166 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 10, 1888. 
sempervirens), has reached a height of 60 ft., and 
near by it is a large tree of Abies amabilis, with 
its branches affected by gouty swellings caused by a 
woolly aphis, an insect allied to that which causes 
American blight on Apple trees. The Abies in 
question was mentioned in the Transactio'/is of the 
Arloricultural Society for 1884. 
A noble specimen of Thuja Craigeana was planted by 
Lord Palmerston on April 4th, 1863, and is now 50 ft. 
in height and laden with its small yellowish cones. 
Scattered about the grounds are other species, such as 
T. occidentalis, T. Vervteneana and T. orientalis 
elegantissima, the latter being notable for its dense 
upright habit and feathery branches. Thujopsis 
dolobrata variegata and Libocedrus decurrens are other 
beautiful trees that rightly find a place here. The 
golden Scotch Fir (Pinus sylvestris aurea) is represented 
by a tree 6 ft. high, planted by Lord Iddesleigh on 
November 5th, 1885. On the upper edge of the flower 
garden are two noble trees of Pinus Laricio about 70 ft. 
in height. They are two of the original trees of this 
kind first sent to Scotland, have trunks of great 
dimensions, and are still in robust health. Close by 
a striking contrast is presented by P. L. pygmaea, a 
pigmy relation about 2 ft. in height, although known 
to be twenty years old. 
Lawson’s golden Cypress (Cupressus Lawsoniana 
aurea-variegata), having some of its branches bright 
yellow, is here finely coloured, and stands some 8 ft. 
high. The creamy white variegated variety is also 
well grown, while C. L. nana alba is a beautifully 
conical bush, having all the young growths of a 
strikingly distinct creamy white colour. The White 
Cedar of North America (Cupressus sphoeroidea or C. 
thyoides) also thrives very satisfactorily, as does C. 
nutkaensis, which is widely disseminated in gardens 
under the name of Thujopsis borealis. A tree of the 
variegated form, C. n. aurea-variegata, stands about 
10 ft. high, and is beautifully pyramidal in outline. 
-- 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
_ - ♦ . 
♦ 
British Perns in Winter, 
A mistake which amateurs are very liable to make in 
the keeping of hardy Ferns during winter is to allow 
them to become dry, under the impression that, growth 
being suspended, they must be dried off in the same 
manner as a Fuchsia or Pelargonium. This is bad 
enough for the deciduous kinds, but it practically 
means death or starvation to the evergreen sorts, many 
of which are amongst the most beautiful of hardy 
Ferns, whether British or exotic. Amongst the larger 
kinds, the varieties of Polystichum aculeatum and 
P. angulare are eminently adapted for the adornment 
of cool greenhouses or shaded conservatories, whether 
artificial heating be used or not. Their hardiness is 
one of their chief recommendations, and unheated places 
may be made cheerful with them even in mid-winter. 
Several of the varieties of the common Polypody are 
eminently adapted for the purpose, including Poly¬ 
podium vulgare cambricum, the Welsh Polypody, and 
the more finely-divided garden or other forms, such as 
P. v. cornubiense, P. v. multifido-cristatum, P. v. 
grandiceps, and others too numerous to mention. 
Of the Hart’s Tongue, or Scolopendrium, there is 
also endless variation, some of which are mere 
curiosities ; but S. v. crispum, S. v. ramo-cristatum, 
S. v. Wardii, and a host of others are both useful 
and handsome. The smaller and choice kinds of 
an evergreen nature include Asplenium Tri- 
chomanes, A. T. Moulei, A. marinum, A. Adiantum 
nigrum, A. viride, A. fontanum, A. lanceolatum, 
Polystichum lonehitis, Adiantum Capillus-Veneris, 
and others of great beauty. All these enjoy a 
moderate quantity of water in winter, and must not 
be allowed to get dry, otherwise the best and finest of 
the roots perish. All of them are sufficiently hardy 
to be wintered in a house without heat, but the fronds 
keep green and fresh for a much longer period, 
provided they are protected so as to prevent the fronds 
becoming frozen during severe weather. 
Calceolarias. 
The stock of these should not be starved at any time, 
otherwise the plants become stunted or drawn by 
overcrowding, and never form the large healthy crowns 
of leaves that augur well for a good show of flowers. 
If the young seedlings are still in boxes, pans, or even 
in small pots, they should be shifted on, both with the 
object of preventing crowding and to give the seedlings 
more root room. Like Cinerarias they are exceedingly 
liable to the attacks of green-fly, and should be lightly 
fumigated to keep the pest down. Keep them in cold 
frames, well matted up at night, and do not allow them 
to suffer for want of water when they get dry, otherwise 
their delicate roots perish. 
