400 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ November 14, 1865. 



nent meadow or pasture, the remainder being wholly in tillage. 

 In the early part of September the harvest was being just con- 

 cluded, and fields of Margold, Turnips, and Potatoes showed 

 Tinmistakably what good land or good farming, or rather both 

 united, were capable of doing. These features of the country 

 are here given preparatory to introducing the reader to one of 

 the best-managed gardens in the kingdom — Archerfield, which 

 is situated in this well-cultivated district. 



From the general character of the country it will be at once 

 understood that picturesque scenery does not form a main 

 feature c f this place; nevertheless, it is not without its ad- 

 vantages. The southern shore of the Frith of Forth forms the 

 boundary to the park on that side, and the fine turf, level as a 

 bowling-green, runs down to the water's edge, while at a little 

 distance from the shore Iwo or three island rocks, on a smaller 

 scale than the Bass Bock, give great diversity to the scene. 

 The Frith of Forth is from fifteen to twenty miles wide at this 

 point, but the opposite coast of Fife is distinctly visible, and 

 the size and shape of its fields easily traced. This view, of 

 which the broad expanse of the Frith constitutes the finest fea- 

 ture, is to the north of Archerfield ; looking eastward we have 

 the black and precipitous rock of Berwick Law, almost on a 

 line with the Bass Bock, already referred to. The coast in that 

 direction is some miles distant, and not seen from the grounds. 

 The immediate neighbourhood of the mansion is well clothed 

 with timber, and the park and its surroundings are plentifully 

 supplied with trees. Some thriving woods of mature age 

 intersect it in various directions, and afford shelter where such 

 is wanted. A noble avenue, stretching in a straight line from 

 the west front of the mansion to a great distance, appeared to 

 be 1.50 or 180 feet wide, and the ground being level it had a 

 fine effect. On other sides plantations of irregular form con- 

 nect the mansion with the ruins of a former residence at some 

 little distance off, named Dirleton Castle, which will be noticed 

 hereafter ; there being walks through these woods, and ever 

 and anon some opening displaying a Pinus or other important 

 tree, differing from those forming the rest of the wood. The 

 mansion is a large commodiou.s structure, built, I believe, 

 about the middle of the last century, when comfort and conve- 

 nience were regarded as of more importance than external ap- 

 pearance, although in the latter respect it is not without its 

 merits. In its immediate vicinity are a closely-shaven lawn, 

 shrubs judiciously planted, singly and in masses, and here and 

 there a Conifer, but few or no flowers. We must look else- 

 where for those flower-garden plants which Mr. Thomson has 

 the reputation of cultivating with eo much skill and success, 

 and arranging with such taste. 



It has been explained that the mansion of Archerfield is situ- 

 ated on a plain, having the estuary of the Forth about a mile and 

 a half or more to the north of it. The kitchen garden and 

 forcing department, with Mr. Thomson's dwelling, are nearly a 

 mile to the south-west ; and the ruins of Dirleton Castle, with 

 its beautiful flower garden, are little short of a mile off, in an 

 opposite direction. These two places, nearly two miles apart, 

 but of course connected by well-kept walks, &c., form indepen- 

 dent flower gardens, and will be treated of separately. The 

 kitchen garden, as being the head quarters and possessing other 

 objects of interest, will take precedence. This garden is a pa- 

 rallelogram, and walled all round, the north wall, about 500 feet 

 long, being occupied with glass structures, and .some Pine- 

 pits, and others are at the north side of the wall, -nith the 

 usual offices. The garden, I may remark, instead of being 

 divided in two by a walk across the centre, has two such walks, 

 which, with the walks near each end, di\'ide the central portion 

 into three equal parts, and each of these walks gives scope for 

 variety in that mode of ornamenting flower-borders which Mr. 

 Thomson practises. 



Before entering on this, however, let us take a peep into the 

 houses and see some of the specimens of those noble fruits 

 which Mr. Thomson exhibited so successfully at Edinburgh. 

 The houses, though symmetrical, are mostly old, and the end 

 ones, especially, are narrow. The whole length of range is 

 divided into eleven houses, which, for distinction, I shall number 

 from the west end. The two end houses, Nos. 1 and 11, are 

 only 5 feet wide, merely glass cases in fact ; Nos. 2 and 3, and 

 9 and 10, are about 7 feet wide ; while Nos. 4 and 5, and 7 and 8, 

 are about 11 feet ; and the central house, which is span-roofed 

 with a door in the front, is 15 feet wide ; so that these houses, 

 presenting a gi-eat length, it is true, have but little standing 

 room for plants. I wiU, however, describe their contents more 

 in detail, and beginning at No. 1, at the west end of the range, 

 make a few notes on each. 



