patronised. The Heath-house at 

 Bothwell — an elegant span-roofed structure — was at the time we name 

 a perfect blaze of bloom, with the most select varieties of the more 

 difficult to manage hard-wooded Heaths in splendid specimens. 



In saying this we are assuredly recording what must be regarded as 

 one of the greatest triumphs of gardening skill. To grow and main- 

 tain in robust health for a series of years a collection of large and 

 symmetrical hard-wooded Heaths is, in itself, one of the highest 

 achievements a gardener can accomplish. Not only has this been 

 done by Mr Turnbull, but almost every one of the noble specimens 

 that he has grown for the last fifty years have been hi3 own cuttings, 

 — a practice not at all common among Heath growers. It is considered 

 such slow work to grow Heaths from the rootless cuttings, that they 

 are generally bought from the nurseries. Nor is this but a fraction 

 of the credit that is due to Mr Turnbull. Not less than thirty-two of 



2 L 



