106 
October 17 , 1896 = 
THE GARDENING WOR 
which my guide had kindly volunteered to show me, 
but as we left the lawn garden he pointed out a bed 
of Carnations that had taken 'i cwt. of his wire 
stakes to support the blossoms that were regularly 
distributed over it. Wending our way by the wood¬ 
land walk to the gardens proper, which are situated 
at a higher elevation than the Castle, the prospect 
is very grand, the whole being surrounded by an 
amphitheatre of hills, conical in form, which gives 
the impression that they are the result of some 
volcanic upheaval. One of these Dumguac, or 
»Cuckoo Hill." overshadowing the Castle, is clad 
with Oak and Fir to its very summit. 
Passing through the garden gate we are again 
introduced to flower gardening, the lawn on either 
side of the pathway having large raised beds of 
Marguerites, each of which is ioo ft. in circumference 
and in the centre is placed fine specimen Yuccas; 
these are circled with Gladiolus brenchleyensis and 
Lobelia cardinalis, thickly planted to a radius of 
5 ft. from the centre, the remainder of the bed being 
a mass of white Marguerites edged with Beet and 
yellow Violas. Other correspondingly large beds 
were filled with distinct varieties of dwarf Antir¬ 
rhinums from a very fine strain of seed obtained 
from Messrs. R. B. Laird & Sons, Edinburgh, as 
was also a very fine large flowered white Candytuft 
which covered a large oval bed from amongst which 
shot up hundreds of spikes of Gladiolus brenchley¬ 
ensis. 
Glass Houses. 
Entering the glass houses, which are modern, the 
principal range being span-roofed, I noticed that the 
greater part was occupied by Vines and Peaches, 
there being four vineries and two Peach houses 
giving evidence that their requirements are thoroughly 
understood by those in charge, the Peaches being 
perfect in size and colour, and a magnificent crop. 
Proceeding through the vineries I was struck with 
the very heavy crops, also with the fruit, which was 
large, both in bunch and berry, and finishing well; 
but Mr. Brough assured me that the crop was no 
heavier than that carried for the past four years. 
The vine roots not yet being in full possession of the 
borders, Mr. Brough gives good surface dressings of 
both chemical and organic manures, his object in 
cropping to such an extent being to try and induce a 
more vigorous root action, which to ail appearance 
he is attaining, as the borders were permeated with 
fibrous roots. 
The conservatory was gay with Liliums and the 
usual autumn display, and in the Palm house I 
noticed several fine specimens of Kentia belmoreana 
and K. fosteriana io ft. to 12 ft. in height, all the 
picture of health ; while looking round, one did not 
require to be told that only the best decorative sorts 
were kept. Along the roof was trained a very dark 
coloured variety of Bougainvillea glabra, and 
suspended from the roof there was a nice collection 
of Cattleyas, chiefly autumn flowering, which had 
thrown up numerous strong sheaths. In a house 
leading from this was a very fine collection of 
Crotons, Dracaenas, and such plants as are most 
serviceable for table decora tioD, this being a leading 
feature at the Castle. 
Two wide span-roofed frames were full of Tomatos 
(the variety being Stirling Castle) carrying heavy 
crops, a third being full of Tuberoses grown in boxes. 
A Melon house that had furnished its crop was being 
used for forcing Tuberoses. Being favourite flowers 
of Sir Archibald and Her Ladyship they have to be 
grown in quantity for the autumn months when the 
family is resident, Mr. Brough assuring us that he 
always planted over 2,goo bulbs. 
After going through the other houses and frames 
which were filled with miscellaneous lots of 
occupants, and which showed that every available 
space had to be utilised to provide the amount of 
flowers, etc., for the Castle, one could not but be 
struck with the admirable arrangement in all the 
different houses visited ; also the clean and healthy 
appearance of the plants, which spoke volumes as to 
the care and attention bestowed upon them by my 
guide and his assistants. 
Kitchen Garden, etc. 
The same might also be said of the kitchen garden, 
which we next visited, as tidiness and order, prevailed 
everywhere; and here again we found the space heavily 
taxed to keep up the supplies required for such a 
large establishment, every available inch of the 
ground beiDg cropped and double cropped. 
