BOOK 1. 



GARDENS OF SCOTLAND. 



108: 



7617. The principal commercial gardens He around the capital; taken altogether they 

 occupy about 530 acres, of which 130 are employed as nursery grounds by seven or 

 eight individuals, who hold from fifty to four acres each. The four hundred acres of 

 market garden-ground are cultivated by nearly eighty gardeners, in holdings of from 

 half an acre to about twenty acres each. There are market-gardens in almost every 

 county, and the total extent of ground occupied as nurseries in the kingdom is esti- 

 mated at 700 acres. Some of these nurseries raise and dispose annually of ten or twelve 

 millions of seedling and transplanted forest trees. Previous to 1760, when the taste 

 for planting and rural embellishment in Scotland began to increase, there were not 

 above six nurseries in Scotland ; and these, taken together, did not occupy above sixty 

 or seventy acres. In 1812, one house in Edinbuigh shipped upwards of two million 

 of seedlings, chiefly larch and spruce fir, Scotch pine, birch, elm, ash, alder, and 

 hawthorns. 



7618. MIDLOTHIAN. A surrace of 230,400 acres, varied by inequalities, and in some places by 

 hills. Round Edinburgh are some neat suburban cottage and villa gardens, some good market- 

 gardens, three extensive nurseries, and a botanic garden. The Caledonian Horticultural Society, and 

 also the Caledonian Gardener's Lodge, is held in the capital. There is a market for culinary produc- 

 tions and the common fruits ; and it is in contemplation to establish one for ornamental plants in uots 

 and flowers. 



Public Promenade Holyrood Park is a piece of ground of 



moderate extent, adjoining the palace of Holyrood. The hill 

 of Arthur's Seat, and adjoining inequalities and valleys, contain 

 upwards of 400 species of plants, and a great variety of mineral 

 productions, with varied and extensive views and prospects. 

 [See 7317.) 



The Edinburgh Botanic Garden, as it existed till latelv, 

 contained five statute acres, of a varied surface, and properly 

 situated to the north of the road which leads past it. It 

 was founded by Sir A. Balfour about 1GSO ; removed from 

 its original to its late site under the auspices of Dr- Hope in 

 1767, and is now (1821) removing to a more extensive area, 

 under the superintendence of the present professor, Graham, 

 and his able garden-curator, M'Nab. This site contains 16 

 acres ; and Will display extensive hot-houses, and both a Lin- 

 naean and Jussieuean arrangement. 



Market Gardens. Few of these, of any extent, are known 

 to have existed previously to 174G. At that time Henry 

 Prentice cultivated peas, potatoes, turnips, and other culinary 

 articles, on an extensive scale : before his time, the supply 

 was limited to what could be carried in baskets. Next to 

 Prentice, Thomas Peacock may be mentioned as an extensive 

 grower about 1750; and his successor, who now occupies 

 about twenty acres, produces at this time the best asparagus, 

 cauliflower, and celery, sent to market. Ross's garden is 

 about the same extent ; the rest are considerably smaller. 

 Besides culinary herbs, most of these grounds are stocked with 

 standard fruit-trees ; and since the custom of making British 

 wines became so fashionable as it now is in Scotland,, great 

 part is occupied with currants, gooseberries, and rasp- 

 berries. Strawberries are grown to greater perfection than 

 probably anywhere else in Britain, at Roslin, on the banks 

 of the Esk. 



Orchards. There are but few of these in this county, and 

 those are chiefly near Laswade and Dalkeith. Edinburgh 

 market is supplied with fruit from the standard trees in the 

 market-gardens, and from such private gardens as are let to 

 commercial gardeners by their occupiers, on account of ab- 

 sence or otherwise. This is also the chief source of forced 

 and exotic fruits, as very few of the market-gardeners ven- 

 ture to build hot-houses. Fletcher, however, built a vinery, 

 and produces the best early grapes. 



Seed. Gardens are unknown in Scotland. Some cabbage, 

 borecole, and leek seeds, are raised in the country ; but 

 most garden-seeds are procured from London, and some from 

 Holland. 



Herb-Gardens. There are one or two on a very small scale, 

 in which peppermint is chiefly cultivated. 



The Letth Walk Nursery. Messrs. Dickson and Shankley ; 

 a respectable establishment of nearly fifty years' standing, in 

 which every description of nursery article is propagated ac- 

 cording to the demand, and the whole kept in excellent order 

 and neatness. 



The Broughton or Adelphi Nursery (from A8flX00C, a 

 brother), Messrs. Dickson, brothers; an extensive establish- 

 ment of nearly twenty years' standing, kept in good order. 



The Jock's Lodge Nursery, Henderson and Co. ; an ex- 

 tensive establishment, judiciously managed. 



The Comely Bank Nursery, Cunningham. This establish- 

 ment is conducted more on the plan of the London nurseries 

 than any of the others. Flowers and tender exotics are cul- 

 tivated with success ; and mushrooms also in flat beds, in the 

 open garden, not covered either with mats or litter. They are 

 originated without planting spawn, on beds like what are 

 called lazy beds of potatoes ; but the details of the method the 

 inventor is said to decline making public. 



There are some other nurseries, but not of sufficient note to 

 require being particularised in our very limited space. 



Colder House, near Mid-Calder ; Lord Torphichen. A 

 stately fabric, surrounded with very extensive plantations. 



