September 28, 1876. 1 JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



287 



famed as their earlier sisters of the spring. Those who would 

 gather them must leave the well-trodden paths and seek for 

 the flowers by the sides of rivers and Btreams, up on the hillsides, 

 and away over the purple moors, where the blooming heather 

 gives local character and colour to wide expanses of country. 



The trees also are fast losing their full foliage or changing 

 the greenery of their summer's prime for the manifold rich 

 tints of their autumnal days. Few of the trees have yet lost 

 their leaves. TheAoacia, with its graoeful pendant foliage that 

 trembles in every passing breeze, is almost as verdant as at 

 midsummer ; while the Walnut has changed his darker hue 

 for a brilliant tint of yellow. The Horse Chestnut and the 

 Mulberry are fast losing their summer garb, while the Cherry 

 is turning to crimson, and the Virginia Creeper returnB brilliant 

 blushes in exchange for the warm kisses of the setting sun. 

 The Hawthorn berries are ripening, and the foliage of this the 

 sweetest of our wayside trees is gradually changing from green 

 to brown, then to browny red, and soon as the early frosts 

 have touched it with icy fingers, it will vie in hue with its rich 

 store of dark red fruit. So wet and cold has been this usually 

 delightful month that the birds have already had recourse to 

 the half-ripened berries of the Thorn ; a sudden noise at morn 

 or eve will Bend dozens of birdB from many a wayside bush. 



It is now the season when the nimble squirrel gets his best 

 feast of Hazel nuts, while leaves still hang plentifully on the 

 trees, and the frisky puck cannot be seen by the prying eyes 

 of the sohoolboy who seeks his haunts to lighten his store of 

 winter food. This month also our favourite wayside dainty 

 the Blackberry should be in perfection, but rain such as we 

 have had quite destroys the flavour of this fruit, which is 

 really at its best when gathered in the full sun of an Ootober 

 noon after a light frost overnight ; the ripened berries shine out 

 lustrous black, and every tint of the diversified foliage of the 

 Bramble is seen, as well as the pure white or pale pinky lilac 

 blossoms of this beautifier of our hedgerows. The blackbird 

 and thrash now resume their joyous songs daring fine days, 

 and the goldfinohes again Bing. This pretty gay-feathered 

 songster, called by the country people in Derbyshire the 

 "proud tailor,** may be seen feasting on the seeds of the 

 Thistle. The fieldfare and the redwing arrive this month to 

 find their winter food of Hawthorn berries on our well-gar- 

 nished hedgerows; they seek also the exquisitely beautiful 

 wax-like berries of the Yew. 



Daring this " season of miBt and mellow fruitfulness " many 

 other birds are often tempted to pour forth notes of gladness, 

 as though the autumn sunshine bore on its beams a promise 

 of another spring. At this time of year two most beautiful 

 English rural piotures may be seen at either corner — eaat or 

 west — of onr little island. 



" With ruddy fruit the orohard now is hang. 

 The golden Hop droops pendant in the breeze, 

 For Autumn from her ample hand hath thrown 

 Her rioheet treasures on the laden trees." 



In the " Garden of England," as Kent is called, although 

 many another county in our lovely island might contest the 

 proud distinction of such a title, the Hop harvest is at its 

 height, and many picturesque groups may be seen where the 

 sturdy labourer lifts the pole with its graceful encumbrance of 

 twining bine and carries it to the merry group of women and 

 children who are waiting to strip it as rapidly as possible of 

 its golden treasure. In Devonshire, England's " pomaceous 

 harvests, breathing sweets," blush in every orchard. There 

 the bent and gnarled trees, all venerable with age, their hoary 

 limbs encased in grey-green moss and lichens, offer each sea- 

 son an overflowing store of fruit which, untended, ungathered, 

 grows years after year and drops with mellow richness from 

 the laden bonghs on to the thick greensward beneath, until the 

 early frosts have imparted to it the exact flavour so desired by 

 epicures, when it is carted away to the press to be made into 

 Apple wine. 



One of the most beautiful features in the landscape at this 

 season is the Bracken, which lights up the scene with its rich 

 fronds — now golden brown, now light as gold itself, or perhaps 

 a few leaves still bear a tint of their original verdant hue. 

