10 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
JANUARY 1, 1903. 
+ St Vigeans. + 
The residence of Dr. Stirling, F-R.S., 
is sonamed in pious memory of his father, 
whose schoolboy days were spent in the 
ancient parish of St. Vigeans, which closely 
adjoins the town of Arbroath, in Scotland. 
St. Vigean’s Church, indeed, is one of the 
most ancient in Scotland, parts of it dating 
from the thirteenth century, and its his- 
tory is closely interwoven with that of the 
Abbey of Aberbrothock, which lies within 
Arbroath itself. ; 
Dr. Stirling has been long and closely 
SSS 
without the Prince of Denmark. ‘This is 
all the more palpable and forcefully im- 
pressed upon the visitor, who may have 
the good fortune to be piloted through 
the garden by the man himself. The 
visitor sees nothing in a few minutes, but 
he may learn much in a few hours. Pos- 
sibly wearied physically by wanderings in 
a labyrinth of footways upon the slope of 
a} somewhat steep hillside, his mind receives 
a fine recreation, and his feelings stirred to 
great admiration. Such, in brief, was the 
history relics of Australia, largely repre- 
sented. by rude, vicious-looking weapons of 
the aggressive aboriginals, inhabitants who 
are fast dying out of the calendar of pre- 
sent-day records, and who have a fascina- 
tion for the doctor in his anxiety ‘o retain 
what relics are remaining of their history. 
The visitor is now ushered into his library, 
the.sanctum of his life.. This is evidently. 
no place of idleness. Everything here 
speaks of work, hard toiling work. The 
-very atmosphere seems to be a breath of 
St. Vigeans, Residence of Dr. Stirling, F.R.S., at Mount ‘Lofty, S.A. Entrance Gate. site 
identified with the public life of South 
Australia, but most particularly with the 
work of the Adelaide University, especially 
of its Medical School, and with the Ade- 
laide Museum. It would be invidious to 
single out a special branch of science or a 
phase of investigation in natural history, 
and point to it as his strongest work. Like 
most scientists, no doubt he has leanings 
to some particular subjects of research, but 
science, the seeking after truth, is, broadly 
Istated, th iwork of his life, and much 
honor and distinction has he won as the 
result of his labors. It is not within the 
function of this part of the press to deal 
with personalities, but to attempt a des- 
cription of the garden of his home. To 
leave out consideration of the personality 
of the man so manifest in his surroundings 
would be like an attempt to play “Hamlet” » 
impression. of our representative, who found 
the doctor a gentleman in. hospitality, aind, 
one might say, the moving spirit of the 
great wealth of his garden, and the ency- 
clopedia there. This may read like flat- 
tery, but if absolute facts constitute flat- 
tery, then let it pass as such, for what we 
have not said would fill a book, a book. 
which we hope some day to read. If not, 
then, the world will be that much the 
poorer. 
Now, just where and how to begin a 
description of Saint Vigeans is no easy 
task. 
claiming no pretence to architectural beau- 
ties in design, strikes you as a home—a 
home of resb and quiet. — ; 
With the interior we have nothing to. 
do, except in passing through a fine-hall 
the eye is caught by an array of natural 
The house of ample proportions, 
overcharged mental labor among 
“The assembled souls of all the world held 
wise”’- _ a ae 
ranged upon shelf after shelf from floor to 
ceiling all round the room. 
There are no books of merely ornamen- 
tal bookbinders’ art here, though, truth to 
say, the inside of the covers contain pages 
of bewitching beauty in the printer’s art 
to display the flowers of Nature in their 
rare and rich colorings and designs, 
Wealth is here displayed, no doubt, but 
not represented in so much current coin 
of the realm, large as that’ may bée. It 
is the-wealth of knowledge and research, 
stamped with the hallmark of learning. 
Fain would a thirsty soul for knowledge 
linger here and read, commune, and talk. 
but our business is outside with Nature 
herself, and our host, giving up thé time 