Hatton House, near Calder ; Davidson, Esq. A ve- 

 nerable, ancient house, the grounds, containing 800 acres, 

 ill lately exhibited one of the most perfect specimens of the 

 old style in the county, orperhaps in Scotland ; with artificial 



sion, in the pseudo-Gothic style, in a romantic 

 the Esk, and surrounded by high banks covered 



cascades, fountains, alcoves, terraces, and an excellent kitchen- 

 garden. They are supposed to have been laid out by Jxmdon 

 and Wise, or some of Uieir pupils, about the beginning of the 

 last century. 



Dalmahoy, near Edinburgh; Lord Morton. A good 

 house, in a park of between 400 and 500 acres, enclosed oy a 

 well-built wall, and subdivided into lesser commodious en- 

 rlo.MiiX's by strips of plantation. 



ColHngtan House, nearEdinburgh ; Sir J. Foulis. A sub- 

 stantial house, in a commanding situation, embosomed in 

 wood. 



Dreg/torn Castle, near Edinburgh; Trotter, Esq. A 



magnificent castle, in the Gothic style, commenced, and 

 the grounds much improved and planted; the mountainous 

 parts from designs by the celebrated landscape-painter, Na- 

 smyth. 



Braid House, near Edinburgh ; Gordon, Esq. A 



neat square house, placed in the bottom of a ravine, or nar 

 row glen, well wooded, and watered by a stream. 



Pmnymick House, near Pennycuick ; Sir G. Clerk. A 

 handsome Grecian house, finely situated on a level lawn, on 

 the Esk ; the situation rendered interesting by a turn of the 

 river ; the ruins of a castle on its banks ; and the i'entland 

 hills in the distance. The kitchen-garden contains an exten- 

 sive range of hot-houses. 



Meli'ille Castle, near Laswade; Lord Melville. An 

 tensive mansia 

 situation on 

 with wood. 



Dolhotisie Castle, near Laswade ; Earl of Dalhousie. An 

 old castellated mansion, lately modernised ; surrounded by 

 extensive and romantic pleasure-grounds. The river Esfc 

 washes the base of the castle ; and its lofty wooded banks 

 afford delightful summer walks. 



Newbuttle Abbey, near Laswade ; Marquis of Lothian. A 

 large modern building, with a lawn of thirty acres, and a 

 park beautifully varied, and well clothed with trees; the 

 kitchen-garden good, and well managed. 



X Dalkeith House, near DalkcJiii -. Duke of Bucclengh. 

 A building without pretensions to style, nobly founded on ft 

 naked rock ; which, however, was earthed up about the be- 

 ginning of the last century. The park contains upwards of 

 800 acres, surrounded by a stone wall nine feet high ; it is 

 magnificently wooded, and watered by two streams, the 

 North and South Esk, which pass near the house. The 

 kitchen-garden contains twelve acres, and is reckoned one of 

 the first in Scotland : the hot-houses and flower-garden are 

 proportionately extensive. 



Morton Hall, near Liberton ; Trotter, Esq. A massy 



stone fabric, on the south bank of a hill, surrounded by a 

 beautiful park. 



Duddingshm House, near Edinburgh; Marquis of Aber- 

 corn. A handsome Grecian house, by Sir W. Chalmers, and 

 the grounds by Robinson, nephew to the royal gardener of 

 that name at Kensington. They are thus described in the 

 Beauties of Scotland. " This villa, with the pleasure-grounds 

 or park which have been annexed to it, exhibits an example of 

 all that money or art can do to adorn a nearly flat surface, 

 through which a small stream of water naturally runs ; clumps, 

 groves, canals, lakes, isles, cascades, temples, shrubbery, ser- 

 pentine walks, and spreading lawns. In every corner, art and 

 expense have been ostentatiously displayed, and nature is 

 evidently employed merely as her handmaid. Such a place 

 as this, however, has considerable beauty, and excites much 

 interest in a country like Scotland, where bold natural scenery 

 so much abounds, by the striking contrast which it exhibits to 

 the general aspect of the surrounding territory." (Vol. i. 354.) 



Woodhouselee near Roslin ; Tytler, Esq. A vener- 

 able and romantic house and grounds ; the latter remarkable 

 for containing the largest silver fir-tree in the county; fora 

 fine terrace-walk, and superb holly-hedge. Some curious or- 

 naments, in the geometric style of gardening, which existed 

 here, were obliterated when the grounds were remodelled hi 

 1787. 



7619. EAST LOTHIAN. A surface of 190,368 acres, little varied on the east side, but hilly and 

 mountainous towards the southern extremity. It is remarkable for the excellence of its agriculture ; 

 and it contains some good kitchen-gardens. There is a small nursery at Haddington ; and a number of 

 market-gardens in the county, of from half an acre to two and a half acres in extent, for local supply, and 

 ply of Edinburgh, and the shipping of Leith, and other sea-ports along the coast. There are 



for the supply 



small orchards at Ormiston and Prestonkirk. 



North Berwick House, near North Berwick ; Sir H. D. Ha- 

 milton. A good house, surrounded by an extensive suite of en- 

 closures, subdivided by straight lines and strips, or double rows 



of trees m the ancient style ; the object being to combine the 

 general effect of a park as to wood and pasture.with the utility 

 and convenience of enclosures. 



