January 8, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
299 
Younger's Ales. The gardens and pleasure grounds are 
extensive and well conceived ; and are presided over 
by Mr. Stark, who must be a busy man to be able to 
compass the exacting work of so large and varied an 
estate. " The sides of the mountains were covered 
with trees, the banks of the brooks were diversified 
with flowers ” ; in fact, a small fortune has been 
spent on trees; Conifers line the hills; Conifers 
adorn the dale; Conifers have congregated together 
in all parts of the grounds ;• Conifers constitute the 
arboretum ; in fact, Conifers are like our troubles, 
they never come alone, but in battalions. Avenue 
after avenue of these beautiful trees are very much 
in evidence, and in luxurious growth ; the Scottish 
clime with its copious rainfall and heavy mists being 
seemingly suitable to this particular natural order of 
trees—Picea nobilis, Wellingtonia gigantea, Pinus 
Strobus, Picea nordmanniana, P. Pinsapo, P. conco- 
lor, etc., responding in fine style to the dripping skies. 
Cupressus Iawsoniana, Cedrus Deodara, C. atlantica 
and its variety, glauca, Araucaria imbricata, and 
Abies Douglassi, arr.oDg others, go also to show the 
quality of the site and the quantity grown. 
The arboretum also affords a fine view from the 
mountain sides above; in fact, we,— i e., Mr. John 
Fraser, The Gardens, Ardenlee, Dunoon, and Mr. 
McLeod, The Gardens, Hafton House, Hunter’s 
Quay,—entered by the gate leading to Loch Eck, 
where Mr. Stark courteously met us; and after 
traversing Puck’s Glen—a perfect fairlyland of Ferns 
and Mosses—and scrambling up a considerable 
height, we descended by winding and romantic paths 
into the vale below. Here, after inspecting the 
arboretum, above described, at close quarters, we 
were invited to a substantial and welcome Scotch 
tea, which, coming on the top of a ten mile walk, was 
much appreciated. 
After this interesting ceremony was duly accom¬ 
plished, we took to the large glass structure known 
as the " Winter Garden,” which fact seems to imply 
that even in this comparatively warm corner of 
bonnie Argyll, weather, more or less vigorous is not 
unknown. 
This large itracture—which measures 150 ft by 
50 ft. and is proportionally lofty—is, however, 
unheated, i.e., no firing has been used of late y ears ; 
and yet the contents seem to be doing remarkably 
well. Palms, Tree Ferns, Eucalyptus, Camellias, 
Acacias, etc , content themselves with mere protec¬ 
tion. The Silver Tree Fern (Dicksonia antartica) is 
a fine specimen ; the variegated New Zealand Flax 
(Phormium tenax variegatum), is all there in green 
and gold ; while the Blue Gum (Eucaly ptus globulus) 
is 18 in. in girth, 3 ft. from the ground, and 40 ft. 
high. Bocconia frutescens, Datura (Brugmansia) 
sanguinea, Dicksonias, and Climbing Roses, etc., vie 
with each other for the upper spaces, the ground line 
being covered with smaller and dwarfer plants. 
There is also a very handsome marble fountain and 
basin, round which British Ferns, like Athyrium 
Felix-foemina cristata, Polystichum angulare pro- 
liferum, Lastrea pseudo-mas cristata or Osmunda 
regalis cristata, display their beauties to advantage, 
Moreover, the whole of one side is clothed with 
Ferns of various species and varieties, the wall being 
wired and pad led in the usual way. 
Thenpe we visited the stoves and greenhouses 
where an immense quantity of material is stored for 
various purposes. In ooe of the former Aristolochia 
elegans, a beautiful free-flowering climber of elegant 
habit adorned the roof ; while in one of the latter the 
pendulous blossoms of Lapageria rosea 'and L r. 
alba were worth looking at. Campanula isophylla 
alba were white with flowers and bespoke July, rather 
than September, the time of our visit. 
