October 26, 1882. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
889 
extent, and here the soluble phosphate produced larger yields 
than the other kinds when given by itself or in conjunction with 
ammonium sulphate, although it proved inferior to bone meal in 
the first case. The bone meal contained 4 per cent, of nitrogen. 
These abstracts of field trials are too numerous to be continued 
in this letter, and having brought them down to the end of the 
year 1881 it will be better to defer their completion until next 
week ; but the reader will admit that, so far, the conclusions 
which I have drawn from theoretical considerations and labo¬ 
ratory experiments are by no means at variance with practical 
results in the field.—I nquirer. 
CULZEAN CASTLE. 
Culzean Castle in South Ayrshire, the principal residence of 
the Marquis of Ailsa, is a place possessing great natural attrac¬ 
tions and much that is interesting to lovers of horticulture. The 
Kennedys have long been the dominant family in Carrick, the 
southern division of the county of Ayr ; and along the stretch of 
coast extending from the river Doon to the mouth of Loch Ryan, 
a distance of over thirty miles, are still to be seen ruins of several 
old castles overhanging the sea, which in olden times were the 
strongholds of different branches of that family. The Marquis of 
Ailsa is the head of the Kennedys, and his splendid castle perched 
above the sea continues the traditional family connection with 
that rocky coast. The possessors of the title have not in recent 
times figured prominently in public affairs. They have resided 
chiefly at home, exercising the prerogative of chieftainship over 
their extensive estates and amongst their numerous tenantry. 
The present Marquis is best known as an enthusiastic yachts¬ 
man. Not content with the mere handling of craft supplied to 
him by famous yacht-builders, he has given himself to the study 
of the lines and proportions of yachts, so as to discover those most 
conducive to fast sailing ; and in order to practically work out his 
ideas he has erected a yacht-building shop furnished with steam 
machinery in the vicinity of the Castle, and employs a number of 
Fig. 63—Culzean castle. 
skilled artificers. The drawings are all furnished by himself, and 
he spends a portion of each day in the shop when residing at the 
Castle. A 5-tonner turned out in the shop, named the Cocker, has 
this season beat everything she encountered on the Clyde. Another 
matter in which the Marquis takes great interest is the artificial 
breeding of salmon and trout, for which he has fitted up very in¬ 
genious apparatus in his grounds. His amiable Marchioness 
devotes herself to evangelistic and temperance work and to the 
care of her young family. 
We took the opportunity during a recent visit to the north to 
pay a visit to Culzean Castle. Taking the train to Maybole, an 
ancient town about nine miles south of Ayr, a drive about three 
miles along a pleasant road skirted by plantations brought us to 
the entrance gate, from which an approach of about a mile and a 
half through richly wooded policies conducts to the Castle. We had 
not proceeded far till we reached a point where over the sloping 
foliage we caught a view of the sea away beneath us, its broad 
expanse, bounded on the opposite side by the island of Arran, 
fourteen or fifteen miles off, while at a particular point we descried 
above the tops of the trees, in which it appeared embowered, the 
upper turrets of the Castle whither we were bound. Many fine 
prospects were opened up as we gradually descended, and the 
sea breeze was very refreshing. 
The site of the Castle has been finely chosen on a rocky emi¬ 
nence in the centre of a small bay formed by two jutting-out 
headlands. It is a spacious building flanked by turrets and with 
battlemented parapets, its northern side resting on the edge of 
the rock, at the foot of which 100 feet sheer down the sea dashes 
itself when the tide is full. The outlook from the Castle is mag¬ 
nificent. It catches the island of Arran at an angle in which its 
noble features are brought into grand relief, while beyond is 
distinctly seen the Mull of Cantyre, and still further southward 
Qn ordinary clear days the north of Ireland. The great pile of 
Ailsa Craig standing solitary in the expanse of ocean is also seen 
with singular distinctness ; while a continually changing interest 
is imparted to this noble panorama by the passing steamers and 
sailing vessels going to and from the busy ports on the Clyde. 
The natural advantages of the site have been well utilised by those 
who designed the place ; indeed, one cannot fail to be struck 
with the evidences which exist of the care which successive pro¬ 
prietors must have bestowed by planting, and otherwise to make 
the artistic belongings of the place bear appropriate relation to 
its natural amenities. 
From the rocky eminence on which the Castle stands the ground 
tends downwards all round. On the eastern side the crag termi¬ 
nates somewhat abruptly, and an easy access is thus had by a 
road to the shore beneath. On its western side, and separated 
from the Castle by a broad sloping lawn, is a battery of small 