 Although the glorious motley of the trees is the most striking 

 object this month, the wild flowers have not quite departed ; 

 the stately Golden-rod may still be seen, and the wild Snap- 

 dragon finds a congenial resting place on old walls and waste 

 places. In the fields many small bright flowers may be 

 gathered. The tiny Pheasant's-eye still peeps from the stubble ; 

 the pretty quaint name given by our grandmothers to this 

 flower was Rose-a-ruby. In the same localities the wild Pansy 



will grow side by side. This pretty wildling goes in Germany 

 by the name of " Stepmother," in Poland by that of " Brothers- 

 and-Sisters." On a fine day, when 



11 All heaven and earth are Btill, though not in sleep, 

 But breathless, as we grow when feeling most," 



many a modest wayside flower may be gathered, and what ie 

 wanting in brilliancy of oolour will be amply compensated for 

 by beauty of form. 



The meadows at this season are often as green and fresh as 

 in spring, but they are not gay with Flora's smiles. In place 

 of delicate blossoniB they often bear a rich harvest of food in 

 the shape of Mushrooms, which now rise, as it were, sponta- 

 neously from the sod, and after dewy nights sprinkle the 

 meadows with balls of snow, or cluster in groups of yellow or 

 brown fungi above the roots of large trees in park and forest. 

 Before the end of the month almost all the corn is garnered, 

 yet in the mountainous districts of Wales and the north of 

 England it still stands, and in unfavourable seasons the stookg- 

 are dried by the earlier breathings of Ootober winds. In the 

 southern and midland oounties the stubble fields are given up 

 to the sportsman ; — 



" In his mid-career the pointer, Btruok 

 Stiff by the tainted gale, with open nose, 

 Outstretched and finely sensible, draws full. 

 Fearful, and cautious on the latent prey, 

 As in the sun the oircling covey baBk 

 Their varied plumes, and, watchful every way, 

 Through the rough stubble turn the secret eye." 



— T. S. J. 



PETROLEUM HEATING THE BOILERS OP 

 HOTHOUSES. 



Wf! have been so very successful in making jam by one of 

 these stoves, the copper vessel containing the jam having 

 been set and kept boiling, that it has occurred to me that the 

 same, or if desirable a larger stove, would easily keep a boiler 

 at the required temperature (under boiling I believe) , for heat- 

 ing a hothouse. 



The stove we used is one of the new and improved burners,, 

 the wicks being only two in number, and under 3 inohes in 

 width. From my experience of the old stoves, whioh I havo 

 used for two or three years for heating bedrooms, I feel sura 

 there would be no difficulty in keeping a stove burning for 

 eighteen or twenty-four hours at any set temperature ; and the 

 ease with which these boilers oould be kept at any given heat 

 for the time above mentioned, with the very small amount o£ 

 oare and attention they would want, ought to make them, if 

 properly made and supplied, very valuable, and from the prioe 

 of petroleum I oannot help thinking cheaper than coke, when 

 it is remembered that there is no waste in lighting or putting, 

 them out.— W. T. F. M. Ikqall. 



NOTES OF A SCOTTISH TOUR.— No. 4. 



DBUMLANEIG. 



"If you are going to visit Drumlanrig you will see the most- 

 finished piece of gardening in the three kingdoms." Suoh 

 was the observation made to me by one who ought to know j 

 and I can only say after having visited it, as far as my expe- 

 rience goes the judgment is correct, for I have never seen such, 

 thoroughness in all the departments of a garden as I saw there. 

 Everything was clean and tidy to a high degree. All the plants 

 requiring Btakes were carefully supported, the walks were excel- 

 lent, and not a weed was to be seen throughout : and now in 

 my poor way I must strive to give an idea of this fine garden. 



No two places can be more distinct in charaoter than Castle 

 Kennedy and Drumlanrig. In the former we see a place 

 struggling into existence as it were, for all the deeply inter- 

 esting part of it is new as I have explained, while at Drum- 

 lanrig everything that age can give to a place is present. The 

 old house, the magnificent trees, all tell of an old baronial 

 residence, and give a groundwork for so able and intelligent a- 

 gardener as Mr. Thomson to work upon ; while, embosomed 

 as it is among hills where the most luxuriant foliage abounds, 

 it haB a very different appearance to the somewhat bare cha- 

 racter of the scenery around Castle Kennedy. Nothing can be 

 imagined more princely than the general aspect of the plaoe \. 

 while, as I shall endeavour to explain, the more one explores 

 it the greater the interest it excites. 



On entering the grounds from the Thornhill station one oomes 

 at once to Mr. Thomson's house, built on an eminenoe over- 

 looking the kitchen garden, and replete with the comforts and£ 



