196 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 6, 18T7. 



confined wall, locked gate, or inquisitive lodge-keeper obstructs 

 the way. Everything is free and open. To cramp such a place 

 within a boundary wall would deprive it of much of its grandeur, 

 and this I am sure will be felt and Been by all who visit it. 

 But before the Castle is reached one eomeB upon the kitchen 

 garden and glass houses, which the first glance shows are of 

 no ordinary description. These lie to the right of the road ; 

 and directly opposite, on a high graBsy bank overlooking the 

 whole, stands Mr. Thomson's house. Going from here the road 

 is crossed, and a flower garden some 4 or 5 acres in extent is 

 entered. This is not the flower garden proper. No ; only a 

 little corner chiefly for supplying cut flowers, and is therefore 

 mostly planted with Roses, Carnations, Phloxes, and an excel- 

 lent collection of herbaceous plants; for be it remembered, that 

 although this is the head quarters of the king of the " summer 

 bedders," the old-faBhioned herbaceous plants still find a 



genial home here. There is a good extent of lawn grass in 

 this garden, but most of the beds lie close together, and are 

 only separated from each other by 5 or 6 feet wide gravel walks 

 and Box edgings. The weBt side is bounded by an ornamental 

 Holly hedge, the south by a bower walk covered with old Roses, 

 Honeysuckle, and other fragrant flowers : and to the east is 

 the kitchen garden wall. This wall is very old, but perhaps 

 few would notice this, as the excellent fruit trees do not bear 

 indication of ancient support. 



Eight acres are enclosed within the walls. This is con- 

 veniently divided into a regular form. The main walks are 

 10 or 12 feet wide. One of this description goes all round the 

 I walls, with the ordinary border between. Two of these walks 

 j cross from centre to centre, dividing it into four ; and then 

 I other two narrower walks run across east and west, whisfa 

 I divide it into eight pieces of about an acre each. Box edgings 



Fig. 43. — DEtniLANBIG CASTLE. 



keep the soil from mixing with the gravel. Vegetables are 

 chiefly grown for a supply during AugUBt, September, and 

 October. It is hardly necessary to say the produce here is of 

 the first order. Emit trees line the sides of the walks. Owing 

 to bad weather last autumn and unfavourable weather at 

 blooming time many of the trees are deficient of a full crop, 

 but others are bearing well. Large quarters are devoted to 

 Gooseberries, Currants, Strawberries, and other small fruits, 

 and the crops of theBe this year have been very good. Belts 

 of ground, nearly as extensive as that enclosed, surround the 

 outside of the wall on the south and east sides for growing 

 vegetables. The south side of the kitchen garden was formerly 

 walled like the rest, and covered with Peaches and Apricots. 

 The first bore very imperfectly, and the latter never at all — 

 not a very profitable covering for such a position ; but a few 

 years ago the old wall gave way, and instead of rebuilding it as 

 before the whole was cleared away, and in its place the finest 

 glass house of its kind in the world was erected. It is one 

 lofty span-roofed house, 16 or 18 feet wide and 500 feet long. 

 It is to be exclusively devoted to growing hardy fruits. It was 

 not completed in time this spring to get tbe trees planted, but 

 it has not been allowed to stand empty. It is now arranged as 

 a flower garden. Pearson's Geraniums are grown to perfection 

 here, many fancy-foliaged plants are mixed with the flowers, 

 baEkets filled with drooping plants are suspended from the 

 roof, and the whole effect is far beyond any description. An 



Edinburgh nurseryman told me it was worth my while coming 

 a distance of five hundred miles to see this orystal palace v or 

 flower garden under glass, alone, and he was right. The house 

 is substantially built and well heated, and no doubt by-and-by 

 it will produce fruit worthy of itself and its manager. 



Leaving this structure we pass through the garden again and 

 enter the front range of glass at the north of the kitchen garden. 

 This is the same length as the new range. The first house 

 iB span-roofed, with its ends north and south, a bed in the 

 centre, and shelves round the sides. Some fine specimens of 

 Camellias are planted out in the centre, and the whole is filled 

 with healthy, well-grown, greenhouse plants. We pass from 

 this into a long lean-to house chiefly devoted to exotic plants 

 and Orchids. Next is a range of Peach houses, three in 

 number, and with a little division between comes a long vinery 

 divided into two. Talk of Grape-growing! But if ever Grapes- 

 were grown to perfection it is in this place. Hambnrghs, 

 Muscats, Gros Colnian, Alicante, Duke of Buccleuch, Treb- 

 biano, Buckland Sweetwater, and all the leading varieties of 

 Grapes known are here. Not a spot or blemish are to be found- 

 on them. The Vines were planted in 1873, and replaced those- 

 destroyed by the Phylloxera. That this pest can be completely- 

 stamped out from a place has been clearly and cleverly proved; 

 here. The next house is a long exotic plant etove. All the 

 species worth growing which come under this treatment may 

 be seen here in all their luxuriance, and the Nepenthes pro- 



