340 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ October 12, 1882. 
his mind is as clear as ever. Composed, even cheerful, one almost 
forgets his critical state. Of all who fear he fears the least the issue, 
whatever it may be. Some words of his I cannot forget—“ You may 
never see me in the flesh again, but I would like to live a few years 
longer for the puir bairns’ sake.” It is hard to think that one just in 
the ripe vigour of manhood will not survive his affliction. We will 
all hope earnestly that his strong constitution will prove the victor 
over the serious internal malady; and he may now be assured that on 
the appearance of these lines a bond of sympathy will be flashed from 
a thousand breasts towards him and with his family in their lonely 
Scottish home among the hills. Before proceeding further, as he 
would be the last to wish us to tarry, and casting aside any depress¬ 
ing feelings since he is so cheerful, we will register an earnest and 
united -wish and prayer for the restoration of “ Single-handed.” 
And now we change the scene, and in thought go back to 
EDINBURGH. 
In situation perhaps unequalled, in appearance imposing, this is 
emphatically a city of contrasts—one part, as Sir Walter Scott has 
said, “ exhibiting the full tide of existence, pressing and precipitating 
itself forward with the force of an inundation ; the other, dark with 
the smoke of ages, resembling some time-worn anchorite,” with the 
“ misty mountain ” of Arthur’s Seat overshadowing all. In gardening 
we find contrasts too, at least as violent as can be found elsewhere, 
for we have close together perhaps the best examples of roof gardening 
and ditch gardening that are to be found in the kingdom—the former 
on the top of the Waverley Market, the latter in the grand ravine 
(once the protecting fosse of the frowning old castle) that stretches 
along the south side of Prince’s Street. 
Wonderful is the improvement that has been effected here during 
the past few years by the skilled city gardener, Mr. McLeod. The 
deep steep slopes of the great ravine, once covered with scrub and 
rubbish, are now smooth velvety lawns, with bright groups of colour, 
chiefly in the carpet style, surrounding the trees, and filling in angles 
where they show to advantage. This system of decoration when im¬ 
perfectly carried out or displayed in incongruous positions no doubt 
merits the scoffs of those whose life work would appear to be to pedan¬ 
tically write it down, but to assail it when well done in positions such 
as this is vain. The clearly defined bright lines and circles of colour 
are far more effective as viewed from distant and elevated standpoints, 
as is the case here, than any mixtures of herbaceous plants could be. 
There are proper positions for both examples of garden adornment, 
but the right place for the latter is not in this fine ravine—yclept the 
Prince’s Street gardens of Edinburgh. 
The roof gardening, too, is of its kind excellent. The great 
Waverley Market, it must be stated, is in a fringe of the ravine, the 
roof of the building being level with Prince’s Street. This is laid 
out as a garden, and so admirably is it done that a stranger would 
never suspect that the fine promenade of cement walks, the long 
curving borders of flowers, the carpet beds, the patch of lawn, and 
numerous well-filled vases along the balustrades, were arranged on 
the top of what may be termed a gigantic hall. But they are, and 
the effect is most pleasing. All forms of decoration are represented 
here—ribbon gardening, panel gardening, subtropical gardening, 
carpet bedding, excellent in design and execution, with annuals and 
herbaceous plants in suitable places in the borders. The bronzed 
vases, numbering considerably over a hundred, are a fine feature, 
relieving the flatness that would otherwise prevail. They are not 
trim and formal, but clothed with a floral drapery of Tropseolums, 
Sweet Peas, and similar free-growing plants that surround the Cordy- 
lines or Aloes that occupy the central position. The character of 
these vases is fairly represented in fig. 55, and the appearance 
of such a number in an enclosure of about 150 yards by 60 can 
be better imagined than described. The garden is surrounded by 
palisading, and the drainage from the beds is conducted into pipes 
close to the roof inside the building. They are not seen unless 
sought for, and the whole arrangement is a great success. 
We hear, from time to time, of roof gardening in London as re¬ 
presented by a small conservatory ; but all the roof gardens in the 
metropolis put together bear no comparison with this solitary ex¬ 
ample at the top of the Waverley Market, Edinburgh. Even in one 
of the nurseries—Messrs. Downie & Laird’s—there is a better, and 
decidedly more useful, representation of housetop gardening than is 
to be found in the possession of any “ city ” firm, but this will be 
more fully referred to in the following notes that have been placed 
at my disposal. The civic authorities and Mr. McLeod are to be con¬ 
gratulated on the success in rendering their fine city so attractive, 
and it is gratifying to learn that their excellent work is widely appre¬ 
ciated. There are other public gardens in the city, but those alluded 
to must suffice as a type of what is accomplished in the direction 
indicated. 
THE PILRIG AND REDBRAES NURSERIES. 
These belong to the well-known firm of Messrs. Dickson A Co. 
This nursery and seed business has been established in Edinburgh for 
one hundred years. The great Loudon spent many of his youthful 
days as an operative here; and it may well be surmised that the 
nursery occupied a prominent position then, but not more so than now, 
as all kinds of indoor plants, fruit trees, forest trees, shrubs of every 
description—in short, everything connected with the garden, forest, 
and farm, are to be found here extensively and well cultivated. Only 
some of the main features of the busini ss can be briefly noted. From 
the seed warehouse of the firm, No. 1, Waterloo Place, tramcars run 
down Leith Walk to the Pilrig Nurseries. Telephone communication 
also exists between the two, which are a mile or so apart, and this is 
found to be of the greatest convenience to the firm and customers 
generally. 
