October 17, 1878. ] 
sOCRNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
297 
border, where a fine view of the Castle is obtained. This 
border being winding Mr. Westcott has it tastefully bedded- 
out with flowers, and it extends the whole length of the garden. 
It is arranged ribbon fashion, and the long wavy lines of flowers 
were yery beautiful. At the east end of this garden is the his- 
toric Raby Castle Fig which was planted nearly 150 years ago ; 
it fills a house 40 feet long, and was bearing at the time of our 
visit te second crop of Figs. Many of the huge stems of this 
tree had been ringed, exhibiting the methods of former times to 
produce fruitfulness. Thanks to the rapid strides gardening 
has made in these last few years, this barbarous method is ex- 
ploded. This tree still retains its wonderful producing properties 
andisin perfect health. The houseis heated bya flue. On the 
top of the leads of the roof of this house, which overlaps the ven- 
tilation, has been trained a shoot of Ribston Pippin Apple, which 
was covered with fruit. Wending our steps westward along 
this magnificent border we catch beautiful glimpses of the 
park, which is very finely undulated. The wall of this garden 
is well covered with fruit trees (many of the walls here are 
heated by hot-air pipes), exhibiting good taste in training, 
The varieties of Pears Mr. Westcott finds do best on the walls 
are Thompson’s, Glou Mor¢eau, and Williams’ Bon Chrétien. 
Of Apples the great favourite here is Ribston Pippin for des- 
sert, and which scarcely ever fails ; the most usefuland certain. 
kitchen Apples being Lord Suffield, Keswick Codlin, and New 
Hawthornden. In the outdoor culture of fruit Mr. Westcott 
has much to contend against, as the atmosphere is very humid, 
and therefore sadly detrimental to the setting of the fruit and 
ripening of the wood, 
We next enter one of the kitchen gardens, which is well 
stocked with small fruit trees, and see the parent plant of the. 
justly celebrated Raby Castle Red Currant, and a host of other 
bushes of which it has been the progenitor. The wants of the 
ducal cuisine are immense, both as regards fruits and vyege- 
tables. Amongst vegetables of recent introduction Mr. West-. 
| cott speaks in high terms of Culverwell’s Prolific Pea, About 
Fig. 49.—RABY CASTLE—SOUTH SIDz. 
1400 plants of Strawberries are forced in 5 and 6-inch pots ; 
the pots are filled with the necessary compost, and the runners 
are then pegged in and allowed to remain uncut till the 
autumn. This method is found to save labour, and the runners 
haye the advantage of the support of the parent plants for a 
lengthened period. Keens’ Seedling, President, Garibaldi, and 
James Veitch, the latter being a great favourite, are the sorts 
employed for forcing. At the top of the kitchen garden is 
situated Mr. Westcott’s house, which is a neat commodious 
structure, in a line with the conservatory. A fine ribbon border 
skirts the greater portion of the kitchen garden, and has for a 
background a magnificent collection of Phloxes in all the latest 
varieties, and on the opposite side of the walk, betwixt the con- 
seryatory and Mr. Westcott’s house, were some fine Gladioli | 
and Stocks beautifully intermingled, reminding us of some of 
the massive borders at Drumlanrig. 
Wecome to the Pine pits, which consist of two fruiting pits, the 
varieties being Smooth Cayennes, Queens, and Charlotte Roth- 
schild, the latter being valued as a winter Pine. The plants were 
very healthy, clean, and were showing some very fine fruit. In 
the fruiting Pine stove is a narrow border, in which pot Vines 
are planted out and trained over the pathway. After the Grapes 
are cut Melonsare planted, and after them come winter Cucum- 
bers, thus showing by judicious treatment how a little room cam 
be profitably utilised ; in front were the successional Pine pits, 
with a promising stock for future use. A little house contained. 
plants of the Prince of Wales Capsicum, raised by Mr. West- 
cott. It is remarkable for its sturdy growth, which renders. 
it invaluable for decorative purposes, its fruit being of a very 
pale yellow colour. We next come to the range of plant 
houses, the first house being 24 feet long by 19 wide, the roof 
of which is devoted to two magnificent plants of the white 
and red Lapageria interlaced. Never has it been our lot to 
see such a magnificent sight before, many of the white flowers 
measuring 4 inches in length, whilst the red was beautifully 
mottled. No one would begrudge going miles to see this lovely,. 
and once seen never to be forgotten, sight. We noticed a fine 
Gleichenia speluncee, Nephrolepis dayallioides, and a magnifi-. 
cent specimen of Todea superba in a glass case, the plant measur- 
ing 5 feet across—a splendidly grown specimen. Next in order 
are two plant stoves, 43 feet by 20 feet, in which were a mixek 
collection of flowering and fine-foliaged plants and Orchids, all 
bearing the impress of high culture. An ingenious contrivance . 
for decorating some of the ducal apartments used on state 
occasions to hide the bottoms of the windows merits notice. It. 
consists of a species of Vitis, which is trained on a square 