1. Vinery, as stated above, only 5 feet wide inside, planted 

 mostly with Lady Downe's, in excellent order, fruit being good. 



2. Peach-house ; fruit, which had been good and abun- 

 dant, had been gathered ; there were, however, some Figs in 

 pots still having fruit on, and some plants for decorative pur- 

 poses were coming on. 



3. Vinery ; mostly Black Hamburgh, excellently coloured, 

 and in other respects good, as evidenced by the success 

 which Mr. Thomson had at the Show. There was no appear- 

 ance of withering or shanking, and the whole of the Vines 

 were in most excellent health. 



4. Vinei-y ; mostly of the Muscat class, well ripened off, and 

 equally well finished with the Hamburgh. The Duchess of Buc- 

 cleuch was coming on, but was not so far advanced as to enable 

 a judgment to be formed of its merits, but the whole of the 

 Muscats were excellent. 



5. Forcing-house, where Vines had been forced in pots, 

 and it had been used variously. At the time of my visit, 

 plants for rooms and other decorative purposes were its prin- 

 cipal occupants. 



6. Greenhouse with a span-roof and door in front, contain- 

 ing most of the popular plants of the day, not the least in- 

 teresting beiug specimen plants of some of the best bedding 

 Geraniums — such as Excellent, Chmax, Amy Hogg, Paul 

 L'Abbe, Cybister, Eose Eendatler, Conspicua, and others. There 

 was also an excellent specimen of Statice prof usa and Solanum 

 capsicaetrum. 



7. Vinery ; Black Hamburghs, mostly cut, but had been 

 good. 



8. Vinery, recently planted, promising. Several new kinds 

 had been introduced here, and in a year or two, doubtless, this 

 wiU be very interesting. Some Figs and Vines in pots were' 

 also allowed a place for the time being. 



9. Vinery ; Vines mostly newly planted and choice kinds, 

 inchiding one or two seedlings ; one, a White Grape, promised 

 well. There was also a Black one that appeared hkely to be 

 useful aud good. 



10. Peach-house ; fruit gathered ; but trees in good trim. 



11. Vinery; mixed kinds of Vines. 



These houses, as wiU be understood, entirely occupied the 

 north wall of the garden, leaving only two openings for ingress 

 between the houses, Nos. 3 and 4 ; and also between Nos. 8 and 

 9. These walks, crpssing to the opposite side of the garden, 

 end at doors in the south wall, and between these doors on the 

 south side is a Peach-house, 132 feet long by 12 wide. This 

 house had not been forced like the others on the north wall, 

 and, consequently, there was still some fruit hanging in the 

 beginning of September, and both it and the trees were in ex- 

 cellent order. In winter Mr. Thomson here keeps a great 

 portion of his bedding plants, as a couple of pipes run along 

 the front. This house was also gay with good specimens of 

 Geraniums and other flowering plants. 



WTien describing this house I must also mention, that on 

 the north side of the wall Morello Cherries were bearing ex- 

 cellent fruit, and a border about 12 feet wide was planted with 

 Currant and Gooseberiy trees, which at the time of my visit 

 were in bearing, and a net fastened to the top of the wall, in a 

 sort of lean-to fashion, protected the whole from the depre- 

 dations of birds. The Gooseberries were still good and in toler- 

 able abundance, while the other fruits promised to bang some 

 time. I believe that Plums are retarded in a like manner, but 

 this fruit is liable to drop off, and little can be done to keep it 

 on the tree. This mode of keeping small fruits I noticed in 

 one or two other places, and it seems a plan worthy of adoption. 



In some Pine-pits behind the garden wall, Mr. Thomson had 

 some excellent fruit of Smooth-leaved Cayenne Pine Apple, a va- 

 riety to which he is very partial, and certainly, judging from the 

 very excellent specimens here produced, it is deserving of greater 

 attention. Mr. Thomson grows all the plants in pots, and in 

 pits not by any means remarkable, either for their construction 

 or facilities for heating, and yet he had fruit weighing upwards 

 of 9 lbs., and the weight of a quantity that were in fruit or 

 coming on would seem to average about 7 lbs. The fi-uit hag 

 a handsome appearance at table and is much admired. I do 

 not think the variety often exhibited at the London shows is 

 the same as this, as the London one is more tender as a plant 

 and seldom attains the size above mentioned. Mr. Thomson 

 also grows Queens, but less extensively than the Smooth-leaved 

 Cayenne. There were some very good fruit of 4 and 5 lbs., and 

 I learned it was customary at Archerfield to calculate tha 

 weight by the number of pips in depth in each fruit. A Queen 

 Pine was expected to be half a pound in weight for every pip 