Stone fruits such as Plums and Cherries in par¬ 
ticular do remarkably well here, but Mr. Brough 
informed us he never had a full crop of Apples and 
Pears, the bulk of the varieties planted not being 
suitable to the district, but this fault is being 
remedied. We now approached on the upper level 
of the garden, the house of our guide, and which is 
in itself an object to admire, being clad with Clematis 
and Roses in great profusion, with a lovely sloping 
lawn in front, the uninterrupted view all round being 
something that strikes the visitor for the first time 
as being truly Scotch, surrounded as it is by such a 
picturesque landscape, backed by the commanding 
Fir-clad summits of the hills. 
There are many more objects of interest at this 
beautiful retreat that one could write upon had time 
and space permitted, but trains, like time, wait for no 
man ; therefore we had reluctantly to make arrange¬ 
ments for our return, and after thanking Mr. and Mrs. 
Brough for their courtesy and hospitality, deeply 
impressed and charmed with what we had seen at 
Duntreath, we resumed our journey northwards. 
J.H.M. 
-- 
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CROPS IN 
EAST DEVON. 
The past season has been a very trying one for the 
above, especially where the water supply was short, 
and fortunate was the gardener who had a good 
supply and labour to put it on. 
Fruit. 
I will take the Apple first, as no doubt it is the 
most useful fruit grown for one and all. I am sorry 
to say they are not nearly so plentiful as we were 
led to hope at the flowering time. I think the hot 
dry weather during April, and May had someting to 
do with this, as the young fruit dropped off whole¬ 
sale soon after the setting period, and the maggot 
played sad havoc with the remaining crop ; 
specially was this the case in orchards. The follow¬ 
ing are the best with me . — Kerry Pippin, King of 
Pippins, Ribston Pippin, Scarlet Nonpareil, Early 
Nonpareil, Court of Wick, Cox's Orange Pippin, and 
Lord Burghley. 
Pears in general are carrying good crops such as 
Marie Louise', Beurre Bose, Beurre Diel, Beurre 
Hardy, Pitmaston Duchess, Hessel, Duchesse 
d’Augouleme, Van Mons, Leon Leclerc, Huyshe’s 
Prince of Wales, and Fondante d 1 Automne. Straw¬ 
berries were an excellent crop here. President, 
Noble, Sir Joseph PaxtoD, Royal Sovereign and 
Eleanor all carried extra fine fruit. I ought to add 
they were well watered and mulched. Gooseberries 
and Currants, were very heavy crops, with the 
exception of Black Currants, a quantity of which 
dropped off owing to the continued drought. Rasp¬ 
berries were also a good crop, Superlative being 
the best aDd holding on the longest. Apricots 
were a poor crop, as they did not set well. Cherries 
against an east wall carried good crops; 
also Morellos on a north wall. Peaches 
and Nectarines on our east wall were not so 
satisfactory as I could have wished ; some of the 
trees carried heavy crops, while others close by were 
very scanty, owing, I think, to the cold east wind 
that was prevalent when the trees were in flower, 
which evidently had disastrous effect on some 
varieties more than others. 
Vegetables. 
Vegetables were at a minimum as soon as the 
effects of the dry weather was felt. The early Peas 
were very good, Exonian and Veitch’s Early 
Marrow being well filled; also Duke of Albany 
sown at the same date (January 31st) but the mid 
season crops were the worst I ever had. The little 
yellow thrip smothered the bine and crippled the 
growths, and several long rows were worthless in 
spite of a thorough soaking of water twice a week. 
The later crops looked promising in August, but the 
month of September was far too wet and dull for 
them ; the pods have not swelled up at all nicely. 
Cauliflowers were and are now very good. Sutton’s 
Michaelmas White Broccoli are excellent just now. 
Lettuces were very scarce during June and July, as 
well as good Turnips. Onions were the best crop I 
have had during the past five years. Broad and 
Runner Beans have done well here in spite of dry 
weather ; so has Carrots, Beet, Parsnips, &c. 
Potatos are not such good crops as last year, in 
garden or field. Early ones were good, but later 
crops, after the rain towards the end of August, began 
to grow out ; especially is this the case with Magnum 
Bonum. All the Brassica crops look clean and 
healthy now.— Bicton. 
D. 
COLLECTIONS OF DUTCH BULBS. 