But let us get out in the open again—the day 
warrants it, for it happens to be one of those glorious 
ocoasions when all nature seems to unite to make 
amends for man’s benefit. With a cloudless sky, 
with a soft, sweet sun, and with just enough of gentle 
zephyr in the air to encourage locomotion, one 
cannot help feeling the joy of existence, the pleasure 
of life. In the borders St. Bridget Anemone is gay 
with colour; and all this display is the result of a 
sowing last March. Herbaceous plants are in fine 
form; such things as Montbretia crocosmiaeflora, 
with orange-scarlet flowers ; Lysimachia clelhroides, 
with upright spikes of white blossoms; Achillea 
Eupatorium, with brilliant yellow heads; Hemero- 
callis fulva flore pleno, with double bronzy-yellow 
blooms; Heleniurn pumilum, another useful yellow 
plant ; Chelone obliqua, rosy-purple ; Phloxes in 
variety and a dozen other things, including Colchi- 
cum autumnale, with bright purple tubes, will give 
the reader some idea of the flush of colour which 
still prevails in this fertile valley. 
By-the-bye there is one other flower which does 
well in these parts, and which must not be omitted, 
viz., Tropaeolum speciosum, a flower which, for 
colour, contour, and habit, can hardly be overrated. 
Here, there is a long line of it scrambling over an 
iron railing, its rich vermillion-scarlet blossoms 
glowing in the soft sunlight like "flames” of fire. 
Mr. Stark, however, is of opinion that the best 
position for it is at the foot of a hedge, where it will 
be comparatively dry, and where it can cling to the 
latter for support. This may be a suitable site in a 
moisture laden clime, but would, we think, be certain 
death to it in the sunny south. As we had no time 
to inspect other departments of this very interesting 
garden, we passed down another avenue of Pines and 
made our exit by the “ Golden Gate.” 
This, again, reminded us of the " Happy Valley,” 
for it is a fine piece of wrought iron workmanship, 
emblazoned with that sovereign colour from which it 
takes its name. On either side of the Golden Gate 
trees of Cupressus Iawsoniana stand as sentinels, 
while the Scotch Fir and the native Larch form the 
vista in the beautiful background. No one can look 
on such a picture as this without being affected ; and 
so it was with us. We acknowledged the power of 
Nature and the glory of landscape effect; we saw 
and were conquered ; we said " adieu ’’! and retraced 
our steps, but the vision of beauty still lingers with 
us.—C. B. G„ Acton, W. 
-- 
ORIGIN OF SPORTS.* 
What is termed " sporting ” in Chrysanthemums is 
by no means uncommon. A few of the very best 
sorts at present in cultivation have been derived 
from this source. So far as I know no explanation 
of a satisfactory kind has been forthcoming regard¬ 
ing their origin. In a recent issue of the Journal of 
Horticulture, one of the best known and most com¬ 
petent authorities on the history and cultivation of 
the Chrysanthemum, writesWith all our in¬ 
creasing knowledge we do net appear to be any the 
wiser with regard to the origin of * sports.’ ” 
The plant sent in by Mr. Mirrlees to-night is a 
variegated " sport.” The divergence is seen in the 
leaves. The root is not changed, and a small twig 
at the top shows the normal character of the plant. 
Now as we have two varieties on this plant, to per¬ 
petuate them it is only necessary to take cuttings of 
both. The root cuttings would produce plants true 
to the original, and the variegated portion would 
perpetuate the sport. For some considerable time 
the sport shows a tendency to revert to the original. 
Even after they become what is called " fixed,” 
variegated sports are difficult to retain, and fre¬ 
quently revert entirely. 
Variegation can hardly be called a disease. We 
have many very delicately marked leaves, that are 
not rich in chlorophyll, which are noted for their 
vigorous growth. They are, however, very sus¬ 
ceptible to injury. The slightest check is apparent, 
either from chills or moisture. 
There are instances on record of double sporting, 
that is, of one variety sporting in different places 
with the same result. It is noteworthy that do 
change takes place in the form of the flower, the 
colour only being changed. For example, a pink 
flowered variety gives a terra-cotta sport, while 
another pink variety produces a yellow sport, and 
still another ’pink variety gives a perfect green 
flower. 
