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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 28, 1866. 



to be cut off as that produced by a garden, and hence gardening 

 was among the neglected arts of the feudal ages — the ages of 

 perpetually recurring wars — not merely the wars of nation 

 against nation, but of baron against baron. Dunoon had its 

 full share of these internecine broils. In 1333 John Baliol 

 drove from it its rightful lords — the Lamonts ; and his garrison, 

 in its turn, was soon massacred by the aid of Colin Campbell, 

 of Lochawe, founder of the Argyll family, but this stronghold 

 was not restored to the Lamonts. In due course, the Earl of 

 Argyll, two centuries later, was expelled from it by the Earl of 

 Lennox. However, it was restored to the Argylls, and their 

 atrocious hatred of the Lamonts culminated in 1C4G. They 

 waged a war of extermination against the Lamonts, and nearly 

 two hundred of them, their followers, and their children, are 

 known to have been massacred. The Lamonts who held the 

 strongholds of Toward and Escoy, near Dunoon, were captured 

 and brought hither, and thirty-six gentlemen of the clan were 

 hung upon one tree. The Marquis of Argyll was indicted for 

 the crime, and there is scarcely ground for doubting that he 

 was cognizant of the intended slaughter. Some of the con- 

 cluding sentences of this head of the indictment are as 

 follows : — 



" The Lord from Heaven did declare his wrath against the 

 same by striking the tree whereon the said Lamonts were 

 hanged in the month of June ; it being a level fresh-growing 

 Ash-tree at the kirk-yard of Dunoon, among many other free- 

 growing trees with leaves. The Lord struck the tree imme- 

 diately thereafter, so the whole leaves fell from it, and the tree 

 withered." 



It is recorded that the Argylls never afterwards inhabited 

 the castle, and it gradually was deserted and allowed to become 

 a ruin.* 



I could linger over other passages in this castle's history, 

 and could detail some of the doings of Mary Queen of Scots 

 when, in 15G3, visiting here her sister, Lady Jane Stewart ; 

 but I pass on, cross the mountain at the back of Bullwood — rich 

 in bog plants, follow the mountain stream, the banks of which 

 are clothed with many Ferns, ramble on to Sandbank, where, 

 for a time, Sir William Hooker resided while Professor at 

 Glasgow University, and, homing by the shore of the East Bay, 

 will now jot down a few notes about the plants found in this 

 vicinity. 



The neighbouring sea and the comparatively small elevation 

 of the mountains here banish from them the rarer alpine 

 plants which are found within a few miles on the more inland 

 and loftier mountains, yet there are some plants of not 

 common occurrence. The Bitter Cress (Cardamine impatiens), 

 is found in the neighbouring glens ; Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia 

 officinalis), on the beach ; that gem of native plants, the Sun- 

 dew (Drosera anglica), in the bogs of the mountains ; the 

 Homed Poppy (Glaucium luteum), on the higher portion of the 

 beach between the 'West Bay and Toward Point ; and in the 

 same locality grows the Oyster Plant (Mertensia maritima), 

 deriving its popular name from the flavour of its leaves when 

 eaten whilst fresh. 



In the boggy localities is also found the Sweet Gale or Bog 

 Myrtle (Myrica gale), distinguishable even by the non-botanical 

 by the spicy fragrance of its leaves when bruised. This and 

 the elasticity of its spray cause it to be selected for many a 

 highland bed. It abounds in districts once exclusively peopled 

 ly the Campbells, and hence it was adopted as the badge of 

 Jlieir clan. 



On the drier soils, resting on the rock, are several of the 

 Orchidacen?— the Early Pnrple (Orchis mascula), the Spotted 

 (Orchis maeulata), the Butterfly (Habenaria bifolia) ; and in the 

 boggy places may be detected the Marsh Orchis (Malaxis 

 paludosa). 



In the boggy localities, also, is found the Portugese Butter- 

 wort (Pinguicula lnsitanica), so called because first discovered in 

 Portugal, but since found native in places on our western coasts, 

 though not, I believe, either on our eastern coasts or inland. 



The Yellow Mountain Saxifrage (Saxifraga aizoides), is found 

 here; and the Great Bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum), the 

 large fruit of which is eatable, and its leaves mingled with the 

 Alpine Club Moss are used for dying woollens yellow by the 

 Icelanders. Lastly, I may mention that ally of the Grasses the 



* I am indebted for this extract to a local guide about to be published 

 bv Mr. .John Colegate, Bookseller, Dunoon, of some of the proofs of which 

 lie allowed me to have the perusal. Mr. Colegate is also agent for the 

 letting of lodgings — that is, he is what is termed north of the Tweed a 

 "House Factor;" and I advise Ms aid to be obtained by those about to 

 Visit Dunoon. 