Mr. Benjamin Soddy, seed merchant and bulb 
importer, 243, Walworth Road, London, S.E., sends 
us two boxes of bulbs as samples of what he has in 
stock, and with which he is supplying his customers. 
The seven-shilling box contained twelve single named 
Hyacinths of the first size, including such standard 
varieties as Charles Dickens, La Grandesse, Mont 
Blanc, Queen of Hyacinths, Lady Clinton, etc. It 
also contained twelve Hyacinths of the second size 
in mixture; and judging by their appearance many 
of them would flower handsomely, being plump and 
solid. Here also were four dozen corms of four 
named varieties of Crocus, such as Large Golden 
Yellow, striped Crocus Sir Walter Scott, purple 
Crocus purpurea grandiflora, and white Crocus 
Theba, all of the first size and in excellent condition. 
Thus there were six dozen bulbs in the box, and Mr. 
Soddy assures us they were in no way specially 
selected. 
The five-shilling box contained a collection of 270 
bulbs, and would possibly meet the requirements of 
a larger number of people having small gardens. 
The " B ’’ collection is forwarded carriage paid, and we 
should think constitutes very good value for the money. 
The great variety of flowers obtainable from these 
bulbs in their season certainly makes a bid to please 
the taste of a wide circle of flower lovers. The box 
contained twelve Hyacinths, choice mixed, twelve 
mixed Daffodils, twenty-five Golden Yellow Crocuses, 
twelve mixed double Tulips, fifty choice mixed 
Crocuses, six Pheasant’s Eye Narcissus, six sweet- 
scented, double white Narcissus, twelve choice mixed 
single Tulips, twenty-five finest mixed Spanish Iris, 
twelve Star of Bethlehem, twenty-five Winter 
Aconites, twelve Scilla sibirica, twelve Muscari 
botryoides, twenty-five Snowdrops, twelve Turban 
Ranunculus, and twelve finest mixed single Anemones. 
As will be seen, all of the above are perfectly hardy, 
and may be planted out permanently in various parts 
of the garden, where they should continue to thrive 
and increase from year to year, with a moderate 
amount of attention such as the interested amateur 
who loves his garden is well able to give. The 
Ranunculus and Anemones would perhaps take more 
attention than the rest to get them thoroughly 
established, but the great bulk of the bulbs are 
easily manageable. 
- ^ - 
HERBACEOUS PLANTS FOR 
EXHIBITION. 
The discussion between Coila and Plantsman, that 
has been carried on for the last few weeks in the 
columns of The Gardening World, seems to have 
really centred around the inclusion or non-inclusion 
of Lilies in a group of hardy herbaceous plants. On 
p. 43, Coila, in reply to Plantsman, says that, " one 
reason why he objects to the inclusion of Lilies in 
hardy herbaceous collections is that in most cases 
they are grown in pots and flowered under glass." 
This, of course, is true enough, as far as it goes— 
Lilies are grown in this way in enormous numbers— 
but the inference that it is a common practice 
amongst cultivators, who are in the habit of exhibiting 
collections of hardy herbaceous flowers, to obtain 
their material from pot plants is, I think, distinctly 
unfair to these men who are, on the whole, honest 
and straightforward. There are black sheep in every 
flock, but horticulture claims, if anything, less than 
the ordinary number of such undesirables. 
In the same article Coila goes on to say " who can 
tell whether they (the Lilies) have been treated as 
pot plants or cut from the open border ’’ ; and a 
little further down says it is annoying, etc. to see 
such flowers “ when it is perfectly well-known that 
they have been flowered under glass.’’ Now if we 
accept the first statement that it is impossible to tell 
how the flowers have been obtained, it is manifest 
that only an ocular demonstration could furnish the 
information, and in the event of such evidence being 
forthcoming I am inclined to think that decisive 
action would be taken by any floral committee. I 
see no reason why Liliums should be excluded, 
although, if they are to be, a clause should be 
inserted to that effect in the schedule. In addition 
to the Liliums mentioned by Plantsman on p. 23 , I 
should vote for L. Hansoni one of the prettiest 
species we have. Probably the price asked for it is 
prohibitive, although the beauty of the reddish 
orange flowers is sufficient to compensate for this. 
L, Dalhansoni is also well worthy of attention. 
