October 27, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



331 



mass of glass rare); to be met with. I may add that there 

 was ample space for the Vine borders, paths, and other re- 

 quirements, and that all was in good order, and well arranged. 



As it is unnecessary to describe the contents of each house 

 individually, an outline of some of the most important may 

 be given. I will first take a late vinery, 110 feet long by 

 11 feet wide, with a bigh back wall, giving, consequently, a 

 steep roof, which Mr. Thomson regards as the best for a late 

 house, as insuring greater dryness than roofs of lower pitch. 

 A large portion of it was planted with Lady Downe's Grape in 

 most excellent condition, the berries large and well swelled out, 

 and the bunches compact. West's St. Peter's was also good, 

 though not bo promising as Lady Downe's. A large white 

 Grape, not much grown in England, also looked well. Its 

 name is Calabrian Raisin, and it partakes somewhat of the 

 character of the Syrian. There were several examples of it 

 at the Edinburgh International Show, and its merits as a late- 

 keeping Grape were much spoken of. I did not recollect seeing 

 the Alicante, but undoubtedly it was there. Mr. Thomson had 

 also some novelties in this house, of which I trust to hear 

 something hereafter. Among them were some seedlings of 

 great promise, one especially of that peculiar rich flavour so 

 much sought after, and another promised to attain an unusual 

 size. Other Grapes of well-known kinds were also grown, and 

 all were good. 



In another house of still larger dimensions than the last- 

 named were very good Muscats, well ripened and finished off, 



although the Vines had only been planted about twenty months, 

 both the house and borders having been renewed. In this 

 house most of the varieties of Muscats were to be seen, with 

 other novelties, but the sort respecting which most likely 

 inquiries will be made is Duchoss of Buccleuch, which, as your 

 readers are aware, is a white Grape. There has been some 

 difference of opinion regarding it, but having seen it at Archer- 

 field and Floors Castle, as well as at Dalkeith, I may safely 

 say much that has been said againBt it is wrong. True it is 

 not a showy Grape, and I hardly expect it will be a favourite on 

 the exhibition-table, but for the dessert, I am told, it stands 

 pre-eminent, being regarded superior to the Muscat, and in the 

 opinion of some gardeners of high standing, who, like myself, 

 tasted them both at the same time, the palm of merit on the 

 score of flavour was due to the Duchess, which seemed to 

 have more of that rich musky flavour which Chasselas Mnsque 

 when at its best possesses ; at the same time it has all the 

 firmness of flesh of the Muscat. The Vine, too, seemed to 

 bear well. The bunches were medium-sized, and what I saw 

 were compact, showing that few or no berries had been cut out 

 after the usual thinning time. I cannot agree with those who 

 find fault with it for cracking, for I did not see bdy berries dis- 

 posed to do so. Some writers, I believe, have found fault with 

 it on that account, and attributed the cracking to damp, but 

 at Dalkeith a Vine of it in full bearing was pointed out to me 

 growing over an open tank of water, and in as good con- 

 dition as any other. It will, however, I trust be accurately 



Fig. 2. 



1, Calceolaria canadensis. 



2, Lobelia speciosa. 



tested another year in many places, and I have no doubt that 

 it will have a host of admirers at a private table. 



The central house of this line was undergoing some altera- 

 tions at the time of my viBit, and I believe it was intended for 

 plants, and to present an ornamental front as becomes the 

 central structure of a mass of crystal. There were, I believe, 

 some other vineries against the back wall, as well as the two 

 above described, but my notes are imperfect on this point; 

 suffice it to say that the central house was intended to be a 

 noble one, and the pits and other houses in front of it were cut 

 through, so as to allow a wide pathway to approach this house, 

 dividing the four rows of pits and houses in front of it into eight 

 shorter ones. The next line to the back one was a span-roofed 

 Fine pit or house on one side, and on the other a similar pit 

 that might be used as a Pine pit at any time, but was employed 

 as a plant house, and a great quantity of Geraniums were being 

 prepared for winter flowering. This span-roofed house waB 

 180 feet long by 13 feet wide. 



Corresponding with the last-named range were the Pine pits 

 or houses, 200 feet long by 13 feet wide, divided into three com- 

 partments. There was a short north light covering the path- 

 way, with two pipes at the back, two in the front of the pit, 

 and two underneath it. Tan was also used as a heating 

 material. Some most excellent Pines were grown here. Several 

 Smooth-leaved Cayennes were pointed out to me that were 



3, Cerastlum. 



4, Single row of Geranium Brilliant next the grass edge. 



expected to weigh 8 lbs. each, and some of 9 lbs. and upwards 

 bad been cut. This variety Beems to be remarkably well grown 

 at Dalkeith, as well as at*Arcberfield, and appears to be the 

 favourite in Scotland, just as the Jamaica is at Manchester, 

 and the Queen around London. Certainly I never saw such 

 fine fruit of this variety in the south, and my impression was, 

 that the Scotch Smooth Cayenne is a superior variety or is 

 better managed. There were Queens also; a very good one 

 upwards of 5 lbs. in weight had been out juBt prior to my visit, 

 and there were others in all stages of growth. Mr. Thomson 

 likes them best in pots, but has tried the planting-out principle 

 as well. These houses were all filled with fruiting Pines ; suc- 

 cession ones were grown in some lean-to pits in front of those 

 just described, and were all that could be desired. 



In front of the fruiting Pine house, but separated from it 

 by a broad path, there is a low lean-to pit, which although 

 used as a cold pit at the time of my visit (September) is, 

 nevertheless, furnished with hot-water piping for nee in winter ; 

 and one compartment of about 100 feet long by 6 feet wide 

 was filled with bedding Geranium outtings, not in pots or 

 boxes, but planted in the ground, and I understood they 

 wintered very well there, heat being used when required, and 

 in March they were taken up with balls and potted-off singly. 

 The number of cuttings such a pit will hold gives some idea of 

 the requirements of the plaoe. At the time of my visit they 



