1020 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
December 17, 1904. 
Castle Huntly, in the Carse of Gowrie. 
We have so long associated this place with fruit and Chry¬ 
santhemums that it was with animated pleasure we found our¬ 
selves wending our way through heavy laden harvest-fields 
where the “ binder was delivering out the sheaves with clock¬ 
work persistency, enough to make the knight of the sickle, 
aye, even the scythe, stare ih wonder at modern invention. 
On arriving at the gardens, we found Mr. Beisant, the head 
gardener, a picture of work, harvesting a remarkable crop of 
Jargonelle Pears. , 
After a hearty welcome and the usual banter, for, like 
Father O’Flynn, he has a wonderful way with him, Mr. Beisant 
conducted us through the various departments, revealing the 
fact that if fruit and Chrysanthemums are outstanding speciali¬ 
ties, other things are by no means neglected. A plot of Brussels 
Sprouts in the vegetable garden amply testified to Mr. Beisant’s 
abilities as a vegetable grower and raiser. * Near by we found 
the secret, where he saves his own seed of what appears to be 
an excellent Sprout. 
In passing the various plots we were struck by the luxuriant 
growth of all vegetables, while the wall trees were adorned 
with a good average crop of fruit. 
Among Plums doing well we noted Jefferson’s, Victoria, 
Ponds Seedling, Kirks, Golden Gage, White Magnum Bonum, 
etc. Pears were a good average crop—the best we had seen 
this season, while the remnant of Peaches and Nectarines tes¬ 
tified to what they had been earlier. Among Apples growing 
as wall trees, Peasgood's Nonsuch was carrying well, while in 
the rows of pyramids we noted Lord Derby, Lord Suffield, Lord 
Grosvenor, Loddington, Stirling Castle, Keswick Codlin, Wor¬ 
cester Permain, etc.,carrying huge crops of excellent fruit; but 
it was in the orchard house that we saw to what perfection the 
Apple can rise. Here was to be seen Emperor Alexander, ex¬ 
cellent of form and huge in size, closely followed, if not sur¬ 
passed, by Peasgood’s Nonsuch, Gascoyne’s Scarlet, Golden 
Spire, King of Tomkins County, Lane’s Prince Albert, Wor¬ 
cester Permain, etc. A number of trees of selected varieties 
are growing in pots plunged in the open border carrying a good 
crop, amply repaying the trouble taken. 
The Peach- houses with one exception were all empty, but in 
one of them a splendid crop of luscious fruit still studded the 
trees. Princess of Wales, Dymond, Gladstone, and Spencer’s 
Nectarine filled the house. 
Grapes, as our readers know, are well done here; about a 
dozen of the choicest varieties are grown. Appley Towers is 
doing well, and is a great favourite with Mr. Beisant, while 
his employer, Mrs. Armstead, prefers Muscat of Alexandria and 
Lady Hutt, the latter a splendid late white Grape. Muscat 
Hamburgh, Gros Colman, Gros Maroc, Alicante, Madresfield 
Court, Mrs. Pince, Black Hamburgh, Chasselas Napoleon, 
Diamond Jubilee, etc., carried model bunches with excellent 
finish which would be difficult to beat. 
In the plant houses a good selection of foliage and flowering 
plants is maintained, but special mention might be made of 
a house filled with Malmaison Carnations. This is another of 
Mr. Beisant’s special hobbies, and he does them well, and by 
his methods of culture claims from a stock of 500 plants 
just now in various stages to gather flowers the whole year 
round. Pits and frames were filled with growing plants, such 
as Cinerarias, Primulas, Calceolarias, Hydrangeas, etc., all 
looking healthy and vigorous, and will in their respective 
seasons give a good account of themselves. Violets are largely 
grown in frames and borders, the variety Marie Louise being 
the favourite here. 
About 550 Chrysanthemums were grown on single stems in 
8-in, to 10-in. pots. About £10 is spent annually on new varie¬ 
ties, while the older but indispensable varieties, such as Elsie 
Fulton, Henry Perkins, Lord Ludlow, Mrs. W. Vallis, F. S. 
