September ie, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 265 
The pleasure ground attached to the Castle of St. Fagan’s is not 
of great extent, but it has been planned in a way to afford within 
a limited compass considerable variety of attraction. One feature 
of special interest and beauty is a series of four small ponds 
formed on a succession of terraces at the side of the plateau on 
which the Castle and gardens stand. The ground slopes both 
southward from the front of the Castle and westward, and ad¬ 
vantage has been skilfully taken of the lower portion of the latter 
slope to form the ponds, which have a very ornamental and re¬ 
freshing character when seen from the terrace above. The ponds 
are fed by a natural spring, which forms a small brook, having its 
start 200 or 300 yards from the upper lakelet. The clear water 
wends its way over bold pieces of rockwork, forming cascades 
till it enters the first pond. Thereafter it makes its way from 
pond to pond over the green banks which separate them by a 
succession of miniature waterfalls, till at the last it is carried by 
a stream to the river Ely in the valley below. On the side 
furthest from the Castle these little sheets of water are bordered 
by a line of Western Plane trees, and on the rising ground above 
them are some finely-grown specimens of Conifera and other 
trees, and a large maze, the hedges of which are formed of dif¬ 
ferent varieties of Conifera, neatly clipped and kept in good order. 
In the centre of the maze are two fine Wellingtonias more than 
40 feet high, the trunks of which 3 feet from the ground measure 
respectively 9 feet 7 inches and 9 feet 2 inches in circumference. 
On the side of the ponds next to the Castle they are bordered by 
grass terraces with flights of stone steps leading to the plateau 
above, the terraces being separated from the kitchen gardens by a 
broad gravel walk and wall. Fig trees and Vines are trained on 
the wall, and the border between the wall and gravel walk is taste¬ 
fully planted with flowering shrubs. The ponds contain trout and 
other fish, and we understand Lord Windsor entertains some idea 
of using them for experimenting on the artificial breeding of 
salmon, or stocking them wholly with trout. 
The gardens, which immediately adjoin the Castle on the w r est 
side, are not extensive, but are well arranged and laid out so as 
to give the maximum of effect, and of utility for the growth of 
fruits, flowers, and vegetables. The fruit and vegetable depart¬ 
ments are separated from the Castle by a neatly laid-out geome¬ 
trical flower garden, with fountain in centre and broad gravel 
outer walks, and beyond this a small bowling green. A gravel 
walk and Arbor-Vitre hedge, with herbaceous border in front, 
encloses this portion of the gardens, which is in keeping with the 
style of the mansion. The other portions of the gardens are 
devoted principally to the growth of fruit and vegetables. The 
soil is good in some places but shallow, not exceeding 2 feet in 
depth, resting on a subsoil of rotten rock ; no drainage, therefore, 
is required, and the soil can be worked in a few hours after the 
heaviest rainfall. 
Mr. Crossling, his lordship’s gardener 1 , has improved the quality 
of the soil very much within the last few years by removing a 
portion of the subsoil annually and adding fresh soil to it from 
old pastures in the neighbourhood. Fruit trees are well managed 
at St. Fagan’s. Apricots, Peaches, Nectarines, and Plum-s do well 
on the walls. Mr. Crossling pays great attention to them, and the 
result of this is fine crops in ordinary seasons. Apples and Pears 
with a few exceptions are a failure here, as in other places this 
season. Morello Cherries on a north wall were good, and small 
fruits most abundant, except Raspberries, which were nearly 
killed to the ground last winter owing to the canes having failed 
to ripen properly. The soil and situation seems to be well suited 
to the growth of Strawberries. We never remember having seen 
a better crop of President, or healthier plants than we saw here. 
The plants were literally covered with large fruit of the very best 
quality. Vegetables were abundant and good, and the gardens 
throughout thoroughly cropped and in first-rate order. 
In a space of ground to the west of the kitchen gardens, which 
was wont to be covered with old Pine pits and other buildings, 
Mr. Crossling has recently established a rosery, retaining of the 
old erections only the enclosure walls. Here are to be found a 
fine collection of the choicest Roses, neatly arranged in narrow 
beds, with grass walks between, so as to afford a most pleasant 
means of minutely inspecting each bloom as it opens. The south 
portion of the enclosure wall was planted with Camellias a few years 
since, but they have not succeeded satisfactorily, and it has been 
planted with Tea Roses, which grow luxuriantly and flower 
freely. On the west side, abutting on the rosery, is a very useful 
storehouse for keeping large Sweet Bays and other plants in 
winter, which are placed on the terraces in the summer months. 
