September 16, 1899, 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
41 
above list is rather a long one, but all are very use¬ 
ful greenhouse climbers, most of them being ever¬ 
green. They flower very freely if you allow them 
to run up a good height and get strong. If we knew 
what sort of flowers you favoured more particularly, 
we could reduce the list to any number you liked. 
The flowers are large enough or in sufficient abun¬ 
dance to be conspicuous and showy. You speak of 
good size foliage, but we are not sure if jou really 
mean large leaves. All of the above have moderate 
sized leaves, but plentiful. You would have larger 
leaves in Magnolia grandiflora, and leathery leaves 
in Camellias, but they grow more slowly. Some of 
the above would be better, but you can write again 
if in doubt about anything. 
-. 1 - - 
DENDROBIUMS AT THE WOODLANDS. 
All the leading and even some of the less popular 
classes of Orchids are cherished by R. H. Measures, 
Esq., The Woodlands, Streatham S.W., who takes 
DUNECHT HOUSE, ABERDEENSHIRE. 
This, the palatial residence of-Pirrie, Esq., at 
one time the property of the Earl of Crawford and 
Balcarres, is about twelve miles out of " the 
Granite City.” It is one of the finest and most 
extensive family seats in the county. 
Having met Mr. D. P. Laird in the city, both 
of us being appointed judges for the unfortunate 
flower show, he arranged a tour to Dunecht 
House, as our services at the show were unhappily 
not required. Your readers are already aware of 
the calamitous fate of the Aberdeen show from your 
record of it in a recent leader. Upon this subject 
I have nothing further to add than that the devas¬ 
tation which met our eyes on entering the show 
grounds on that ill-fated morning, was pitiable in 
the extreme. Plants, fruits, vegetables, and flowers 
were mixed in one confused heap of destruction so 
complete that it was entirely a hopeless case to 
bring anything out of the chaotic mass. 
time til't," fully convinced that she had arrived 
there. This simple incident is a common bye-word 
among the northern inhabitants far and near. 
The entrance to Dunecht is very imposing. The 
carriage drive is two miles in length, and is 
spanned by an iron viaduct, 150 ft. long. The 
drives themselves, on account of using them in¬ 
discriminately for the carting away of the large 
quantities of trees blown down by the great storm 
of November, 1893, are meanwhile under repair, 
and we were told they would cost something like 
£4,000 to put them right again. The drive all 
along is beautifully arranged with all kinds of 
ornamental trees and shrubs, and shows where the 
art of the landscape gardener was at work in by¬ 
gone times. The mansion house is a magnificent 
building, and cost the late Earl about £150,000. 
The grounds are proportionately large, and in 
character and conformation they are all that is 
desirable for a residence of the first quality. A 
short distance from the house two small lakes 
an intense interest in this grand order of plants. 
The accompanying illustration shows a house of 
Dendrobiums, which are chiefly suspended from the 
roof, however, so that the lower portion can be occu¬ 
pied with Anthuriums, Ferns, and other fine foliaged 
plants such as are generally cultivated in the stove. 
The long stems of the Dendrobiums show that the 
gardener, Mr. J. Coles, understands their cultivation, 
as well as that of the Cypripediums figured in 
Vol. XV., on p. 823. 
The photo was taken by Mr. S. E. Pollard, 133, 
High Road, Streatham, S.W., and though not in the 
competition, was yet amongst those shown at the 
"One and All” exhibition of horticultural photo¬ 
graphs, Long Acre, London, and the other week at the 
Crystal Palace, Sydenham, in connection with the 
National Co-operative Festival. 
In America good authorities predict another short 
crop with high prices for Beans. 
appear in the view, and make a feature which al¬ 
ways lends a charm and is an added luxury to 
every gentleman's seat. The grounds are also 
throughout teeming with fine specimens of 
deciduous and other trees. Among these there are 
some grand trees of the beautiful Silver Fir, 
besides which are some fine trees of Wellingtonia 
gigantea, which, for sym metry and robustness, 
could scarcely be equalled. 
Mr. Pirrie, as is well known, has only recently 
purchased this estate, and consequently has had 
little time to renovate it. Much has to be done on 
account of the long time it has been standing in 
an unkept state. The heirs of the late Earl never 
cared to inhabit the place since the family vault 
was desecrated and the late Earl's body was car¬ 
ried away, some years ago. There is now a beau¬ 
tiful monument erected on the spot where the 
Earl's body was found. 
Mr. Pirrie is, we understand, purposing to make 
several important improvements on his new estate. 
Dendrobiums at The Woodlands. 
To reconstruct a show, the Aberdeen nursery¬ 
men very kindly refilled the new marquees which 
the energetic committee re-erected, and the public 
were to a certain degree thus recompensed. 
As already stated, on the invitation of Mr. 
Laird, seeing that our services were unnecessary 
at the flower show, we started for Dunecht. This 
trip was of great interest to me as a period of my 
professional career was spent there in early years, 
and not having the same opportunity for many 
years to revisit the grand old place, it was 
assuredly with a feeling of keen delight that I 
accepted the invitation. 
On the way out, the journey is full of interest. 
The famous Loch of Skene, nine miles from town, 
is passed, to which is attached at least one laugh¬ 
able legend. An old woman from the higher 
regions was once upon a time travelling to Aber¬ 
deen, a place to which she never had been before. 
On reaching the shores of this large sheet of water 
(Loch Skene) she said to herself, " Aberdeen 1 an’ 
