168 



JOURNAL OF HOE.TICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 1, 1S63. 



likely to incur a serious expenditure in carting materials 

 fi-om some very distant place; for few, if any, have ever 

 yet brought a chemical knowledge of the component parts 

 of soils and the requirements of individual plants to bear 

 so well on theii* cultivation as has Mr. Meredith ; and his 

 knowledge wUl enable Mm to pronounce whether such a 

 soil will suit the Grape Vine or not, apart from all those 

 outward appearances which are the only guide to a less 

 practised hand. The uniform com'tesy with which he re- 

 ceives and communicates his ideas to others in the craft 

 cannot be too highly extoUed. As to my friend (a noble- 

 man's gardener) and myself, no information of any kind was 

 withheld, and the visit to Gai'ston will long remain as one of 

 the red-letter days not to be forgotteu.— J. Eobson. 



SOME OF THE GAEDENS WOETH SEEING 



IN ABEEDEENSHIEE AND BANFFSHIEE. 



Willing to assist in directing those who have a pleasure 

 in seeing gardens, I fonvard a Hst of gardens worth seeing 

 in Aberdeenshire and Banffshire. Some of the j^laces have 

 natiu'al scenery far surpassing anything of the kind I have 

 ever witnessed : — 



ABEKDEENSHIRE. 

 Place. Proprietor, Gardener. Town. 



Slains Castle Earl of Errol Unknown .....Peterhead. 



Pitfour Admiral Ferpusson Mr. Smith Mintlaw. 



Ellon Castle A. Gordon, Esq Mr. Howltt Ellon. 



Strichen House G. Baird, Esq Mr. Hoss.ick Brucklaw. 



Dunecht Earl of Biilcarras Mr. Farquhar Aberdeen. 



Fyvie Castle Captain Gordon Mr. Farquhar Fyvie. 



Keith Hall Earl of Kintore Mr. Donaldson.. .Inverury, 



Troup House F. Campbell, Esq Mr. Dallachy Fraserburgh. 



Huntley Lodge Duchess of Gordon Mr. Aitchlson Huntly. 



Balmoral Castle Her Majesty Mr. Paterson Aborne. 



Aboyne Castle Marquis of Huntly Mr. Slurry Aboyne. 



BANFFSHIEE. 

 Place, Projirietor. Gardener. Tmrn. 



DnfT House Earl of File ; Mr. Maclde BantT. 



Cullen House Earl of Seafield Mr. Petrle Portsoy. 



Gordon Castle Duke of Richmond Mr. Webster Fochabers. 



The best tune to see gardens in this part of the country 

 is the months of August and September. The places named 

 are all within easy distance of their respective railway 

 stations. — J. H. 



[We wish every reader of our Jotu-nal -Would send iis a list 

 of the gardens worth visiting in any' vtounty, with the 

 names of proprietors and gardeners *hen known.— Eds. 

 J. OF H.] 



GLADIOLUS DISEASE AND NAME. 



An inquiry was made in The Journal of Hokticultuee 

 of August 11th regarding the disease which lias attacked 

 the Gladioli so much this season. It has been most pre- 

 valent in this neighbourhood, iiarticiilarly in the cby sandy 

 soils ; we, therefore, may conclude the tlisease does not arise 

 from damp or excess of moisture, as is sometimes sujiposed. 

 On the other hand, I am iucUned to believe that the un- 

 usually diy spring has in a measure aggravated, although 

 it cannot have caused, the disease, it ha\Tiig' appeared to 

 some extent both in wet and dry seasons. 



It is certainly a gi'eat drawback to the general cultivation 

 of so showy a flower, for nothing can be more disappointing 

 and nothing more -unsightly than the diseased plants, the 

 leaves of wliich, and in most cases the whole plants, have to 

 be cut away to preserve the neat appearance of the bed. 



As " D.," of Deal, has had some information lately about 

 the bulb fi-om M. Verdier, and visited the chief growers on 

 the continent, he may, perhaps, be txble to prescribe a 

 remedy. 



Mrs. Loudon speaks of the bulbs being left in the ground 

 from year to year, " and that at SpoSbrth in Yorkshire, 

 where the soil is a rich yellow loam, there are clumps of 

 Gladioli which have been left in the ground undisturbed for 

 more than twenty years and which bloom magnificently. 

 Simil.ar treatment is given to the beds of scarlet GiadioU 

 in the garden at Blair Adam, in Scotland, which are very 

 splendid." 



