"Retrospective Criticism. '7 17 



men, who vvere both pupils of mine. They only commenced this last spring, 

 after I sent the last young man as foreman to the other, who is the acting 

 steward, and cannot pay such close attention himself as pines require, by 

 whatever method they are cultivated. I went over to see them about Mid- 

 summer, and I was astonished at the wonderful progress and sturdiness of 

 the plants. They keep the house at an extraordinary high temperature 

 through the day, and the plants comparatively dry, but the air in the house 

 is kept like a vapour bath. 



I shall feel happy in sending you the state of the plants both at Downtoa 

 Castle and at Acton Scott, as soon as I can make it convenient to pay a 

 visit to these places. 



I am surprised to find, by the last Number of your Magazine (p. 465.), 

 that you had never heard that Mr. Knight's pine plants looked well. I am 

 persuaded that no one who had ever seen his plants could say any thing 

 against the appearance of them, unless prejudice blinded his eyes. I am, 

 Sir, &c. — John Mearns. Shohden Court, near Leominster, September, 1829. 



Mr. Knight's Pines. — As I promised to acquaint you of the present 

 state of Mr. Knight's pines as soon as I could ride over to Downton Castle ; 

 I now inform you that I have been there. I went over a few days ago 

 and took a friend, a practical gardener and excellent pine-grower, formerly 

 a pupil of my friend Mr. M'Murtrie's, at Shugborough, along with me. 

 We had a good deal of argument upon the subject of pine-growing, upon 

 our way thither; and as we had both but recently visited Mr. M'Murtrie, 

 and seen his pines and those of the Marquess of Stafford, Lord Bagot, 

 &c., and he had never seen Mr. Knight's, although but eight or nine miles 

 from him, for the last three or four years, you may suppose that he would 

 not think much of the method till he had seen it : however he was much 

 pleased, and not a little astonished when he saw the plants, and also the 

 fruit, and I have to say from him, that, under certain circumstances, he is 

 become as much a convert to the system as any of us : and I am likewise 

 permitted to say that Mr. Corbett, Mr. Knight's acting steward, who was 

 previously gardener, and an excellent pine-grower, has long been as great 

 a convert as myself, and intends to make an attempt at it ere long, near 

 some of our great coal-works. My friend, Mr. Andrew Begbie, had changed 

 his tone before he left Downton Castle, and was anticipating all the way 

 home the great prospect of success that was Hkely to accrue from Mr. 

 Knight's method in the neighbourhood of such a place as Musselborough, 

 where coals, glass, bricks, and timber could be had at hand and cheap ; and 

 at so convenient a distance from Edinburgh. Yours, &c. — John Mearns. 

 Shohden Court, near Leominster, Oct. 10. 1829. 



Mr. Knight's Pines. — Sir, I observe in one of your previous Numbers of 

 the Gardener's Magazine, that you would be much obliged to any of your 

 readers that visited Downton Castle, if they would send you some account 

 of what they saw there. But you appear to show as a cause why they do 

 not, " that gardeners having so great a personal respect for T. A. Knight, 

 Esq., from liis obvious goodness, and that pecuHar sort of winning simplicity 

 and ingenuousness which pervades his character, they will not incur the 

 risk of hurting his feelings ; " which I consider to be as much as to say, that 

 his pines are so very bad that they dare not report them, lest they should 

 get Mr. Knight's displeasure. However, I dare run the risk of informing 

 you and your readers, that I visited Downton Castle on the 26th of August 

 last, and that I was very much deceived in T. A. Knight, Esq.'s pines; 

 so much so, that I think 1 shall become a zealous convert. I expected to 

 find them poor, stunted, and bad-looking; but, on the contrary, I found 

 them stout, healthy, and the finest-looking plants that ever I saw in my 

 life, of the kinds which he grows. Fruit from 3 lbs. to 5 lbs. weight, of the 

 Montserrat kind. Therefore, let his mode of growing the pine be what it 

 will, I think that he might (at the present time) challenge any pine-grower 



