134 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 15, 1872. 



illustris, pieta, Porteana, and Lindeni, besides some species 

 of less note. There were good plants of Croton variegatum, 

 C. angustifolium, Sanchezia nobilis variegata, Anthurium cor- 

 difolium, and A. Scherzerianum (the last-named had the re- 

 mains of twelve spikes of blossoms on it), Sphaerogyne latifolia, 

 Alocasia metallica, Eucharis amazonica, a splendid young plant 

 of Cyanophyllum magnificum, beautiful pans of Fittonia argy- 

 roneura, and a good little plant of the Eriocnema marmorata. 

 On the rafters were trained Stephanotis floribunda, Cissus dis- 

 color, Clerodendron Balfourii, and a few Hoyas. 



Among the Orchids I observed Cypripedium insigne, C. pur- 

 puratum majus, C. Veitchii, C. venustum, C. barbatum, Stan- 

 hopea oculata, S. tigrina, S. oculata lutea, S. maculosa, and 

 S. grandiflora, suspended in baskets from the roof, and coming 

 into flower ; Saccolabiurn guttatum in flower, Aerides affine 

 also in flower, Dendrobium nobile, D. densiflorum, Oncidium 



flexuosum in flower, Peristeria elata (the Dove plant), and 

 Ccelogyne pandurata. 



Of Ferns the collection is good, comprising many of the newest 

 and rarest, and the whole in fine health and very clean. 



Turning to visit the Cucumber pit, 12 feet wide by 28 feet 

 long, we pass to the east side of the main entrance, and enter 

 a line of continuous glass houses, 270 feet by 12, divided into 

 six compartments. The first three compartments consist of a 

 Peach house and two vineries : there was a prospect of a good 

 crop of Peaches, and the Vines promised a fair yield. This 

 house is in rather bad repair, but I believe it is to be renewed 

 by-and-by. The remaining portion of this line of houses, 

 180 feet long by 12 feet wide, with a hanging roof, is in excel- 

 lent repair, and divided into three compartments. The first 

 two are Peach houses, with the appearance of an abundant 

 crop. The third compartment is the Plum house ; the trees 



A, North wall, 375 feet 



long. 

 E, South wall. 



1, Plot, 11 by 26 feet. 



2, Gates. 



"3, Vegetable border, 104 

 by 26 feet. 



4, Walk, 7 feet wide. 



5, Greenhouse, 20 by 



26 feet. 



6, StOTe, 2S feet by 12. 



7, Cucumber pit. 



8, Entrance, 16 feet wide. 



9, Peach house and 



■rinery,90byl4feet. 



10, Vine border, 90 by 



12 feet. ' 



11, Two Peach houses and 



Plum house. 



12, Vegetable border, 180 20 



feet by 14. 



13 Walk, 8i feet wide. 



14, Strawberries and 



Gooseberries ; flower 

 border on north and 

 east sides, and on 

 east side, inside 

 flower border, line 

 of pj-iamid Apple 

 trees. 



35, Walls, 10 feet wide. 



16, Strawbenies, Goose- 

 berries, and Onions ; 

 flower border on 

 north and west 

 sides; pyramid Ap- 



B 



pies on wet side in- 

 side flower border; 

 Beech hedge nest 

 walk (22). 



17, Grass plot with vase 



in centre ; flower 

 border on north side. 



18, Vegetables. 



19, Walk, 7 feet wide, 



500 feet long. 



20, West wall, 382 feet 



long. 



21, Border, 14 feet wide, 



334 feet long. 



22, Walk, 7 fe6t wide. 



23, Vegetables, with 



flower border nest 

 walk (15), and a line 

 of pyramid Apples 

 inside. 



24, Vases. 



25, Gooseberries and 



Black Currants ; 

 flower border next 

 walk (15); pyramid 

 Apples inside. 



26, Strawberries. 



27, Walk, 8 feet wide. 



28, Vegetables. 



29, Melon bed. 



30, Waft.' 



31, Two lines of Kasp- 



bsrries, Bed Cur- 

 rants nest wall. 



32, Tool house. 



33, Gardeners' bothy. 



Pitfour Kitchen Garden. 



are lately planted, but promise well. Along the south side of 

 this last house is a line of dwarf pyramid-trained Pear trees, 

 many of them heavily laden with fruit. 



I felt satisfied with the order and healthy appearance of 

 everything in the garden, with the exception of some old Apple 

 and Pear trees covering the east and a portion of the north 

 ■wall, and the hedging extending down the side walk No. 3 

 from the west, which has a few gaps in it. A paneDed border 

 in lozenge-shaped figures skirts both sides of the second walk 

 from the west. The lozenges are 9 feet by 11, and edged 

 with Cerastium and Beet, the centres various Geraniums, Cal- 

 ceolarias, and Verbenas, and the whole is carpeted with Lo- 

 belia speciosa. On each side of the walk, behind the flower 

 horder, is a line of pyramid-trained Apple trees, with the ap- 



pearance of a good crop. There are many tastefully-arranged 

 ribbon panels and flower borders which a want of space pre- 

 vents me from describing. The west wall is covered with fan- 

 trained Pear and Apple trees, which, though young, are pro- 

 mising well. 



Beyond the west wall is the Abbey of Deer, a hoary ruin of 

 former greatness ; Ivy has almost entirely covered its walls. 

 This abbey was founded by William Comyn, Earl of Buchan, 

 in the thirteenth century. Cistercian monks first resided at 

 the abbey. The walls are built of red sandstone. 



After saying good-bye to Mr. George, the gardener, who 

 accompanied me on my tour of inspection, and who is a man 

 with a clear head and great knowledge, I left Pitfour thoroughly 

 satisfied with the pleasant day I had spent. — Ja:sies Bruce. 



GAESTON 



I, an old subscriber to " our Journal," accompanied by Mr. 

 G. Davies, nurseryman, of Birkdale Park, have journeyed to 

 Garston for the purpose of visiting the far-renowned vineries 

 of Mr. Joseph Meredith. 



The ground occupied by Mr. Meredith is of considerable 

 extent, but the passer-by on the public road would not suspect 

 that behind the tall and well-kept Hawthorn hedge which en- 

 closes the Vineyard there existed such an establishment. The 

 vineries are thirty in number, varying, of course, in size, but 

 mostly of very considerable dimensions, the two larger houses 

 being respectively 144 feet long by 25 feet wide, and 202 feet 

 by 45 feet ; the latter such a structure as many towns would be 

 glad to possess as a railway station. 



On stating our business at the counting-house we were most 

 obligingly conducted through the establishment by one of Mr. 

 Meredith's sons. Mr. Meredith is celebrated as one of our 



VINEYAED. 

 principal growers of Grapes for sale, and by his skill in their 

 culture has taken prizes in Belgium in competition with Con- 

 tinental exhibitors. The Garston Vineyard being on so exten- 

 sive a scale, Mr. Meredith has the advantage of growing each 

 principal description of Grape in a separate house, which 

 greatly adds to their perfection. 



There are no less than seven large structures devoted to the 

 Grape. In the first- house visited, which was 78 feet long, 

 Black Hamburghs, almost ripe, hung in luscious bunches, the 

 berries large, and the crop a valuable one. The next house was 

 occupied by the Muscats, of which there was also a large and 

 splendid crop ; and in a congenial position was a large Fig 

 tree loaded rath fruit. Another house, 144 feet by 25, was 

 filled with Syrian Vines, the Grapes on which were in a for- 

 ward state ; and on the stages on each side were countless 

 pots containing Azaleas whose blooming season was over. 



