436 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. { November 29, 1864, 



manner entered and passed through the basin, keeping its 

 ■water at ail times pure and fresh. The basin also contained 

 a piece of sculpture said to be of some artistic merit, and 

 like others of its class, the fountain could be made to play 

 from a supply furnished by artificial means, but without this 

 its position, and the fine avenue of Deodars pointing to it, 

 gave it a fine appearance. The ground rises on the opposite 

 side from the basin, and the avenue-ending there, a summer- 

 house with another shrubbery formed a very good termina- 

 tion. The summer-house or grotto being slightly elevated, the 

 rising ground with the two lines of fine trees looked remark- 

 ably well, while the mansion and sloping ground in front of 

 it was also seen to great advantage. 



From this point there was another walk skirting the other 

 side of the pond. It was margined by shrubs, and had, I 

 noticed, an edging of Berberis, or Mahonia, as it is often 

 called. Some other walks in the same neighbourhood were 

 edged with that very useful plant Cotoneaster microphylla, 

 but I must not pass over the fine avenue of Deodars with- 

 out again calling attention to it, and the adaptability 

 of the tree for the purpose. Those here alluded to were 

 nearly of uniform size and appearance, 15 or 18 feet high, 

 perhaps, and in their present condition with the beautiful 

 glade of turf between them (no gravel), they formed a 

 feature that cannot well be too often copied ; the only fault, 

 perhaps, but which it is likely will not be found out for 

 twenty years yet, is that the avenue is too narrow. Without 

 measuring it, the width did not appear more than 45 feet, 

 which might, perhaps, have done for Weliingtonias, or some 

 deciduous tree intended to spread at top, but it is not suffi- 

 cient for Deodars. A short time ago I saw a case of the 

 same kind with Cedar of Lebanon, which had been planted 

 about the same distance apart, and after a growth of about 

 thirty years, they interfered very seriously with the gravel- 

 walk between them, several of the branches meeting. Now 

 this ought never to be the case with Cedars, as their beauty 

 consists in our being able to survey them in their entirety, 

 without mutilation of any kind. Nevertheless, for many 

 years this will continue to be a noble avenue, and it, 

 and the other fine trees of the choicest species of Pinus with 

 which the lawn is interspersed, exhibit what skill and enter- 

 prise can do in a limited period. I believe the formation of 

 the grounds, together with some other artistic work, is from 

 the designs of l«lr. Marnock, while the good keeping of the 

 whole, where not invaded by alterations going on, reflected 

 great credit on the worthy gardener, to whose kindness 

 I am indebted for a sight of a place remarkable for the 

 rapid progress it has made in the last few years, pro- 

 gress no doubt facilitated by the kindly nature of the soil. 

 This seems to be of that intermediate kind which will grow 

 American plants and other shrubs as well as trees. The 

 influence of the climate has also, no doubt, something to do 

 with it ; but the great moving power no doubt is the perse- 

 vering energy of the proprietor, who it is to be hoped may 

 long live to see the perfection of objects of his own raising, 

 and in his declining years witness the advance to maturity 

 of many of those pets which all who are fond of out-door gar- 

 dening surround themselves with, while another and another 

 generation after that may look with admiration on the noble 

 specimens of Wellingtonia, and other trees, and be told that 

 these fine trees were planted, and the noble dwelling adjoin- 

 ing them erected, in the middle of the nineteenth century. — 

 J. Robsok. 



ROSES IN THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND. 



It may be interesting to know how certain Roses succeed 

 in this northern climate : I beg, therefore, to say a few 

 words respecting some of the varieties I have in cultivation ; 

 but in the first place it will be as well to describe the soil 

 and situation in which they are grown. 



The ground is what may be called a good, free, working soil, 

 of a darkish colour, rather light than heavy ; the situation, 

 chiefly for the sake of convenience, my time being limited, 

 is in front of my cottage on a border facing the south, to 

 which the ground slopes about 1 foot in 5. The soil is of 

 good depth, and being on the gravel is naturally well 

 drained. 



Before beginning to particularise them I may state that, 

 out of sixty or seventy varieties which are now growing in 

 my small garden, and the whole of them were selected at 

 random as far as their suitability for northern situations was 

 concerned, I find that there are very few, if any, that will 

 not do well with proper care and attention, especially if 

 budded on the Manetti, and planted deeply. My young 

 plants, none of them above two years old, produced blooms 

 this season which were admired by all who saw them. 



