JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. c December u, uss. 
1 have sometimes seen Muscats treated in the way Mr. Bardney 
refers to in regard to removing leaves to allow the sun to shine 
directly on the bunches. Such treatment often results in one 
side of the bunch being scorched into a brownish colour, and some 
of the berries reduced to raisins. I have invariably found that 
Muscats colour well under a considerable shade of leaves when 
not too heavily cropped, kept free from spider, given a good 
amount of heat, and fair ventilation. 
The cool treatment has failed with me several times, and I have 
learned to consider it “ penny wise and pound foolish.” The 
difference between a house of Muscats such as Mr. Bardney 
describes, and one wherein the majority of the bunches have a 
green appearance, and shrivelling and shanking abound, is so 
great that any extra attention and outlay are amply repaid when 
a thoroughly finished crop is secured.—V itis. 
NORTHWARDS—KEIR. 
Now that the autumn shows are over, and there is somewhat 
less pressure on the space of the Journal, I will endeavour to record 
a few memories of the past that were impressed during a pleasant 
week in September among the hills and gardens of “ bonnie Scot¬ 
land.” 
Leaving the great show at Edinburgh my first resting place was, 
through the kindness of Lady Susan Melville, in the old home of 
the. Stirlings. The Stirlings of Keir date back from an early 
period. History records that in the reign of James VI. the Laird 
of Keir, Sir Archibald Stirling, had charge of the young Prince 
Henry in Stirling Castle, and in the reign of Charles I. and II. Sir 
George Stirling took an active part in those turbulent times, fight- 
ing as a Royalist under the Duke of Montrose. The last owner of 
Keir was Sir William Stirling-Maxwell, Bart., who assumed the 
latter name on succeeding to the Pollock estate. He died in 
Venice in 1878, but left behind him a monument of his accom¬ 
plishments in literature and his taste in art in the library and 
chaste adornments of the mansion, with the beautiful and skil¬ 
fully planted grounds surrounding. Three years previous to his 
decease his first wife, Lady Anna Maria, met with a dreadful acci¬ 
dent by fire, which terminated fatally, and her two sons were 
placed under the guardianship of her sister, the distinguished lady 
above mentioned ; the present Baronet, Sir John, being now about 
sixteen years of age. Under these circumstances Keir, as regards 
the high keeping of the grounds, is naturally not quite the same as 
when the late Baronet, who would appear to have made their 
planting and adornment a prominent occupation of his life, pro¬ 
vided so liberally for the maintenance of every department of this 
fine estate. But let no one imagine that the pleasure grounds of 
some GO acres, and containing thousands of Conifers, have run 
wild, or that the gardens are no longer enjoyable. On the con¬ 
trary, a fair allowance is granted by the trustees to Mr. Russell, the 
gardener, whose twenty years of supervision have afforded him 
that experience which enables him to apply the means to the best 
possible advantage ; and Keir is enjoyable still, and enjoyed by 
great numbers of visitors, for the grounds are generously opened 
to the public on one or two days a week throughout the summer ; 
and the word “ Salve,” cut in the stonework over the gates, greets 
all comers with a “ welcome’’—this, it may be stated, in the unfor¬ 
tunate event of there being any readers less learned than the 
writer, being the English equivalent of the Latin inscription. 
To describe in detail the various features of the grounds were 
impossible ; they are far too numerous, diversified, and intricate, 
while the number of specimens, Conifers especially, almost 
bewilder; therefore nothing more will be attempted than a 
pourtrayal of the general character of the surroundings of this 
ancient Scottish home. 
Only a mind at once fertile and original could have conceived 
the plans, and the possession of wealth executed them, that have 
resulted in work so prominent and unlike what is usually seen in 
gardens. Keir or Caer signifies a fort or castle, and this indicates 
that the position is elevated. In one respect it is, as it overlooks the 
Carse of Lecrop and Stirling; but higher still are the adjacent 
Ochils, notably Bencleuch and Demyat, whose purple summits reach 
the clouds, while Ben Lomond, when thrown in relief by the setting 
sun, is seen towering majestically in the far-off distance. But the 
mansion though high is not on a lofty craig ; it is reached by an 
easy gradient from the Bridge of Allan, about two miles distant. 
Some portions of the grounds quite close to the house are high 
above it, and it is this bold rugged surface-configuration that has 
afforded scope for the ingenuity that has been exercised by Sir 
William in contributing to their attractiveness and accessibility. 