Sea Wrack (Zostera marina), used for stuffing the skins of birds 

 in the Hebrides and Orkneys. It is not uncommon near the 

 shore here. — G. 



THE CONIFERS AT WOODLANDS, REDHLLL, 

 SURREY. 



There are two chief points in connection with the Coni- 

 ferous tribe that are obviously distinct, but not necessarily 

 antagonistic. These are, utility in an economic sense, as the 

 various appliances of their timber, fruit, secretions, and, in a 

 horticultural sense, their ornamental qualities and effective 

 appearance in the landscape, whether singly or in groups. Of 

 the first it is not my object to take especial cognizance further 

 than to remark, that excepting in the case of a few well-known 

 kinds, a correct appreciation of the real value of the timber 

 furnished by many of them is as yet confined to comparatively 

 few, and that many years must elapse before the valuable 

 timber of some of the Conifers, now rarely planted for any 

 other purpose than for improving the appearance of parks and 

 kept grounds, or, as we should say, for specimens, will be 

 brought into more general use. 



This is at present naturally the case. Commercially speak- 

 ing, it would not answer to send for timber many thousands of 

 miles away, where labour is also scarce, even if it were known 

 to be superior, when a substitute could be obtained at a compara- 

 tively trifling cost although inferior in quality. There are two 

 well-known instances of this, the Douglas Fir (Abies Douglasii), 

 and the Himalayan Cedar (Cedrus deodara). The durability 

 of the latter under certain circumstances is shown by unim- 

 peachable testimony, and important applications of the latter 

 have been the subject of frequent remark, and it is not many 

 years since some interesting and conclusive experiments by 

 Mr. Wilson Saunders, showed the comparative strength of these 

 and other woods to surpass those hitherto in general use. 

 Both species have been in England several years ; they are 

 found to adapt themselves to the climate and soil perfectly ; 

 and both have begun to produce seed annually, but whether of 

 sufficient maturity to produce seedling plants has not yet come 

 to my knowledge. Evidence on this point would be useful. In 

 the case of the Douglas Fir it is certainly much to be hoped 

 that the seed may germinate, as the enormous distance and the 

 situation of its native home (North California, British Colum- 

 bia, and the north-west of North America generally, now in 

 the course of being colonised), must offer almost insurmount- 

 able obstacles to its importation in quantity. There is no 

 reason, then, why the Douglas Fir and Deodar should not be 

 extensively planted in this country, and good service is being 

 rendered by several of our most eminent nurserymen in rais- 

 ing large quantities of both from imported seed. 



In their relation to horticulture, the selection and planting 

 of Conifers for ornamental purposes is one of the most im- 

 portant considerations in laying out new grounds and the im- 

 provement of others. The diversity of form, foliage, habit, 

 and adaptability to situation is so extensive that no garden of 

 any pretension can be without some kinds, and even in the 

 smallest, if we do not find some specimens of compact or fas- 

 tigiate growth we feel that there is something wanted to render 

 it complete, however well it may be managed in other respects. 

 Like other subjects, the planting and selection of Conifers is 

 often carried to an injudicious extent, either from deficiency of 

 knowledge of their habits and requirements or from the par- 

 donable desire to possess specimens. Thus we occasionally 

 find them too much crowded, a vigorous and large-growing tree 

 put where a smaller or more compact kind would be suitable, 

 or the contrast of foliage not sufficiently studied to produce 

 striking or pleasing effect, but something indescribably jarring 

 to our sense of the beautiful which we shoidd wish to see 

 altered. Notwithstanding that much has already been written 

 about Conifers, practical suggestions for planting and arranging 

 specimens might form the subject of more than one useful 

 and interesting article. 



At Woodlands all the requisite conditions for securing good 

 specimens combined with good effect have on the whule been 

 satisfactorily complied with. The soil is light, with a large 

 proportion of sand. The situation is favourable, and partially 

 sheltered by high deciduous trees, which materially assist in 

 breaking the force of high winds. The specimens from their 

 size would at first sight appear a little too close together, but 

 they are sufficiently far apart to admit a free circulation of air 

 — an indispensable requisite to secure good and healthy plants. 



