June 23, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
683 
FLOORS CASTLE, KELSO. 
Situated about a mile to the west of the border 
town of Kelso, and overlooking the beautiful silvery 
sheet of the winding Tweed as it flows past on the 
south side downward to Kelso Bridge, is the re¬ 
nowned Floors Castle, which for long has been a 
seat of the Dukes and Duchesses of Roxburgh. 
From many points of view Floors Castle has a fame. 
Its gardens and the features of interest to horti¬ 
culturists have elicited much appreciation and keen 
attention on many a past occasion, and their tradi¬ 
tions are still upheld, and have still their power to 
interest. But the notice which I would now bestow 
falls far short of what they deserve, as I had only a 
flyiDg visit at the end of March. 
The mansion itself is a magnificent structure, 
broad, massive, splendidly balanced, and situated 
high and commandingly. Around it on the south 
and west sides are well proportioned terraces, while 
on the north front a great park with even sward, 
dotted and belted with trees, and browsed by sheep 
and kine, stretches. 
The gardens, or that portion which includes the 
glasshouses, lie directly on the west of the Castle. 
The glass ranges are very extensive, and include six 
fine vineries, ever so many peacheries, plant houses, 
Ferneries, Rosehouse, pits and frames. Mr. Street, 
who has been head gardener at Floors for fully ten 
years, is a perfect model of a thoroughly able 
gardener, and in not a single house through which I 
was escorted, was there a solitary weak subject. It 
would surely be an incentive to many of the more 
apathetical gardeners were they to inspect and 
learn from such successfully cultivated gardens. 
The houses of Black Hamburgh Vines, and others 
of Foster’s seedling, and Muscats, were in various 
stages of development. The earliest house had had 
the bunches thinned for some time and were doing 
splendidly. The Vines are all vigorous, though 
some of them are of a good age. The Peaches too 
are wonderful trees. Some of the fine old ones were 
planted by Mr. Knight, who left Floors to superin¬ 
tend the King of the Belgians' fine gardens. These 
are fully thirty years old, with massive basal 
limbs from which there arises a capital growth of 
stout fruit-bearing wood. 
Melons in small root confined borders were 
developing close-set healthy stems and stout leafage. 
By this slight "cribbing" treatment the plants 
from first to last make firm growth, and are far 
better able to thwart the many pests and ailments 
which they are liable to. Cucumbers were fruiting 
splendidly. Strawberries were everywhere, in 
vineries, peacberies, and pits, and as many as 2,000 
of Royal Sovereign and Vicomtesse Hericart de 
Thury are forced every spring. Tomatos, as one 
might expect, are grown rather extensively. Mr. 
Street has tried some twenty varieties, and now 
maintains Ham Green Favourite as his favourite. It 
is prolific, of good size, form, appearance, and 
flavour, and succeeds under a variety of different 
conditions. The Tomatos, like the Melons, are 
grown " hard." 
The Malmaison Carnations were a treat to behold. 
Great, thick stems, long, broad, curling foliage of a 
lustrous steel-gray colour, and finely branching 
bushy plants—such are the Carnations at Floors. 
At this time they will be supplying a very welcome 
yield of their fragrant blooms. Tree and border 
Carnations in pots are equally well grown. The 
latter come in useful where there is a heavy demand 
for cut bloom in the early part of the year. Such 
free varieties as Wm. Robinson, Reginald Godfrey, 
Yule Tide, Dundas Scarlet, Alf. de Rothschild, 
Reynolds Hole, and Daybreak, a splendid yellow- 
ground Carnation, from a few plants of which Mr. 
Street obtained ten dozen blooms, are the special 
varieties cultivated. 
Violets in 6-in. pots were marvellous specimens, 
growing in cool frames. 
A conservatory of Roses is another very useful and 
important feature of the glass department. The old 
Camellia house with its Tree Ferns and miscellaneous 
stock ot plants (including a fine example of the 
climbing Abutilon megapotamicum variegatum, 
which is such a beautiful plant and so seldom seen 
in good condition) forms a sort of winding corridor 
from which the rosery just mentioned, and other 
houses, branch off at right angles. 
