August 12,1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
79S 
house the flower garden in the height of the season is 
always gay. This year on account of cold nights and 
heavy continuous rains this work could not be taken 
in hand until the Whit-week show was over, and all 
its accompaniments cleared away. Then Mr. 
Weathers’ object was to get the beds and borders 
filled as full and quickly as the stock would allow, 
and so have the grounds in as attractive a condition as 
can possibly be managed. The surroundings to the 
gardens now are not of so genial a nature, as when 
they were first formed; and it is doubtful if at any 
future time they can be again as they have been. 
Still for residents in or near the busy city of Man¬ 
chester and Salford, with their Docks, Canal, Works 
and Factories, the gardens are a charming resort, 
and a place where many while away a few hours on 
a Saturday afternoon, and have but a short distance 
to go to reach home when the visit is completed.— 
W. S. 
—— *» a ~-- 
COTTAGE FLOWER GARDENS. 
Local horticultural societies are, generally, in dire 
straits in respect to the aims and objects for which 
they were established, and the Acton institution is 
no exception to the rule. It is unfortunate that 
horticulture should thus have to be bolstered up, at 
the annual exhibition, by sideshows and extraneous 
matters which have no reference whatever to the 
encouragement of cottage gardening. These things, 
however, must, I suppose, be tolerated, otherwise 
the societies in question would speedily come to an 
ignominious end. The one thing, then, which still 
continues to justify their existence is the prizes that 
are usually offered for cottage garden produce, and 
for the best kept allotments and cottage flower 
gardens. To encourage a love of flowers is 
distinctly wholesome; and, by further offering prizes 
for the best results in this direction, an incentive is 
introduced, which not only acts beneficially on the 
competitor himself, but re-acts also to the advantage 
of the community. In the case of vegetables some¬ 
thing luscious as well as substantial is added to the 
table, while through the latter the house is made 
more cheerful and beautiful. 
The premier place for the best kept cottage flower 
garden in Acton—we are pleased to record—has 
again been occupied, for the sixth year in succession, 
by Mr. James Cleaver, who resides with his " guid ” 
wife in a very floriferous cottage at the back of the 
High Street. In July, 1895, the garden in question 
t wasnoted and illustrated in The Gardening World. 
This year, however, the design has undergone con¬ 
siderable modification; and, moreover, gravel has 
been substituted for the verdant verge therein 
depicted. 
It occurred in this wise. Mr. Cleaver intended to 
rest on his laurels this year and—as he vigorously 
puts it—" to give somebody else a chance.” But— 
and this will illustrate the character of the man—it 
came to his knowledge that a pseudo friend had 
given it out that his success was entirely due to the 
" bit of grass,” and that without that adjunct he 
could ‘‘lick” him easily. Whereupon, Mr. Cleaver's 
intentions were cast to the winds. He tore up the 
grass and overhauled the “ estate.” At the begin¬ 
ning of the year it looked like a quarry. At the 
present time it is a little paradise. It has been re¬ 
created. It is now a garden full of bloom and 
beauty, and Mr. and Mrs. Cleaver have the right to 
be proud of their joint achievements. 
The main features of this little pleasure plot is a 
border on either side, with a restful bower at the 
bottom, draped over with Virginian Creeper; an 
ornamental vase in the centre surrounded by a bed, 
and two small triangular-shaped beds down the 
middle, the interspaces being filled with gravel 
neatly and evenly rolled. 
The vase is prettily decorated with zonal and Ivy¬ 
leaved Pelargoniums and Creeping Jenny, while at 
the base we have more zonals, Iresine, Yellow 
Violas, Mesembryanthemums, and Echeverias ; 
while the triangular beds contain — in addition to 
those plants already mentioned—tricolor Pelar¬ 
goniums, white and blue Violas, and white and 
dark-blue Lobelias respectively, with a variegated 
Maize plant for each centre. 
The borders are particularly floriferous with 
Petunias, Pelargoniums, Stocks, Sweet Peas, Carna¬ 
tions, Fuchsias, Zinnias, etc., with a double edging 
of Lobelia, alternated with Alternanthera and the 
common, but very effective, Golden Feather. Other 
things like Lilium auratum, perennial Phloxes, 
Michaelmas Daisies, Dahlias, etc., will supply bloom 
later on, the whole of the border on one side beiDg 
set off by a glorious colouring of Golden Privet. 