Regarding the origin of sports, I can only give the 
result of my own experience, extending over thirty 
years, which is that hybridism is the principal cause 
of all sports. I will give an example of this. By 
cross-fertilisation I have frequently produced sports 
in the tricolor Pelargonium. To accomplish this I 
take a silver-leaved or tricolor Pelargonium as the 
seedbearing parent, and a zonal as pollen plant. The 
seedlings resulting from this cross would mostly take 
after the pollen parent, while a small proportion 
would resemble the seed bearer. These, of course, 
would be kept if as good as the parent, but the 
plants resembling the pollen parent would likely be 
thrown away. If, however, these plants were kept, 
* A paper read by Mr. George Russell, Redlands, Glasgow 
at a meeting of the Natural History Society of Glasgow. 
at some time or other they would reveal their hybrid 
origin by throwing out a sport. I used to cross these 
plants by the hundred, and had good opportunities 
of seeing the results. 
Take another genus. Azalea indica is another in¬ 
stance. I have seen as many as four different 
sports on the one plant, all clearly showing that 
cross-fertilization was responsible for them also. 
The Azalea being a hard-wooded plant, it takes some 
years before you can see the result of the crossing. 
From seedlings of my own crossing I have also had 
sports from the Azalea. 
Orchid sports are very rare. So, until recently 
was their hybridisation. Twenty years ago Messrs. 
Veitch, London, were about the only operators, but 
now nearly every oDe who has Orchids is crossing 
and raising seedlings. A number of natural hybrids 
are known, which makes it probable that hybridism 
may have had some influence in the production of 
the few sports we have. Four years ago I showed 
an Orchid sport, namely, Coelogyne cristata, varie¬ 
gated. The Coelogyne is more inclined to sport 
than any other Orchid I know. Mr. Whitton, I 
recollect, had one, and another friend, Mr. Brooman 
White, Arrdarroch, had a variegated plant of 
Odontoglossum 
Dendrobium nobile in three different places—one 
of which was Redlands—produced a variation, 
named D. n. Cooksonii, after the gentleman who 
first showed it at a meeting of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society. 
If then, sports can be produced by hybridism, I 
do not see how it can be denied that it has more 
than anything else to do with the ■■ Origin of 
Sports.” 
-* 1 - 
THE NEPENTHES HOUSE 
AT KEW. 
The highly ornamental appearance of the Nepenthes, 
apart from the fact of their interest to the botanist 
and the student of Nature, has given the plafats a 
claim upon the special attention of the gardener 
both in the private establishment, and in the more 
pretentious Botanic Garden. The idea of a house 
specially devoted to them, which has so successfully 
been carried out by the authorities at Kew during 
the past year, has thus been an exceedingly happy 
one. Until recently there was no home for the 
Nepenthes in our great national garden,although the 
plants found fairly comfortable lodgiDgs in stove 
number g, and in the warm pits in the propagating 
department, the latter, of course, not beiDg open to 
jhe general public. It is true that there were some 
excellent specimens of the most noteworthy species, 
hybrids, and varieties in " number 9,” but they did 
not impress themselves so strongly upon the visitor 
as they might,and would have done, had the different 
members of the collection been all brought together 
into one place. 
The new house, which was built by the Messrs. 
Dorey, of Brentford, lies on the eastern side of the 
T range, and adjoining stove “number 9,” from which 
access is obtained to it. It is a well built and sub¬ 
stantial span roofed erection, measuring some 75 ft. 
in length, by 12ft. in width. As the principal occu¬ 
pants of the house are suspended from iron rods 
attached to the roof, there is no need for the stages 
with which plant houses are usually provided. In¬ 
stead of the stages we find beds at the ground level 
enclosed with substantial stone curbings, covered 
with finely crushed coke,which has a neat and cleanly 
appearance. These beds are filled with various 
large stove plants, including Palms, Pandanads, 
Crinums, and Heliconias. There is a 3 ft. central 
passage covered by iron gratings, the greater portion 
of the pipes beiDg disposed in the cavity below. 
The temperature for the winter months is fixed 
for 6o° to 65° Fahr., or that of an ordinary warm 
stove. It was kept much hotter than this at first, 
but it was found that no better results were obtained 
by the greater degree of heat. 
The house was opened to the public at the 
beginning of last October. 
The collection is at present composed of twenty 
species, twenty-three garden hybrids, and three 
other forms, whose exact status is obscure—forty- 
six ia all. The whole of the plants appear to be in 
excellent health, and the majority of them are well- 
pitchered. Some especially handsome specimens of 
N. intermedia, N. raffle siana, N. lindleyana, N 
morganiae, N. mixta, N. Hookerae, N. Curtisii, and 
N. C. superba are very conspicuous. 
