October 10, 18G5. ] 



JOUBN-iL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAJRDENEK. 



295 



It is sometimes hemmcJ in by precipitous bnnlts, clothed to the 

 oilj;o with rich wooclliind foliiij^c, wliilo rocks 101) feet in perpen- 

 dicular height, and upwards, cast their long dark shade on its 

 troubled waters, which stru^'glo on over a rocky bed ; at other 

 times the stream widens into a broad expanse, shining like 

 limjiid silver, and seemingly proud to sluiw itself to the ad- 

 miring piize of the visitor, whoso eye wanders over the softer 

 portion of the park, the banks being low, and the ground level 

 on both sides. We had to cross it at one of tliosu precipitous 

 spots, and in doing so my conductor led me into one of those 

 old-fashioned gardens which must certainly have ranked 

 high among the works of art of that time. A steep declivity 

 had been cut into terraces, and planted with a great variety of 

 shnibs. which bad been cut into the many fanciful forms our 

 ancestors no doubt thought indicated the highest amount of in- 

 genuity. Many of these tigures had, no doubt, outgrown thi'ir 

 original shapes, or had fallen into tlio hands of a less skilful 

 generation, but enough remained to show the long-continued 

 attention of its managers or originators ; for although I failed 

 to make out dogs and horses, cujjs, vases, pyramids, cylinders, 

 and many fanciful figures dillicult to describe met the eye at 

 every corner. 



We nuist now leave the scene, and crossing the river by a 

 substantial bridge of considerable elevation, we find ourselves 

 in another part of the park, more interesting from the objects it 

 contains than any we have yet been in. Here we are introduced 

 to members of both the vegetable and animal kingdoms, which 

 carry us back to an age differing widely from that in which we 

 live ; and were it not for the living witnesses before our eyes, 

 we might be almost tempted to doubt the accuracy of the legend 

 which at least belongs to the vegi'table department — the other 

 admits, or hardly so, of an}' doubt whatever. We are, in fact, in 

 Cadzow Park, and in company with, though at a respectful dis- 

 tance from, the occupants of that same park, whose ancestors had 

 lived there probably before the human race invaded and battled 

 for the same spot. On the part which Cadzow Castle played iu 

 the early history of Scotland I have no intention to enter, but it 

 was, doubtless, a place of much importance when its proprietor 

 received instructions from liis sovereign to plant the Oaks 

 which form so remarkable a feature in it. We are told this was 

 done in the fourteenth century, or in the early part of the fifteenth, 

 thereby indicating 450 or 501) years as the age of these relics, 

 and, I believe, that there is some authentic record as well as 

 tradition, that these fine old trees were then planted ; and the 

 somewhat regular manner in which they are scattered over the 

 ground implies that if not jjlanted by hand, the latter had some- 

 tiling to do iu thinning them out. They occupy a somewhat 

 elevated position in the park. The soil, I shoidd think, is 

 rather inclined to be gravelly, not wet, and yet not too dry. 

 The trees exliibit eveiy feature common to old Oak trees. A 

 few, but only a very few, may be called healthy, but X doubt 

 much it any of the timber is sound throughout, and the greater 

 portion of the trees e.xhibit tiaces of old age and decay in a 

 gi-eater or less degi-ee. Several of them are dead, but still 

 with perfect good taste they are allowed to remain where they 

 are ; many have large limbs quite dead, with a little life show- 

 ing itself on a portion of one side perhaps. This struggle to 

 prolong an existence is seen iu its various stages, some seeming 

 as if the last effort had been made, others promising to con- 

 tinue it for at least another generation of the human race, or 

 longer. Antiquity rather than size is their peculiar feature, 

 for much larger Oaks are met with iu England ; but nowhere 

 that I know of are so many aged trees found together. The 

 table laud of a large portion of the park was dotted over 

 with these venerable trees, whUe some dells and extensive 

 boundaries were planted with trees of modern growth, or which 

 had been cut aud grown again. I regret omitting to notice any 

 acorns, as it would be worth while ascertaining whether these 

 belonged to the long or short-stalked species, the respective 

 merits of which caused no little discussion some years ago. 