Hardy Florists’ Flowers. 
The choicest of such things as Auriculas, Carnations, 
Picotees, and Polyanthuses are wintered in cold or 
unheated frames, because the improvements effected by 
the plant have rendered many kinds constitutionally 
weaker than their less favoured relations of the above 
genera. Except in the case of tree Carnations, which 
should be transferred to the greenhouse or conservatory, 
the others are best wintered without heat. The utmost 
caution should, however, be exercised in watering and 
ventilating them to prevent damping. The smallest 
quantity of water necessary should be given, and that 
in the morning, so that superfluous moisture may be 
dried up before the frames are closed at night. Suf¬ 
ficient should be given to moisten the ball at each 
watering, and no more. Generally speaking, however, 
if the pots are plunged in ashes or coco-nut fibre little 
or no watering is required during the whole winter. 
Much, however, depends on the state of the weather. 
Ventilate freely on every favourable occasion, taking 
off the lights during fine weather, and in the absence 
of frost leave on air all night. This will promote a 
sturdy habit of growth, and a stronger constitution 
than if the plants are in any way coddled. 
Variety of Fruit in Small Gardens. 
Now that fruit culture is year by year becoming better 
understood, and its principles brought under the notice 
of the public, a great variety of fruit can be grown in 
gardens of limited extent by adopting certain methods 
of culture, particular forms of trees, and the system of 
pruning. For the open ground, the principal forms of 
small trees are the pyramid and the bush, pruned so 
that they assume the outlines indicated. Trees to 
occupy little space on a wall may be pruned and 
trained as single or double cordons, and nailed to the 
wall in an upright position or in an oblique one. This 
latter system is more generally adopted for Pears than 
Apples, small trees of which more naturally assume 
pyramid or bush forms. The Apple is also grown as 
cordons, either single or double, and trained hori¬ 
zontally within 1 ft. or so of the ground, all round the 
borders of walks. All these systems may with advan¬ 
tage be adopted in small gardens, and as they may be 
bought already partly trained, amateurs will find no 
difficulty in continuing them on the same plan. A 
large number of kinds can be grown in little space, and 
when so treated, Apples must be grown on the Paradise 
stock and Pears on the Quince. They should be 
planted with their roots near the surface, and afterwards 
mulched to encourage root development within easy 
reach of air, warmth, and surface feeding. By so 
doing the trees are directly under the cultivator’s 
control. 
-- 
EDINBURGH NURSERIES.— II. 
Beech Hill and Rosemount. 
Following the great western road leading out of the 
City through Murrayfield, and about two miles from 
the capital, we come to bold rising ground surrounded 
and partly occupied by tall trees of handsome pro¬ 
portions. Here, on the right hand side, is the Beech 
Hill Nursery of Mr. John Downie, Edinburgh, while 
Rosemount is a little farther on, on the left. The 
former occupies the gently-rising sunny slope, and at 
the time of our visit, at the end of September, was 
aglow with florists’ flowers of every hue. 
Vineries and Greenhouses. 
Glass is by no means extensive, but every house was 
occupied to the best purpose. The vineries are lean-to 
structures, and although not very high, yet we counted 
nineteen bunches on a rod of Alicante, twenty-one on 
Gros Colmar, and forty-two on a Vine of Muscat of 
Alexandria, consisting of three rods. Other sorts in 
good condition were Foster’s Seedling and Duke of 
Buccleuch, both having clean well-finished bunches 
and berries. 
A wonderful show of tuberous Begonias occupied a 
house 52 ft. in length. The greater proportion of them 
were seedlings of this or former years, and exhibited 
the endless tints and shades for which this useful and 
showy class of plants is now noted, and which it is 
needless here to enumerate. The size of the flowers 
and the dwarf condition of the plants show that the 
secret of growing tuberous Begonias has already been 
learnt north of the Tweed. A considerable number of 
varieties suitable for bedding-out purposes in Scotland 
is grown, and we had evidence of their suitability for 
this kind of gardening in the floriferous state of a bed 
of plants grown in the open air. A rich scarlet 
Tropaeolum named Mrs. Peebles we also noted as a 
useful bedder. Handsome Fuchsias were Mrs. T. 
Sinclair, a semi-double white and red variety ; Mrs. 
Penny, with a violet-purple and striped corolla; and 
Phenomenon, another dark kind. 
Conifers and Shrues. 