In front of this are some of the finest trees of Evergreen Oak that 
are to be found in South Wales—noble specimens in robust health, 
with straight clean trunks without a branch for a considerable 
distance, terminating in fine evenly-balanced heads. 
The glass is limited in proportion to the size of the place. It 
consists of a vinery and Melon house in one range, and a green¬ 
house with pits in front in another. Besides this, there is a 
Melon ground with pits, frames, &c. The vinery is filled from end 
to end with one Black Hamburgh Vine, which is planted in a 
border outside. It enters the house in front at the centre. Two 
main rods are led horizontally along the top of the front sashes to 
either end, and the fruiting canes from them are trained at regular 
distances to the top of the trellis. For the sake of variety Mr. 
Crossling has inarched a Buckland Sweetwater Grape at one 
end, and a Gros Colman at the other. The Vine (like the place 
generally) has been much improved within the last few years, and 
this season it is bearing a crop of Grapes which would be difficult 
to surpass, taken as a whole, for size of bunch, berry, and finish, 
even with a house of Vines much younger treated on the restric¬ 
tion system with a Vine to each rafter. 
In the house adjoining was a fine crop of Melons. Here they 
are treated liberally, and the fruit was large and well netted. 
One end of the house was planted with Tomatoes trained on single 
stems close to the glass. Mr. Crossling pays great attention to 
the culture of this fashionable fruit (what else is it ?) both in and 
out of doors. He has tried many varieties this season with the 
view of testing their respective merits, but has failed to find one 
of them to equal his own variety (Glamorgan), which was raised 
by him a few years ago. It has something the appearance of 
Trophy, but the fruit is much larger, the plant more prolific, and 
the habit is quite different to any variety that we know. 
The earlier occupants of the greenhouse were mostly placed out 
of doors at the time of our visit, and the house was filled with 
neatly grown Zonal Pelargoniums and other plants for table 
decoration, and on the back wall were some fine healthy Tomatoes 
for late use. In the Melon ground, which is well sheltered, having 
a fine southerly exposure, were good crops of Melons and Cucum¬ 
bers growing in pits and frames. 
In conclusion we would say that all departments of this charm¬ 
ing place are carried on with care, intelligence, and success. Mr. 
Crossling is entitled to no small credit, not merel 3 r for the neat 
way in which the grounds are kept, but for the splendid speci¬ 
mens of vegetables, fruits, and liowers he produces, as has been 
certified by the prize lists of some of the best shows in the west of 
England.— Reseda. 
THE EFFECTS OF ELECTRICITY ON VEGETATION. 
A FEW years ago a remarkable occurrence in connection with 
injury to vegetation led to a discovery which not only explains 
most fully and clearly the occasional deleterious effects to plants 
trained upon galvanised iron wire, but at the same time it has 
thrown some light upon the laws of growth and disease, and 
serves to elucidate a class of phenomena which had been pre¬ 
viously altogether incomprehensible. 
A large plant case on a bronzed stand, purchased from one of 
the first houses in London, and planted with Ferns by Mr. 
Kennedy, late of Covent Garden Market, was taken to Queen 
Anne Street, Cavendish Square, and placed in a situation in every 
way favourable to the Ferns, but, strange to say, instead of their 
flourishing or even continuing in a fairly healthy condition, they 
all died. Attributing this, as one would naturally, to mismanage¬ 
ment, the case was cleaned and replenished, but only to experience 
a similar disappointment. It then became evident that some 
unusual condition must pertain to the case itself serving to effect 
this destruction, and on closer examination this was discovered. 
The case and framework being constructed of zinc and the bronzed 
table of cast iron, neither the under surface of the former nor the 
upper surface of the latter having been painted, the two metals 
were in contact, and hence a galvanic action was set up between 
them. 
Now as the uninitiated reader may be sceptical as to any possible 
influence to any practical extent from the mere contact of two 
dissimilar metals, let him place the end of a zinc tally upon the 
tip of his tongue, and one bow of a pair of common scissors 
under the tongue, and then bring the other bow to touch the zinc 
so that the two metals touch each other at one end at the same 
time that the moist tongue touches the two metals at the other 
end. At the moment of bringing them together a peculiar saltish 
metallic taste will be experienced and repeated every time the 
metals are separated and brought together again. But now sub¬ 
stitute a piece of silver—a half-crowD, for the iron of the scissors 
under the tongue, and a much more perceptible effect will be 
produced. Such, then, being the effect of the contact of the zinc 
case with its iron stand, the obvious remedy was to separate them 
by the insertion of insulating strips of wooden laths. This was im¬ 
mediately had recourse to, and in a very few hours the plants, losing 