These Oaks presented the usual outline of the monarch of 

 the forest, generally short-boled, more or less enlarged by the 

 swellings or protuberances, which form the beautifully-grained 

 panels so prized in furniture-making, while now and then large 

 portions of the outer part of the tree, or what is called the sap, 

 had fallen into decay, leaving the heart smooth, and bleached 

 white by the sun and rain. I did not see any trees that had 

 been blown down ; generally spealcing, they seemed to die piece- 

 meal from the top downwards, as some showed little else but 

 a short trunk. One circumstance, however, more than any 

 other struck me as remarkable — the absence of middle-aged 

 aud young trees which we meet with in natui'al forests, and 



other places where timber has been the princi)ial growth for 

 centuries; so that if these trees were not i>laul(d by hand iu 

 the first instance, as is generally asserted, tbiy nmst have 

 received duo attention at least a couple of centuries ago, as 

 well as since, and younger trees must iiavo been kept down 

 so as to keep these favourites by themselves. However, 

 they are a remarkable assemblage of old trees, and may in 

 some degree be compared with the jiatriarchs of Mount Leba- 

 non, which, though reduced in nundicr so as to be very easily 

 counteil, are, nevertheless, not mixed up witli younger mem- 

 bers of the same family. M'hcther the same natural causes 

 may have operated iu both these cases or not, it is dillicult to 

 say. If we allow them to have been influenced by the same 

 causes, we weaken the argument of those who assert the Oaks 

 to have been planted, as the C'cdars assuredly have not, and 

 yet it would seem almost sujicrlluous to plant Oak trees at a 

 time when the coinitrj' was, in a great measure, covered with 

 them, and w hen there were so many evidences that Nature per- 

 formed that office herself ; therefore, the subject must still 

 remain iu doubt. 



We now turn to another and still more important feature 

 which renders Cadzow Park remarkable above all other parks 

 in Scotland, and, with tlie excejitiou of Cbillinghiiin iu North- 

 umberland, it may be said of England also ; and here, again, 

 we have to carry our inquiry centuries further liack than in the 

 case of the Oak trees mentioned above. I allude to the breed 

 of cattle, which there is every reason to believe roamed over 

 this island long before the Christian era, and which is still 

 maintained in this park and that of Chilliugham. — .J. lioESON. 



BEDDING-OUT AT OULTON P.VRK. 



(Concluded from page 248.) 



On entering the flower garden from the arboretum we come 

 upon a large round bed tilled with Mrs. PoUock Geranium ; 

 the plants were all sin-ing-struck. The bed previous to plant- 

 ing-out time was filled with a mixture of new loam, peat, leaf 

 soil, aud weU-decomposed manure in equal proportions. The 

 jilants all grew very vigorously, aud soon covered the ground. 

 This appears lo be one of the ju'incipal secrets required to be 

 known by cultivators of Mrs. Pollock generaUj- — namely, the 

 soil cannot be too rich for it when it is planted out in the open 

 ground, provided the beds are weU drained, so that no stagnant 

 water can remain near the roots. I found, on taldng the 

 plants up the other day, that they had made roots 18 inches 

 and 2 feet long. The foliage the plants made during the 

 summer was truly magnificent, all the colours on the leaf being 

 brought out very distinctly and beautifully. I have found iu 

 every instance that spring-struck plants grow much more freely 

 than old ones ; they also produce better foliage. Therefore I 

 should strongly advise spring propagation for this section of 

 bedding Geraniums, and, instead of growing them in pots, 

 planting them out in frames where they can have the benefit 

 of a very slight bottom heat. Another point should also be 

 strictly obseiwed : iu taking cuttings a due amount of patience 

 should be exercised. Never take any cutting off unless it has 

 four or five fully developed leaves ; if taken off at an earlier 

 period there is great difficulty in making it secure in the ground, 

 aud veiy many probabilities of its damping off, because its 

 wood is not sufficiently matured. A cutting taken off' iu the 

 state described above will emit roots much more rapidly and 

 grow more freely after it is struck than a small weak one ; and 

 soon after it becomes established in the frame the top may be 

 taken off, leaving about three eyes above the ground. Thiee 

 cuttings may again be taken from the plant before bedding-out 

 time, and oiie from the first top taken off. If proper care has 

 been taken according to instructions given in previous articles 

 on the propagation aud after-mauagement of bedding plants, 

 five good plants may be propagated from one cutting between 

 the months of February aud Jime, so that from a few good 

 stock plants a large quantity may be obtained. 



I have entered into this explanat'on here, because I think 

 it may guide many who are as yet unacquainted with the 

 proper management of the Mrs. Pollock section of I'elargo- 

 niums. I do not think the appearance of Mrs. Pollock as a 

 bedding plant can be improved by an edging of any other plant, 

 especially if the bed iu which it is grown is surrounded by 

 gi-ass. The bed should, however, be nicely filled, putting the 

 tallest plants in the centre, aud reserving the very smallest for 

 the edge of the bed next the grass. 



The next bed to Mrs. PoUock is filled with Iresine Herbstii 



