258 TRANSACTIONS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THF-; [Sess. Lxvi. 



these trees at the end of Frost's life, marvelled that they 

 could have been grown in so comparatively short a time. 

 The method practised by the gardener was to keep all 

 soil that had been used in pots, trimmings and road-parings, 

 rotted heaps of leaves, and other garden refuse, to mix these, 

 and throw them periodically on the surface ; and as a result 

 of these top-dressings the trees throve. 



We may also quote the example of Ochtertyre, near 

 Crieff, where Sir Patrick Murray informed his gardener 

 that liis requirements from the garden would be small, 

 and that the gardener might therefore devote his energies 

 to the shrubberies and woods near the mansion. 



The result of a number of years' work was one of the 

 best collections of conifers in the kingdom. 



My further notes will refer to my twenty-five years' 

 experience in Ireland. In 1873 I had charge of Lord 

 de Vesci's garden and home woods at Abbeyleix, Queen's 

 County. Queen's County at the above date was in the 

 forefront in Ireland as resfards arable farming and stock- 

 breeding ; the Agricultural Show in the county town, Mary- 

 boro', ranked next to the Royal Society's Show in Dublin. 



A large tract of bog from which all the turf fit for 

 firing had been cut away was at this time growing a fine 

 wood of Scots pine, forty years jDlanted, all the trees 

 with straight, clean boles, and of an average diameter of 

 fifteen inches. To a neighbourino- heath-clad bog seeds 

 of Scots pine had been wafted and a crop of trees resulted, 

 many attaining a good height — these self-sown trees reach- 

 ing in six years a height and strength equal to what 

 transplants would have required ten years to reach. These 

 unprotected, too, had remained untouched by rabbits and 

 hares, whereas young adjoining plantations of transplants 

 had to be carefully guarded with netting against these 

 animals. 



Among trees that did well at Abbeyleix were Cupressus 

 macrocarim and the ordinary plantation trees — larch, spruce, 

 and fir. The evergreen Magnolia grandijlora, both grew 

 and flowered well. Khododendrons, on account of the 

 limey sub-soil, could only be grown by excavating deeply 

 the natural soil and filling in peat soil, of which there 

 M'as plenty close at hand. 