I am not aware whether all the varieties are equally 

 hardy ; but twenty years ago there were few in comparison 



with what we have now. Whether the experiment of leaving 

 them in the gi-ound would be worth trying we should be 

 glad to know. 



I should also be glad to know, now we are on the sub- 

 ject, the proper pronunciation of the word "Gladiolus." I 

 have heard so many conflicting opinions that it would be 

 r.ather a relief to have the matter settled. The accent is 

 often put on three different syllables thus : — Gladiolus, 

 Gladiolus, and Gladiolus ; the fii'st is most common and the 

 most incoiTect ; the second is the pronunciation generally 

 supposed to be coiTect, and the way we believe Mrs. Loudon 

 accents it. I have, however, been corrected in that ; and 

 I find from various Latin dictionaries, Ainsworth, Riddle, 

 Andrews, and others, that the accent should be on the fii-st 

 syllable, thus — Gladiolus, or rather that there should be no 

 particular stress on either, if it were possible to pronounce 

 the word without ; but the little accent used should be 

 placed upon the first syllable. Glad. We have more authoiity 

 for this than any other way ; therefore, conclude it most 

 correct, but I should feel obliged for a little information 

 on each of the above queries. — R. T. E., Shrewshii-y. 



[There is no doubt as to the proper pronunciation of the 

 name. It is GladUus, as if there were no o iu the spelling, 

 and the accent on the i. — Eds. J. of H.] 



BATTEESEA PAEK. 



Having heard of the rare plants that were bedded-out 

 here I was induced to pay it a visit on the U3rd ult., and 

 was agreeably sui-prised to see how well the materials of 

 landscape-gardening were worked out by Mr. Gibson, the 

 superintendent. 



All who i-ecoUect the diff'erence between the present 

 diversified and the former flat surface must be delighted 

 with the pleasing variety produced by the mounds formed 

 of the di-edgings from the river Thames, by which depth is 

 given to the river, and mounds and slopes of artificial beauty 

 to the Park. The effect has also been heightened by the 

 introduction of large trees which had been planted indi- 

 vidually .and in masses in the autumn, and are now looking 

 well. The lake is also an interesting featm-e, which has 

 lately been improved by more iiTegularity in parts of its 

 outline to produce variety. 



After entering the Ptu'k from the Chelsea New Bridge I 

 turned to the left, and proceeded westward along shmb- 

 beries and borders edged with Lobelia speciosa ; then Nie- 

 rembergia gracilis, which does not fill up the space allotted 

 to it well ; then Scarlet Geraniums, backed by Dahlias. 

 The broad mass of the light green foliage of Pinks, edged 

 with Lobelia speciosa, looked well on the left side of the 

 walk. 



The next scene on the walk leading to the right presents 

 a row of Dahlias to the back ; then Calceolaria Aurea flori- 

 bunda, edged with Nejjeta a.methystina, and further on four 

 rows of Crystal Palace Tropajolum, edged with Cerastium 

 tomentosum, with an opposite of double white Feverfew and 

 Tropffiolum. Then .around the shrubberies to the right and 

 to the lelt are D.alilias, double white Feverfew, .and Nosegay 

 Geranium, edged witli Cerastium tomentosum. 



Opposite the steam-boat landing is a broad road leading 

 south to the fountain, and north of the lake. On one side are 

 Dahlias, edged with a broad Viand of Tropa>olum elegans. 

 After crossing an open piece of lawn, on the right are rows 

 of Dahlias, then Scarlet Geraniums, edged with yellow Cal- 

 ceolarias ; and on the left are Dahlias, then Commander-in- 

 Chief Geranium, edged with crimson-bro^vn Calceolarias. 

 Continue on the main road, leaving the fountain on yovu- 

 right, beside the walk diverging to the left ; on one side is 

 an edging of Lobelia speciosa, tlien Calceolaria Am'ca flori- 

 bunda, then Punch Geranium, backed by a broad and full 

 band of Chrysanthemum frutescens albuui. On the other side 

 is an edging of Koniga maritima variegata, then brown 

 Calceolarias, then Nosegaj' Cxeranium, backed by double 

 white Feverfew, which is not sufficiently high for the position 

 in which it is placed. 



Across the road to the fountain, and a few steps more take 

 you to the north side of the lake. The outline of the lake is 

 vaiied by the contrasted position of bays, inlets, and smaller 

 indentations with islands, and acts to heighten the diversity 