A concluding reference must be made to a house of 
Coelogyne cristata. To those who are interested in 
big things, or at least in specimen Orchids, an hour 
would be agreeably spent at this famous border 
garden. There the enquirer would see plants of the 
above 12 ft. in circumference. Some of the best 
may be slightly over this mark. So many as r63 
spikes of bloom have been cut from one plant. 
That is certainly remarkable. There may be equally 
large or even larger specimen Coelogynes somewhere 
in the Kingdom, but we venture to say there is not 
more than half-a-dozen. 
Cattleyas and Cypripediums are also grown and 
flower luxuriantly as regularly as the seasons come 
and go. Ferns, Palms and stove decorative plants 
are well done, and fill house after house. Every 
part is utilised—walls, stages, corners and even 
below the stages, every thing being clean and 
shapely. It is this latter fact which goes such a 
long way in giving effect to things in this, or any 
other garden. It is interesting to note that a sample 
of Ficus elastica has grown for over seven years in 
a sheltered spot out of doors at Floors Castle. It 
stood through the very severe winter of 1894. 
Roses in beds are not in all cases pruned hard back, 
but the sensible plan of only heading back the 
stouter shoots and then bending them down hori¬ 
zontally has been adopted. By such means hun¬ 
dreds of extra blooms are secured.— D. 
-- 
A RHODODENDRON SHOW. 
The Rhododendron is a common shrub. The 
Rhododendron is an uncommon shrub. Now there’s 
a paradox. The interpretation is that Rhododen¬ 
drons are found in everybody's garden, yet the 
shrub perpetually maintains its distinctive superi¬ 
ority among the shrubs flowering at the same 
season. It is one of those subjects which by its 
bold blaze of bloom can charm the commonest taste, 
and yet among its list of varieties there are many 
whose soft beauty and mystic loveliness satisfies, ay, 
and captivates the regard of the most critical and 
educated of senses. 
Messrs. John Waterer & Sons, Ltd., of Bagshot, 
Surrey, are at present holding their annual display 
of new and favourite varieties of Rhododendrons in 
the beautifully planned area in the Botanic Gardens 
at Regent's Park, N. The many superb and grand 
collections of this ubiquitous flowering shrub, which 
are to be seen in many gardens, will furnish the dis¬ 
tant reader with a mental vision of the display at 
Regent’s Park. But it is safe to say that nowhere is 
the quality of the collections so pure, nor the 
effective massing and contrasting of sorts so perfect, 
as is this annual assortment by this firm of specialists. 
The varieties which we shall name were selected to 
suit all tastes, and to point out to intending planters 
what are the varieties of greatest merit. In conver¬ 
sation with a member of the firm it was pointed out 
that pink varieties are engaging the largest share of 
attention in the meantime. The very delicate shades 
of this cheery colour seem to be those most appre¬ 
ciated by ladies, and what the ladies prefer the 
gentlemen are generous enough to acquiesce in. 
Still, everyone has more or less an individual fancy, 
and to provide different distinct types of Rhododen¬ 
drons is another aim of the specialists. 
The finest pink variety which has so far been sent 
out is Messrs. John Waterer & Sons’ Pink Pearl. 
Our own columns and those of our contemporaries 
have sung the praises of this best of all the hardy 
Rhododendrons. On June 5th it was honoured with 
a First-class Certificate when shown before the 
Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural 
Society. A description appeared on page 668 of 
The Gardening World. Other very good pink 
Rhododendrons are as follows Concessum, a most 
lovely variety, with fine open blooms, having a light 
pink centre and deeper edges. It is one of the finest 
of the pinks. Ingramii is blush-white, and on its 
deep yellow throat it bears chocolate spots. Lady 
Clementina Walsh, a beautiful light sort edged with 
pink, has a peculiar tinge of cream colour about the 
base of the corolla. 
One of the sweetest and most charming of the 
newer varieties is Lady Eleanor Cathcart, which 
lends itself well as a standard. Distance seems to 
lend enchantment to the view, for at a slight way off 
it is marvellouslly fine. The colour is bright, clear 
rose, having a flush of salmon throughout, and is 
marked with crimson spots on the upper part of the 
throat. It is very distinct and beautiful. 
