iSyi.] GARDENS IN SOUTH OF FIFE. 425 



in spring (pruning is generally performed in April). Any one 

 who has never seen the "Queen of Flowers" in her true grandeur 

 would do well to visit Balfour in the season. Many have come a long 

 distance to see these Eoses, and, I am certain, none go away disap- 

 pointed. There are the usual " bedding " in suitable parts of this com- 

 pact kitchen-garden. The quality and luxuriance of the vegetable 

 crops showed that there was depth of tilth and all other requirements 

 necessary to produce them. Grapes have done well here for a great 

 number of years. Two span-roofed houses, planted chiefly with Mus- 

 cats and Hamburg, have produced enormous crops without failure in 

 any shape. There are other features of interest which might advan- 

 tageously be noted, but we intend only to strike at particulars. 

 After leaving Balfour, with another worthy son of the spade 

 added to our number (Mr Dewar), we pushed on our way, and were 

 soon on the direct road to AYemyss Castle. Passing Cameron Bridge 

 distillery (where famous toddy-whisky is said to be manufactured), 

 we soon had a fine view of the Forth. To the left of the road stands 

 the village of Methil Hill, where cholera made such fearful ravages a 

 few years ago. The place (by no means attractive) retains a melan- 

 choly interest. A sudden turn to the right brings us in full view of 

 the ruins of Macduff's Castle, and further on the towers of Wemyss 

 Castle are observed peeping above the trees ; and in a short time we 

 arrived at the garden, where Mr Neil was waiting to conduct us 

 through the well-managed place. The range of houses (which is a 

 modern one, about 230 feet long, and finely finished) is gone through 

 first. Fruit is plentiful, chiefly Grapes and Peaches. The Vines have 

 mostly been replanted of late years, and are all in promising condition. 

 The crops of Muscats, Lady Downes, and Hamburg are very fine, and all 

 are either well finished, or appearing to do so satisfactorily. Alarge house 

 in the centre, which was some years ago modernised, was full of the 

 usual occupants, such as Zonale Geraniums, Lobelias, Coleus, Ferns, 

 Fuchsias, Arc, as gay as they could be. The flower-garden was gay 

 and well filled ; Calceolarias, extra-fine Geraniums, waiting for the sun. 

 Borders in the kitchen-garden were very chaste ; Pansies, Imperial 

 Blue, and Cliveden Yellow, were very telling. Cooper's Defiance 

 Tropoeoleum very brilliant, and Ageratum Imperial dwarf was among 

 the number of useful things. 



Numbers of young Apple and Pear trees in the kitchen-garden 

 were doing well ; on the walls many had been recently planted. The 

 vegetable crops were good, Peas unusually tall — some twice as high as 

 described in the seed catalogues. There is little, in a gardening point 

 of view, outside the garden-walls. The castle stands boldly fronting 

 the Firth of Forth : behind the building are large empty squares of 

 grass. The grounds would require a fortune expended on them to 