The windows are prettily furnished with Fuchsias, 
Lobelias, and other things, while up the cottage 
climbers cling. A trellis also finds a place, whereon 
the fiery Tropaeolum flaunts its flowers, while even 
the Crimson Rambler Rose strives against long odds 
to sustain its reputation for colour and character.— 
C. B. G. 
« 1 — -- 
HEDGES. 
Hedges are one of the most familiar things we meet 
with; and yet it may seem to some a bold assertion 
to make that a really good hedge, that is, one in all 
respects managed as well as it is possible to do it, is 
one of the rarest things one comes across in many 
country districts. A really good hedge, when it 
arrives at mature age, should be impenetrable to 
everything beyond the smaller animals and birds. 
Neither poultry, cats, nor dogs ought to find their 
way through it, whether it be formed with Holly, 
Yew, or Hawthorn. A moment’s reflection will con¬ 
vince anyone that hedges answering this description 
are somewhat rare. And why ? Because the manage¬ 
ment as respects the formation and clipping is at 
fault. In most instances we find them carried 
straight up with either a flat or rounded top and to 
be often narrower at the bottom than at the top. 
This invariably leads to their becoming scantily fur¬ 
nished at the bottom, where, indeed, they ought to 
effectually answer the purpose for which they are 
designed. The best furnished, and my beau ideal of 
a hedge for an outside boundary is one planted on a 
bank, about 3 ft. in width, and so managed that 
when the grassy slopes of the bank are trimmed the 
whole should form a cone of from 3 ft. to 4 ft. in height 
from the top of the bank. I have recently met wiih 
some Quickset hedges managed on these lines 
through which a rabbit would have some difficulty 
in making its way, unless it burrowed beneath. As 
for a man getting through it it is quite out of the 
question, unless a way was cut for him. The coni¬ 
cal formation gives every part of the hedge an 
almost equal share of light and air, so that no part 
becomes weak or naked through the want of these 
two essential elements of plant life.— W. B. G. 
THE FRUIT CROPS IN THE PRESTON 
DISTRICT. 
I have not personally inspected the fruit gardens in 
this neighbourhood, but I hear very poor accounts 
of the fruit crop, scarcely any Apples in some places 
and thin almost every where, Strawberries, Raspberries 
and Currants being the only good crops generally. 
Raspberries realised at first rod. per quart; they are 
now at sjd. In this garden the Apple crop is all one 
could wish and the trees have been fairly free from 
insects. Pears are an average crop except on walls, 
the only failure on orchard trees is Beurre d’Amanlis ; 
but then we have a fair sprinkling of Marie Louise, 
which seldom bears, to make up for it. Louise 
Bonne, and Beurre Bose have more on the trees than 
last year, carrying a heavy crop. Plums are not a 
satisfactory crop in this garden, but this year we 
have none. The same may be said of Cherries. 
Gooseberries are thinner than usual but the Rasp, 
berry crop is unusually heavy, and the fruit good 
considering the heavy crop and the age of the plants ; 
on young canes the fruit is as large again. 
Strawberriesjwere not affected by frost or drought, 
as they were heavily mulched immediately after rain. 
Royal Sovereign is the best I ever grew here. The 
first fruit ripened this year on the 16th of June ; and 
as we have some on an east and north border under 
a wall as well as in the open we have been able to 
gather up to the 26th of July. Latest of All and a 
local variety, Barnes’ Prolific, are the only sorts that 
will be grown here ; in fact, we have very few, of 
any other this season. Barnes’ Prolific is largely 
grown by market growers ; it is an immense cropper 
and very hardy, but has no other particular merit. 
A gentleman, who has journeyed from Preston to 
Carlisle along the west coast, informs me that from 
enquiries he made, there is only quarter of a crop. 
Apples were promising until lately, many haviDg 
fallen in consequence of the drought. Strawberries 
and Raspberries have generally done well. Goose¬ 
berries are variable — in places abundant, in others 
practically nil. Damsons are extensively grown in 
districts traversed by my informant, but only in one 
instance did he see anything like a crop.— W. P. 