Vallis, Mrs. George Mileham, George Penford, Mrs. R. Cad¬ 
bury, Thomycroft, etc., were grown by the dozen. Among 
newer varieties we noticed Brender, Chard, Mrs. Gray Paget, 
Beauty of Lee, W. R. Beckett, etc. All the buds were secured 
and swelling rapidly, and from the general appearance of the 
whole batch we predicted another success during the autumn. 
On the wall of the little American garden we noticed some 
fine Camellias and Magnolia soulangeana and M. grandiflora, 
which we were assured never failed to flower. In the beds 
amongst other shrubs noticed flowering well were Menziesia 
polifolia, and its white variety. 
The castle itself is an ancient edifice dating back about 500 
years, and from its naturally fortified and imposing situation 
it must have proved a stronghold against numerous assaults. 
The basement and cellars are hewn out of the rock on which it 
stands. This rock seems to be a huge boulder hurled from 
the Grampians by some mighty avalanche or volcanic action 
and transposed into the mud of the Tay, which now forms the 
fertile Carse plain. So out of keeping is it with its surround¬ 
ings that it baffles geologists to give a correct reason for its 
appearance. 
On the lawn in front of the castle two venerable old Yew 
trees are still making remarkable growth, although said to be 
as old as the castle. With their branches intertwining they 
unite in covering a circumference of 450 ft. 
After partaking of Mr. Beisant’s hospitality, we had the 
pleasure of inspecting his collection of cups, certificates, and 
other trophies, which prove that his success in competition with 
his special hobbies—Chrysanthemums and fruit—has been 
phenomenal. Y. Z. 
Begonia Gloire de Sceaux. 
Amongst the many winter-flowering Begonias the variety 
under note should take a prominent place. Apart from its 
beautifully coloured leaves, the majestic appearance of well- 
grown plants of this Begonia serves to set off the stove or 
structure in which it is grown to a marked degree, while the 
flowers, I think, are hardly surpassed for beauty by any other 
winter-flowering subject grown. Neither can it be called diffi¬ 
cult to grow, for with ordinary care and potted in a suitable 
compost this variety will make fine specimens, and bloom 
right through the dull months of the year. 
The best time for taking the cuttings is as early as possible ; 
the month of March or April does well. It is advisable to 
sacrifice some of the later blooms by cutting the old plant 
slightly back, rather than have to wait for cuttings until later 
on in the year, that is, if the plants are to be in flower for 
the following Christmas, but if the plants are wanted to flower 
in the early spring, cuttings may be taken as late as the month 
of June. They should be inserted singly into the middle of 
60-sized pots, using a compost of peat, leaf soil, and silver 
sand, and placed in a propagating frame, where, if sprayed 
over once a day they will readily root, when they should be 
brought out gradually to the house temperature. As soon 
as the roots have got nicely round the sides of the pots, they 
should be shifted on into 48’s, using a compost similar to the 
one before, with the addition of some lime rubble and manure. 
Le Fruitier seems to suit them admirably. Keep them in a 
nice open position, and shade from bright sunshine, damp the 
staging well several times a day, but syringing the plants is 
not advisable. It has a tendency to make the leaves go off. 
They should be next potted into 24’s, and the smallest plants 
into 32’s, in which they should flower. If treated as advised 
here the results will (be more than satisfying. Gloire de 
Sceaux likes a stove temperature, but can be grown in an 
intermediate house with success. An intermediate house is 
best to flower them in. Herbert J. Pittman. 
Big-Tree Mark Twain. —At the meeting of the Linneaii 
Society of London, on the 1st inst., Mr. John Clayton, F.L.S., 
presented a series of photographs with lithographed text, en¬ 
titled, “ The Sequoias, with special reference to the section of 
the Big-Tree Mark Twain,” which tree afforded the sections in 
the Jesup collection at New York and at the British Museum 
(Natural History). The history and details of these were given. 