A point of special merit in these light pinks is that 
their soft colours can bear close looking into, and 
not suffer from the inspection. Some of the more 
radiant and deeper-hued Rhododendrons are only 
lovely when regarded in the general view. Minnie 
is a good blush-white, whose orange spots in the 
throat make it conspicuous and pretty. Mrs. Hol- 
ford would be classed as a rosy crimson. The 
trusses are very large, stroDg, and of fine form. Mrs. 
John Penn is a fine salmon-pink, a variety likely to 
please many folks. Roseum elegans is one of the 
most gorgeous Rhododendrons in existence. It 
forms enormous bushes, which, when laden with its 
thousands of flowers, are distinct and telling features 
for a mile or more distant. White Rhododendrons 
are best as seen in album grandifforum, which has 
enormous trusses of beautiful blooms. 
R. album elegans is also an exquisite variety. 
Beauty of Bagshot is another very fine white sort. 
It has a mauvy centre and yellow upper lip, and 
when seen in sunlight it is splendid. Francis B. 
Hayes gives us the type of Rhododendron, having a 
pure white ground and a broad blood-red or port 
coloured blotch on the upper segments. This latter 
feature, and the slightly different form of the bloom, 
presents to the eye of the expert a Rhododendron of 
another type from that of the light pink or self- 
coloured, faint-hued forms. Little points of differ¬ 
ence between the various sorts are quickly Doted by 
the specialist’s eye, and the best and most distinct 
variety of a type is taken as a standard from which 
to judge others. Francis B. Hayes, then, is a very 
good example of its special class. 
Mrs. Tom Agnew is a special favourite with us. It 
is white, and has an orange-yellow throat. Papi- 
lionaceum is another one which follows after the 
Agnew variety. Perspicuum is much thought of by 
good judges. It is white with a tinge of lavender or 
lilac in it. Princess of Wales should, have come 
under the rosy-hued sorts, and a very cheery and 
bright coloured Rhododendron it is. 
Nero gives us a change to bright purple. The 
trusses are large and good and the foliage very 
handsome. H. W. Sargent is crimson; John Walter, 
with wavy edge, is a very telling aDd brilliant rich 
crimson sort; Kate Waterer is a rosy-crimson with 
a fine yellow throat, and one of the most telling 
varieties there is. 
John Waterer shows well. It is a free flowering, 
glowing carmine variety. Fleur de Marie is con¬ 
spicuous, because of its crimson being blotched with 
white. 
Everestianum is rosy-lilac; Cyaneum is purple; 
Cynthia, rosy-crimson ; Baron Schroder, not very 
showy, but its splendid plum colour will suit the 
taste, no doubt, of many. Other recommendable 
sorts are:—Blandyanum, rosy-crimson; Alarm, 
scarlet with a white centre; B. W. Elliott, 
deep rose with dark spots; Chlonoides, creamy 
white; and Gem, a light blush. There are 
many splendid unnamed seedlings, and it is worthy 
of note that many of these which are deemed un¬ 
worthy to name, though often very good, are offered 
cheaply to large planters. 
--•*-- 
Hardening §|iscellany. 
PRIMULA SIEBOLDII VARIETIES. 
None of the Primulaceae, or rather the Primrose 
tribe proper, are more beautiful than the varieties of 
Primula Sieboldii. They may not be so easy to 
cultivate successfully as are the P. sinensis or P. 
obconica sections, but good gardeners, like knights 
wishing to meet opponents worthy of their steel, 
may like them all the more because of their shy 
character. An exceedingly fine lot was staged at 
Edinburgh show early in April. Of these, the 
finer varieties were: Princess Beatrice, of snowy 
whiteness, and fimbriated edge; Queen of the 
Whites, a more robust and handsomer variety than 
Princess Beatrice; Charming Bride, a large flowered, 
deep mauve variety ; Harry Leigh, a pretty lavender ; 
and Victor, which is larger and more deeply coloured 
than Charming Bride. The best batch came from 
Mr. Wm. Galloway, of Fernside, Liberton. 
GOOSEBERRY SAWFLY. 
To spray over the Gooseberry shoots as a preventive 
against the Gooseberry Sawfly use the following 
wash :—6 lbs. of soft soap, 6 lbs. of paraffin, 100 