Roberts, The Gardens, Cuerden Hall, Preston. 
— «t «- 
ROSSDHU, LUSS, LOCH LOMOND. 
Beautifully nestled on the western shores of the 
far-famed Loch Lomond, among the majestic and aw e¬ 
inspiring mountains, which no other part of our 
Island but the Highlands can produce, lies the man¬ 
sion and policies of Rossdhu, the seat of Sir James 
Colquhoun, of Colquhoun and Luss, Bart. The 
estates have been in the possession of the 
Colquhouns over seven hundred years, a fact which 
cannot be often stated respecting our British 
families. Like most ancient places, Rossdhu has 
many traditionary and poetical associations. This 
is not to be wondered at, as the situation is in every 
way favourable to the creation of both—indeed, the 
whole scene is a panoramic and unwritten poem 
itself. 
The pen of a “ Scott ” alone could give justice to 
the sublime prospect which opens on the view on 
every side. The Queen of British lakes spreads out 
for miles along the side of the grounds of this 
extensive demesne, and garnished as it is with so 
many islands and islets, is truly a sight of unrivalled 
beauty. Then the lake, or rather loch, is landlocked 
on every side with hills and mountains of awful 
grandeur, arising, as the view extends northwards, 
pile upon pile, each vying with one another to 
eclipse its compeer in colossal disorder and 
magnificence, and whose summits disappear in the 
clouds. The celebrated Ben Lomond, a princess of 
British mountains, sentinel-like, with its rounded 
head stands out conspicuously above them all. 
On the western side Rossdhu is admirably 
sheltered from the fiercer blasts of a wintry storm by 
a much more modified raDge of Nature’s munitions, 
which are clothed to the summits with forest. The 
estates are extensive and furnish very fine specimens 
of Pine and other forest trees. On our way to 
Rossdhu from Luss pier, we noticed two or three 
very fine specimens among many others, of Silver 
Fir (abies pictinata), said to be 130 ft. high and over 
6 ft. in circumference. The “Courting Tree" is 
another fine example of the wide spreading habit of 
the Beech tree, and under whose branches half a 
regiment could be sheltered. 
From the lodge on the Luss side to the mansion 
house is a long drive of over a mile in length, and 
beautifully lined with Rhododendrons and other 
choice trees; while in the background is a pro¬ 
miscuous array of fine, old, knarly, moss-covered 
giants of other years. The mansion itself is unique 
in its situation. It is situated on a promontory 
formed by the waters of the lake, which almost sur¬ 
rounds it with its ceaseless ripples Near to the 
modern house, which is about 200 years old, stands a 
well preserved remnant of the ruins of the ancien t fort- 
alice, and also that of the chapel where the Chiefs of 
the Colquhouns have been interred for the last seven 
centuries. Quite near stands a healthy specimen, 
equally old, of the common Yew, and about 12 ft. in 
circumference, with a clean stem of 7 ft. or 8 ft high. 
It is a veritable witness of antiquity. There are 
many interesting trees in this vicinity, among which 
are Catalpa syriDgaefolia, Liriodendron, ornamental 
Coniferae, &c. The locality appears to suit Coni- 
ferae, for Araucarias, Wellingtonias, Piceas, and 
Abies are respectively represented by very fine 
specimens. Throughout the grounds, which are 
1,000 acres in area, the hard-wood specimen trees 
are very fine. Oak, Larch, Pinus sylvestris, Ash, 
Beech, Lime, &c., are really noteworthy. Here is 
the finest specimen in Scotland of the Scotch Fir. 
The gardens are about two furlongs from the 
house, are walled round and' contain about three 
acres. The situation is happily selected, and the 
soil and exposure are excellent. The wall is about 
16 ft. high, covered over with fine Pear, Plum, 
Cherry and other fruit trees. 
There are three vineries containing a fine crop of 
Grapes ; three P£ach houses also bearing a well 
assorted crop of fruit; two Pine stoves all looking 
well with fruit; and a very nice conservatory gay 
with seasonable flowers, all of which reflect great 
credit on the untiring abilities of Mr. MacPherson, 
Sir James’ gardener. 
One thing in particular, among many others, can¬ 
not fail to impress the attention of the visitor to this 
place, viz,the comfortable cottages that Sir James 
