1871.] ON THE ROAD. 459 



ations going on, the Pines, during the greater part of the season, had 

 been somewhat indifferently accommodated in back-pits and other places. 

 Mr Thomson had also to begin with samples rather different from what 

 he left at Archerfield. Nevertheless the batches of fruit swelling off 

 in anticipation of the arrival of the ducal establishment late in the 

 season, were all that could be desired, though hardly up yet to what 

 might be called the Archerfield mark. The succession stock, however, 

 in which we generally look for indications of progress, were grand, such 

 as delight the Pine-grower's eye — broad, sturdy fellows, consisting of 

 Queens, Smooths, Charlotte Rothschilds, &c., most of them in 10-inch 

 pots, and destined to finish their career in the fine light houses in the 

 front range. 



Melons were ripening off in span-roofed houses by the hundred- 

 weight, also enormous quantities of Figs on very systematically-trained 

 trees. A whole house is devoted to Passiflora edulis, which was carry- 

 ing a great crop. The collections of stove-plants and Orchids were varied 

 and select, and not long transferred to their new quarters. The green- 

 houses had not been completed, but were in progress. The low walls 

 round the square, we noticed, were covered in many places with 

 Clematis Jackmanii, presenting a perfect sheet of purple. Horticul- 

 turists will be for ever indebted to the raiser of this truly magnificent 

 creeper, which stands the severest winters, and seems to grow in any 

 situation. Mr Thomson recommends close pruning and high culture 

 to get a good and long-sustained display. 



Leaving Drumlanrig highly gratified with our visit, we found ourselves 

 on the 10th of August in Glasgow; and in company with an old friend 

 from the far north we visited the Scott Centenary Horticultural Exhibi- 

 tion at the Botanical Gardens. This show, so far as arrangements were 

 concerned, was a step in advance of anything that has been attempted 

 in Scotland yet, and in this respect reflected great credit upon its orig- 

 inators and promoters. The most attractive feature of the show was 

 a large and remarkably clean and healthy collection of plants from 

 Messrs Thyne's nursery, but which, for some reason or other, had only 

 received a second prize — a decision which excited a good deal of cri- 

 ticism among professionals and others. The first-prize lot included 

 some nice Tree-Eerns and Palms, but was a thinly-arranged group, 

 and was not improved by some fantastically- cut specimens of Yews 

 which it included. 



It seems some of the fruit had been removed the first day of the 

 show ; of what remained, the Muscat Grapes from Glamis, and the 

 Pines from Lord Carrington's, were the only samples worthy of parti- 

 cular notice. J. S. W. 

 {To he continued.) 