There is a fine assortment of the leading forms of 
Cupressus Lawsoniana, including the well-known C. L. 
lutea, C. L. aurea, C. L. erecta viridis, and C. L. ereeta 
Fraseri. The latter differs chiefly from C. L. erecta 
viridis in its short erect or ascending branches of deep 
and distinctly glaucous colour, whereas the older 
variety is green. It is a feathery branched sort, and 
not likely to be injured by heavy snowstorms. There 
are specimens of it ranging from 1 ft. to 3| ft. in height. 
Similarly neat specimen Thuja Vervseneana, Retinospora 
plumosa aurea, Juniperus chinensis, and green and golden 
Irish Yews are also plentifully grown. The Silver 
Firs were represented by healthy young trees of Abies 
pinsapo and A. nobilis from 12 ins. to 15 ins. in height. 
Shrubs are not extensively grown, nor is there space for 
them ; but we cannot pass over a fine lot of Berberis 
Darwinii and ^Ligustrum ovaiifolium aureum varie- 
gatum, both very useful for grouping and for bedding 
purposes. 
Pansies and Violas. 
These in their show, fancy and bedding forms con¬ 
stitute a strong feature of these nurseries, and have 
always been favourites with Mr. Downie for some 
thirty years past. Amongst the show varieties Andrew 
Miller, light plum, John Donaldson, velvety maroon, 
Mrs. Dobbie, white with dark blotch, Mrs. Turnbull, 
pure white, Countess of Rosebery, cream, David 
Malcolm and Archie Ormiston, both black, George 
Rudd, yellow, and Snowball, white with a dark blotch, 
are all very fine seifs and representative of their class. 
Marked improvements continue to be made amoDgst 
the white-ground varieties, including Advance, Selina, 
Queen Mab, and Elio, all belted with some shade of 
purple. Older, but nevertheless fine kinds are Mrs. 
Ritchie, with violet-purple belt, Mrs. J. G. Paul, 
belted with plum-purple, Devonia, purple belt, Jessie 
Linn, Miss Jessie Foott, Miss Ross, and Jeanie Nicol, 
all of which would be difficult to surpass in the richness 
of their contrasting colours. Undine is distinct in its 
pale purple band, on a white ground. The white 
ground varieties are even more numerous and varied 
than are the whites, and they not only exhibit greater 
brilliancy but are of stronger constitution, as a rule. 
Magi, with purple belting, and Lyra with a hronze- 
purple band are seedlings of this year. A handsome 
large flower is Lord F. Cavendish, golden yellow and 
bronzy purple, while 'William Dickson though paler in 
every way is nevertheless a bold-looking flower. George 
S. Veitch has a very deep golden yellow ground colour, 
and is useful for exhibition purposes. The following 
are also notable for the richness of the blotches 
surrounding' the eye or the belting, namely Dr. D. P. 
Stewart, Dr. Geo. Robertson, J. B. Robertson, Mrs. 
Harvey, Mrs. King, The Favourite, John Elder, James 
Cook, and John Erskine. 
Fancy Pansies are not fettered by the fine rules that 
regulate the markings of exhibition sorts, consequently 
there is a wider range of variation, and the flowers are 
generally more conspicuous for ordinary decorative 
purposes. But here, as elsewhere, tastes differ. W. 
B. Latham, with dark blotches, shaded with crimson 
on the upper petals ; R. Dean, rosy crimson ; Maggie 
Bella, creamy white, with dark blotches ; Matchless, 
dark crimson ; and Miss Paterson, purple and white, 
are all charming new varieties of this year. Compara¬ 
tively new are William Kilgour, dark maroon ; Mrs. 
M. Houstan, rosy crimson ; Mr. Dodds, deep rich 
yellow, with dark blotches ; Harry Bell, yellow, with 
dark blotches ; and David Henderson, maroon, all 
beautiful and showy kinds. A sort named Beauty will 
long sustain its reputation for the richness of its rosy 
crimson blotches surrounded with white. Also useful 
for exhibition is Mrs. W. Smart, with rich blotches on 
a white ground ; Miss Bliss shows a wonderful com¬ 
bination of bronzy red, rose, white and yellow. A 
handsome variety is Mrs. John Downie, with deep 
chocolate blotches surrounding the eye, while the upper 
petals are strikingly pencilled with clear rose. A 
charming white kind is Princess Beatrice, while Mrs. 
Forrester, rich crimson ; Pilrig, crimson and yellow, 
with mulberry blotches ; William Dean, velvety black 
and violet-purple; Mrs. Jeanie Reid, dark purple, 
edged white ; Miss Anna Park, cream ; Lord Rosebeiy, 
deep plum-purple and white ; and Mary Tate, should 