The Pilrig Nurseries stand on a fine open space, and there the prin¬ 
cipal houses and pits have been erected on a commodious scale, alike 
convenient for working and comfortable for visitors, as a lean-to 
corridor facing the south-east extends to a length of 180 feet, and 
from this access is obtained to seven span-roofed houses, which are 
arranged at right angles, and are 70 feet long each. No. 1 is the 
Camellia house, and it contains plants from one year old to splendidly 
furnished specimens 16 feet high clean and healthy. There are also 
many splendid specimens of Tree Penis in this house arranged along 
the centre, and have a very imposing effect. There are also some fine 
plants of the Himalayan Bhododendrons, and one of the best exam¬ 
ples we have seen of Phormium tenax Yeitchianum. It flowered pro¬ 
fusely throughout the summer, and has produced a fine lot of seed. 
A Mardchal Niel Rose, worked on the Briar seven years ago, covers a 
large area on the roof of this house, and produces large quantities of 
useful blooms early in spring. No. 2 house is devoted to Ericas, 
Epacrises, and other hardwooded greenhouse plants, all unusually clean 
and healthy, and the edge of the stage on each side was fringed with 
a white Lobelia named Pilrig Park. It is a compact grower, good in 
colour, and a most profuse flowerer. No. 3 house is in two divisions, 
both compartments being devoted to Ferns, one for propagating 
young plants, and the other for containing them m a more advanced 
stage of their growth, all the best known kinds being represented. 
No. 4 house contains young stove plants—healthy Crotons, Dra¬ 
caenas, Aralias, Palms, Ac.; and besides many small plants of the 
popular Eucharis amazonica there are some splendid specimens which 
produce large quantities of their charming flowers two or three times 
annually. Of climbers there is a choice variety, and a healthy and 
varied batch of Orchids occupy one part of the stage. A fine stock 
of the variegated Pine Apple also deserves notice, as it is one of the 
finest varieties of the kind we have seen. No. 5 house is well filled— 
in one part with Gardenias, or small healthy plants well set with 
flower buds; and here we found a batch of new Coleus, which for 
size of leaves and chasteness of colours outdistance most other 
members of this numerous family, and no doubt more will be heard 
of these in due time. No. 6 house was gay with Liliums and double¬ 
flowering Primulas. The red variety of the latter, known as Stewartii, 
is noticeable for the robustness of its constitution and its free-blooming 
properties. In this house are also fine batches of Solanums, winter- 
flowering Heaths, Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, Ac. The last house in the 
range, No. 7, is devoted to a miscellaneous collection of hardwooded 
greenhouse plants, choice in variety and excellent in quality. 
The corridor, before referred to, is in tour divisions. The first 
division is filled with a large quantity of young Indian Azaleas, 
bi'ightened with well-flowered Begonias and autumn-flowering Chrys¬ 
anthemums. The second is full of various kinds of fine-foliaged 
plants ; and the third is a fernery arranged in a natural style, most 
of the tables being faced with cork bark, which asssociates well with 
the Ferns, and has a very effective appearance. The back wall of 
this house is also very beautifully decorated with Lycopods, Ferns, 
Begonias of the Rex section, Anthericums, Ac., and the result is in 
every way pleasing. The fourth and last division is filled with a 
choice assortment of greenhouse Rhododendrons. In addition to the 
glass houses just noticed there are extensive ranges of span-roofed 
pits in several divisions of 50 feet each, which are used chiefly for 
the propagation of the finer Japanese and other Conifers, newly 
grafted Rhododendrons and Camellias, which are here worked on an 
extensive scale. There is also a large seed warehouse here, and an 
office containing the nursery end of the telephone. Long rows of 
frames are attached to the general buildings, and are completely 
filled in autumn, winter, and spring with young stock of Show and 
Fancy Pansies, bedding Violas, Pentstemons, Phloxes, Pinks, Car¬ 
nations, of which many fine varieties have originated here, Picotees, 
and all kinds of florists’ flowers. Plants of a new class of Pinks are 
noteworthy for their dwarfness. They are of various colours, and 
can be grown without tying or staking. They open their first flowers 
with the dawn of spring, and never cease their production until the 
autumn frosts come. 
An extensive piece of ground is devoted to hardy flowers and herba¬ 
ceous plants of all the popular kinds, with a fine collection of single 
and double Dahlias. American plants, Kalmias, Ghent Azaleas, 
Menziesias, and hybrid Rhododendrons are largely grown. Hardy 
Heaths, too, are well represented in many large beds, and in a collec¬ 
tion such as this some are always in bloom ; as many of them flower 
as freely in December as others do in July. They should be largely 
grown in private gardens. 
A portion of the nursery is occupied with beautiful specimen 
Hollies, including Golden Queen and all the best sorts; also other 
evergreens of all kinds, an excellent assortment of Conifers and 
deciduous trees, flowering shrubs and fruit trees in varieties, which 
are found to succeed in the north. Bothwell Bank Prolific Straw¬ 
berry, which we have found superior to President, a new variety 
lately distributed by this firm, was growing in large quantities, and 
the demand for it is very great. 
Redbraes is the name of another Edinburgh nursery belonging to 
this firm. It is very ornamental in aspect, having a fine pond in the 
