296 A WEST OF SCOTLAND GARDEN. [SEss. LXXII. 
grown to their greatest beauty. Second. Iron supports and 
wire, if galvanised or painted, in no way injure the roses 
grown over them.” 
ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS, GRASSES AND CLIMBERS.—I might 
mention a number of these, but there is one so rare and also 
so specially attractive—the exquisite Japan maple—that I 
contine myself to it, giving in full what is recorded. 
“ Acer japonicum (the Japanese maple) is one of the 
greatest ornaments of the Achnashie garden and grounds. 
“ We have several varieties, all of which do well. They are 
lovely with their early shoots in spring, and in the beginning 
of summer they are exceptionally beautiful. All summer 
they are excellent, and in autumn the brilliancy of their 
changing leaves is very striking. They were introduced to 
the garden in 1885. Two of these have grown into particu- 
larly fine plants. On 18th October they measured : 
“A. palmatum, var. dissectum ornatum, 4 feet high; 24 feet 
in circumference; stem 103 inches in girth. It is a beautiful 
compact weeping bush with branches and leaves hanging 
thickly and gracefully to the ground. It is difficult to say 
whether it is more beautiful in June in its full fresh foliage, 
or in October when its leaves become of a wonderfully 
brilliant colouring ere they fall. 
“A. alropurpureum, var. palmatum, height 8 feet 6 inches ; 
circumference 24 feet; girth of stem 9 inches. This is of 
quite a different habit from the other, growing tall; branches 
open and spreading and away from the ground. It is very 
beautiful in spring and early summer, but in autumn the 
leaves wither very early. 
“Gratified by the success of these two, between 1899 and 
1903 we got a number of additional varieties which have 
done excellently—those which were fortunate in situation, 
splendidly.” 
The following is our list :— 
Acer japonicum, var. versicolor. 
ry 3 »  roseo-marginatum. 
roseo-marginatum dissectum. 
¥ 33 » polymorphum purpureumn. 
» : 5 aureum. 
