iSyi.] GARDENS IN SOUTH OF FIFE. 423 



NOTES ON GARDENS IN SOUTH OF FIFE. 



There is seldom anything which appears in the gardening periodicals 

 in the way of notes or memorandums but is read by all classes of 

 horticulturists, and we often wish that we could have opportunities of 

 learning more of the doings of our great growers through the press. 

 Some time ago, when there was a sharp discussion in a contemporary 

 on the advancement of gardening in Scotland compared with England, 

 many readers who know the equality on which northern and southern 

 skill are placed, must have smiled at the far-fetched arguments used 

 on that occasion by some " would-be " authorities. Vegetable-growing 

 was the principal topic : my opinion was, that quite as much as was due 

 to Scotland was advanced, while England was in a great measure under- 

 rated. I would say from my experience in the two countries (and that 

 has been considerably more in the south than in the north), that 

 Scotch gardeners gave more attention to the production of late vege- 

 tables than the English, while the latter were far in advance with the 

 forcing of early vegetables, and that one may visit a dozen places in 

 the north where there was no exception to good kitchen-gardening, 

 and little or no early forcing whatever. But not so in the south — you 

 might there see in a dozen places more than a third of the kitchen- 

 gardens almost neglected, while early forcing was in every place carried 

 on with spirit. In Scotland there is greater intercourse among gar- 

 deners, and each county stands more on a level ; while in the south, 

 gardening almost varies as much in each county as do the provincial 

 dialects, so that a casual visitor can give little intelligence on the rela- 

 tive positions in regard to the horticultural skill of the two countries. 

 In Kent the best and worst gardening in England are to be found. 

 The same may be said of the valley of the Thames through Middlesex ; 

 and I think, as far as I have observed, in about half of the English 

 counties the same remarks could be made. But leaving this subject, 

 I will give brief notes from memory on my seventh drive round a 

 portion of a Scotch county, Fife. Leaving the picturesque village of 

 Markinch early on the morning of the 2d August, where I picked up 

 three most agreeable gardening friends, and (as the Eev. Mr Hole 

 would say, all gardeners carry this character with them) with a sturdy 

 nag, strong vehicle, umbrellas, and waterproofs, we faced the south- 

 east to make the day as profitable and pleasant as best we could. 

 The weather having for weeks past been the wettest and coldest known 

 for many years at that season, gave us little hope of external comfort. 

 While driving rapidly towards the Eiver Leven (which is an agent in 

 supplying bread to thousands of people by the use to which its water 