From Gloire de Dijon and Souvenir de la Malmaison (both 

 in bud, with many others, at; the present time), I cut blooms 

 which measured 5 and 5i inches in diameter respectively, 

 without a faded petal, and with a freshness of colour I never 

 saw surpassed in England, if, indeed, equalled ; others were 

 equally good, such as Comtesse de Chabrillant, William 

 Griffiths, Madame Boll, Baronne Prevost, Madame Vidot, 

 Anna Alexieff, Louise Odier, and many others; amongst which 

 the Noisettes, Celine Forestier and Triomphe de Rennes 

 were most beautiful, although only planted last spring. 

 The dark Hybrid Perpetuals Souvenir de Comte Cavour and 

 Triomphe de Lyon did not do quite so well ; although the 

 plants were quite healthy, their flowers did not open freely. 

 Prince Camille de Rohan, I believe, will prove a good Rose 

 for the north; it is a fine grower, and in colour very rich and 

 distinct : with me it was almost black. Empereur de Maroc 

 and Cardinal Patrizzi have also done very well, as, indeed, 

 have all the Roses in my collection with the exception of a 

 few grafted plants, which I find are not at all suited for this 

 locality, they may as well, and much better I think, be on 

 then- own roots at once. For instance : Geant des Batailles 

 and Lord Raglan (the latter a strong grower), did not move 

 at all the first year; the former has not yet produced a 

 bloom worthy of its reputation ; and last February I put in 

 a plant each of Colonel de Rougemont and Leon des Com- 

 bats, and up to the present time they have scarcely grown 

 at all, while Francis the First, a Rose of moderate growth, 

 has reached nearly 4 feet in height. Perhaps their slow 

 growth may be attributed to their having been worked in- 

 doors at a high temperature, and sent out before being 

 properly hardened off; but whatever the cause may be, 

 they are useless, especially when rapid growth is an 

 object. 



Some of the others of my Hybrid Perpetuals have grown 

 most luxuriantly, especially Alexandrine Baehmeteff and 

 Queen Victoria ; but the latter does not open well, which I 

 fear may turn out to be the case with that fine Rose Auguste 

 Mie, which I did not allow to bloom this season on account 

 of the smallness of the plant ; it is now large and healthy, 

 having grown very rapidly. Madame Louise Carique, Jules 

 Margottin, Victor Verdier, and Reine des Violettes have 

 grown finely; and Duchess of Norfolk, Souvenir de la Reine 

 d'Angleterre, Anna de Diesbach, La Reine, Senateur Vaisse, 

 Buffon, and Dr. Bretonneau, judging from the progress 

 made by the plants, which were very small at the time of 

 planting, I think will also do well, but the last is too dwarf 

 in habit. 



The Bourbon Rose Paxton is a very strong grower; but 

 Acidalie, though I think it will ultimately succeed, has not 

 yet shown any sign of being a vigorous grower, as most 

 nurserymen describe it. 



I have also a few summer Roses that have done remark- 

 ably well — viz., Paul Ricaut, Coupe d'Hebe, Brennus, Che- 

 nedole, and the Mosses Laneii, Comtesse de Murinais, 

 Baronne de Wassenaer, Princess Adelaide, a very strong 

 grower, and Celina; the latter has grown pretty freely 

 here, although generally described as dwarf. However much 

 some people may fancy this Rose, I feel rather disappointed 

 with it ; its buds are pretty enough, but the flowers are only 

 semi-double. 



The Austrian Rose Harrisonii grows and flowers freely 

 here, and is very beautiful, but the Persian Yellow will not 

 open with me at all; I have it, however, budded on the 

 Briar, and hope to see a flower or two next season for the 

 trouble I have taken with it. 



In addition to the above I budded, last year and this, 

 some forty or more stocks of the Dog Rose, &c, from which 

 I expect a fine display of bloom next season. Amongst the 

 first-budded were two Roses I had given me by a neigh- 

 bour the year before, which, on opening their flowers, I did 

 not consider good enough to grow beside the other varieties. 



