May 20, 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
601 
much liberty allowed to the roots, as " the shoots 
are always strong.” This is not a time for root- 
pruning, but if you wait till towards the end of 
September you can then subject the tree to root- 
pruning, by taking out a trench at a distance of 3 ft. 
from the stem all round, and shortening the roots, 
while entirely removing those which strike down¬ 
wards in a more or less perpendicular direction. 
This will be a great check to the sap-supply, and 
produce a corresponding change to fertility. The 
foliage may require frequent syringing till its normal 
plumpness revives. Such a method as we describe 
has often been tried successfully. 
-- 
MORTON HALL, MIDLOTHIAN. 
Among the many gardens of the Scottish nobility 
and aristocracy situated around Edinburgh, those 
gardens under mention, belonging to a good old 
family bearing the name of Trotter, are not the least 
noteworthy. Major-General Trotter, for such is the 
title of its military owner, is one of the most promi¬ 
nent gentlemen in the county and holds, or has held, 
responsible posts in a first-class regiment—the 
Grenadier Guards. Morton Hall is quite a country 
residence, and lies nestled between the Braid and 
Blackford Hills, which hem it from the out-reaches of 
of which any person would be proud. There are 
many other, more or less rare and handsome, trees 
and shrubs. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Kitchen gardens generally form no inconsiderable 
part of a gardener’s charge in Scotland. The rule is 
not altered in Mr. Harvey’s case, for here we find 
close upon 5 acres of cropped ground. 
In the walled-in portion,a straight and broad gravel 
walk bisects the brakes from the glass range down to 
the lower part of the garden, while across the same 
garden runs another walk having handsome herbace¬ 
ous borders on either side. Most of the plants are 
named, and by this, an additional interest is lent to 
those not too familiar with hardy plants. On either 
side, also, of the longitudinal walk there is a border 
of H.P. Roses, so admirably strong that any novice 
can see that the conditions are highly suitable to 
them. 
Bush or pyramid Apple and Pear trees, also espa¬ 
lier Apples, line the edges of the vegetable grounds, 
and bush fruits, each in their sections, have borders 
or brakes in suitable corners. Deep digging is prac¬ 
tised and liberal nourishment given to the soil. 
Rotation of crops is systematically arranged, and by 
careful management a break in the supply of season- 
show houses. We noted the fact of cork-dust having 
been substituted for cocoanut fibre. The borders 
of Crocuses, Scillas, and other flowers were at this 
time in great galaxy of bloom. Hundreds more of 
Tulips and Narcissus were just pushing through. 
At all times this border is lovely. Tea Roses are the 
permanent lessees and even with all the severity of 
weather which falls around Edinburgh, they bloom 
and thrive amazingly. 
And now for the greenhouses, the lowermost of 
a series of span-roofed houses running somewhat to 
east and west, and joining to a lean-to corridor 
range which spans a distance of about 50 yds., 
along the west side. Well, in the greenhouse there 
were some of the best grown Calceolarias we ever saw. 
The foliage and flowers were each very large and of 
much substance. A batch of Dendrobium nobile 
had just passed the hey-day of beauty and were here 
before being started into new growth. Mignonette 
in pots was another feature for admiration, and pot 
Roses were showing well. These embraced the 
varieties Reve d’Or, La Blanche, Climbing Niphetos, 
General Jacqueminot, Baroness Rothschild, W. A. 
Richardson and Mdme. de Quartos. 
Schizanthus retusus and its varieties were here for 
gentle forcing. It would be well for many another 
gardener to employ this annual for the decorating of 
Winter Scene in the Grounds, Morton Hall, 
South Edinburgh ; and the Pentland Hills guard and 
protect its southern view. Thus the country to the 
north and south, and partly also to the west, is 
bounded round by a varied circling of diverse, undu¬ 
lating and hilly ground. 
But the east is open, and a grand prospect it 
reveals. There we have the changing water-scene 
in the Firth of Forth, whose effects in light and 
shade are most interesting to watch, and (o see the 
rising sun streaking this broad, east vale from the 
far off Bass-rock and Berwick-law across to the near¬ 
hand village of Liberton, is one of the grandest 
natural sights or pictures Lowland Scotland can 
produce. We must leave these prospective descrip¬ 
tions, however, for a note of the grounds and the 
gardens lying near by the mansion. This latter, by- 
the-way, may be seen in the background of the 
accompanying photograph. The photo has been 
taken from the centre of the kept grounds and 
embraces, in the fore-part a bowling-lawn and to 
right and left, some very handsome Scotch Pines, 
together with splendidly tapering and well-furnished 
Conifers. Abies Menziesii and smithiana; Cedrus 
atlantica, Libani and C. Deodara ; Taxus, of sorts 
one of which T. baccata is 400 years old ; Crypto- 
meria japonica ; Picea nobilis and P. grandis ; Pinus 
strobus and P. cembra are all represented by types 
able vegetables rarely or never Occurs. About the 
hardy fruit section we can tell very little. 
Pruning is regulated very much according to space 
and other considerations, but very hard pruning 
certainly is not allowed; a nice amount of fresh 
fruiting wood is retained. The roots of the trees are 
carefully restrained, and as much as possible 
are kept under direct control. Top-dressing of young 
trees is perseveringly attended to, with the object of 
keeping the real feeding roots near the surface. 
New trees take the place of the older ones, so soon 
as the latter show signs of degeneracy. Here is a 
list of Apples which succeed best at Morton Hall : 
Stirling Castle, Lord Derby, Duchess of Oldenburgh, 
Lane’s Prince -Albert, Dutch Mignonne, New 
Northern Greening,Warner’s King, Ecklinville Seed¬ 
ling, Professor, East Lothian Seedling, and Histon’s 
Favourite. The Pears are Jargonelle, Hessle, Bon 
Chretien Marie Louise, Louise Bonne, and others, 
The Plant Houses. 
We entered first the nice propagating-pit, wherein 
was a useful and varied collection of stove and other 
plants in various stages of establishment. The 
house is 24 ft. long by 9 ft. broad, is not very high, 
and contains two sections; one with cases and 
shelves near the glass ; the other with stages where¬ 
on to grow the plants before taking them to the 
his conservatory in springtime. The stages in this 
greenhouse are low and thus show off the plants 
more advantageously. 
Proceeding into the corridor we paced to the left 
and onward. On our right hand a narrow border 
was most beautifully and profitably used for the 
growth of Asparagus, of, we believe, the plumosus 
nanus variety. This was trained up strings of 
matting, some of which were 10 ft. long. In other 
parts of the corridor the Asparagus was in a like 
manner grown. 
The woodwork of the stages is painted a dark red 
colour and produces an agreeable contrast to the 
green and other coloured foliage. Fine Derbyshire 
gravel covers the surface, and the list of plants in¬ 
cludes some finely-trained and large Crotons, of 
which C. Weismanni, C. Johannis, and C. pictum 
were the best ; plants of Pandanus Veitchii, Dieffen- 
bachia magnifica, Ananassa sativa variegata; Pilea 
microphylla, or muscosa, and dwarfer Crotons (Co- 
diaeums), Dracaenas, and Asparagus in pots. 
Panicum variegatum formed a cheery edging plant 
in this, and all the other plant stoves. At every 15 
ft. to 20 ft. along this corridor great basket Ferns 
are hanging, and these form one of the features of 
the range. 
The Polypodium (Phymatodes) vulgare fills one 