The first feature that arrests the attention of the visitor is the 
wealth of Conifers—Araucarias in hundreds, Irish Yews like 
sombre sentinels in thousands, Cypresses not only surrounding the 
house as if with a forest, but trained up the building, producing 
an unique effect. The next feature is the masonry—admirably 
executed balustrades, with sunken paths flanked with Ivy-covered 
walls, terraces, vases, tunnels, bridges, and flights of steps lead¬ 
ing from the lower to the higher portions of the grounds ; yet 
there is nothing incongruous, as every part appears to have been 
designed for an useful purpose, and executed ornamentally, while 
the numerous trees, shrub-clad rocks, and evergreen hedges more 
than counterbalance the cold effect that masses of stonework too 
often produce. Then fine glades, avenues, and groves of Conifers 
with noble timber trees and charming vistas abound; indeed, at 
every point and turn there is something to admire. 
The engraving shows Keir when the trees near the mansion 
were younger than they are now ; but the Cypress-striped walls 
are apparent. The plants, now trees, employed, were brought 
home by Sir William when travelling in the East. On that 
account the species has been called Cupressus orientalis. This, 
however, is a fancy term, the true name being doubtless C. sem- 
pervirens, Linn., or C. fastigiata of De Candolle—the Upright 
Roman Cypress, found in the south of Europe and Asia Minor. 
The specimens under notice are from 25 to 30 feet high, 18 inches 
in diameter at the base, tapering to the top. Being slightly cut 
occasionally they are close, round, and smooth, and, planted 4 to 
5 feet apart on each side of the windows, have a remarkable 
effect. 
The lawn in front of the house is crowded with splendid taper¬ 
ing specimens 40 to 50 feet high of the fastigiate form of C. ma- 
crocarpa and C. Lawsoniana; indeed, they have obstructed the 
view so completely that it has been found necessary to remove 
some of them. The horizontal form, C. Lambertiana, is also re¬ 
presented, but not so numerously. This plantation of Cypresses 
extends round the western side of the building, and past it for a 
long distance, forming also a beautiful sheltering screen for the 
flower garden ; many handsome specimens of Thuiopses, Junipers, 
Araucarias, and other choice lawn ornaments being interspersed 
with the Cypresses, a vase here and there of scarlet Pelargoniums 
appearing to have a more than usually bright effect in contrast 
with the great depth of surrounding foliage, and imparting cheer¬ 
fulness to what would otherwise be a rather sombre picture. 
On the opposite or eastern side of the flower garden is a wall j 
12 or 14 feet high and 400 or 500 feet long, covered from base to 
summit with Cotoneaster microphylla, not closely clinging to the 
surface, but in semi-wild luxuriance, the lower branches falling and 
rooting in the gravel walk, and affording young plants by the thou¬ 
sand. This wall supports the higher ground, and above the top 
of it runs an embrasured hedge of Portugal Laurel, which has a 
striking effect. In the lawn space thus enclosed in a frame of 
deepest green there is not much danger of having flower beds too 
bright. These beds are simply four rows of large circles, two on 
each side of the lawn, linked together, and chiefly fitted with 
the brilliant Tropieolum Vesuvius, a small yellow floiiferous Viola, 
and an effective dwarf Ageratum Queen Victoria. The alterna¬ 
tions of the three colours as viewed from the mansion had a most 
pleasing effect, and not at all too bright for the position. 
Near the end of the flower garden, distant from the mansion, is 
a bowling-green and tennis-ground of a decidedly out-of-the-way 
kind, and singularly striking. It is simply an oblong dish of 
considerable magnitude, the sloping sides of lawn being 8 or 
10 feet deep. In this there is nothing remarkable ; but along the 
top of what may be termed the upper terrace is a hedge of Golden 
Queen Holly cut square to the height of about 4 feet, and at 
intervals of about 6 feet the growth has been permitted to extend, 
and this in turn has been cut to form spires, square in form to 
correspond with the base, and tapering in a point some 10 feet 
high. Parallel with this extraordinary hedge, on a lower terrace, 
is a similar hedge of Yews. The appearance of these spires of 
foliage—gold and deepest green—arranged with almost mathe¬ 
matical precision is remarkable, beautiful alike in colour and 
Btateliness, the general effect of the enclosure viewed from either 
above or below being probably unequalled in its way by any j 
lawn-tennis ground in Great Britain. 
We have yet to ascend to the higher grounds. Returning to the 
mansion two grand old centenarians attract notice—a Sycamore 
and Chestnut. Ihese are reputed to be some four hundred years 
old, and are supposed to have been planted at the time of the 
erection of the mansion. They are still healthy and cared for, the 
great gaunt limbs of the former being supported by iron bands. 
But we pass on. The upper grounds are reached by flights of 
steps conducted up the face of rugged natural rocks, amongst 
which Araucarias and Cupressus luxuriate and spring from a 
groundwork of trailing plants and Ferns. Near the foot of the 
steps are specimens of Cupressus Lawsoniana fastigiata, planted 
by the Queen of Holland and the late Lord Beacon sfield, and there 
