JANUARY 1, 1903) 
that must be very precious to him, leads 
the way out to the entrance gate to begin 
with his kind office of guide.  ~ 
The grounds of the garden- are between 
four and five acres in extent, laid out on the 
slope of a somewhat steep hill, and the 
approach. is from a district road which runs 
alongside the property. This road first 
claims attention because of the fine avenue 
of Oriental | planes, -which,.the doctor 
naively remarked, the District’ Council 
allowed him to plant. “This condescension 
or. the part of the Councillors showed an 
attribute of wisdom in having an exceed- 
ingly pretty country lane added to the 
original beauty of Mount Lofty, in the dis- 
trict of Stirling West, so named after the © 
father of the owner of Saint Vigeans. The 
‘THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
altogether is one of the finest growth of 
hedgework that one will meet with. On 
the opposite side the gaite is shaded by a 
large weeping willow (Salix babylonica). 
The hedge along the drive is principally 
of Veronicas, Creme-et-Violet, Imperialis, 
and Andersoni. A nicely grown specimen 
of Pittosporum eugeniodes variegatum fills 
up a space near by a majestic looking 
Pinus insignis. 
Looking over the Veronica hedge, the 
fruit garden, rising upon the slope, tempts 
one to linger awhile, but turning away to 
the other side a yet richer wealth of fruit- 
tree foliage arrests the gaze, lowering away 
down the little gully slope. Well sheltered 
‘hetween the fruit-trees are various bush 
fruits, blackberries, raspberries, gooseber- 
{i 
This is of modestly unassuming propor- 
tions, but what it lacks in impressiveness 
from outward dimensions gains a full equi- 
valent of importance ‘from the affectionate 
attention bestowed upon it by Miss Stir- 
ling, who claims the right of private entree 
to her special charge. Privilege was 
granted to the press, and therein we found 
a nice collection. of choice plants artistically 
set out in rockery and other methods of 
display. The brown spored fern, origin- 
ally named from. New Holland, Gleichenia 
flabellata (the New South Wales coral 
fern), which is fast disappearing from the 
Mount Lofty Ranges, where it found a 
natural habitat. Healthy specimens were 
also there of Scolopendrium vulgare, 
Adiantum pubescens, Aspidium aculeatum 
house was one of the first of the many 
country residenees which now beautify the 
surroundings of Mount Lofty. It over- 
looks a valley through which the railway 
runs, the station being within a few 
minutes’ walk from the house. Nearly on 
the crest of the hill excavations had to be 
made, and a large area of level ground 
filled up to take the drive, the house, and 
the terrace around it. Entering the gate, 
which opens on to a graceful curving drive, 
to the residence, the first object command- 
ing attention aire the hedges of ivy and 
Kennedya nigricans and of ‘Pittosporum 
undulatum. The latter varies from 8 to 
12 ft. in thickness, and is about 10 ft. high 
at the side elevation of the house, which is 
in reality the front entrance. The end of 
the hedge is formed into a little arbor, and. 
St. Vigeans. View from Terrace, looking west. 
ries, and currants. A pleasing variety to 
this is lent by the lighter tinted green of 
the horse chestnuts (Aisculus hippocasta- 
num), and two of the finest specimens to 
be found in the hills of Catalpa syringe- 
folia, running up to 30 or 40 ft. high. Yet 
again is the foliage effect broken by 
growths of bamboos and New Zealand flax. 
Moving up the drive the curious effect of a 
strong wind is seen. Close under the lee 
of the buildings ai fine strong tree of Plata- 
nus Orientalis (plane) was broken off half- 
way down, while not as much as a branch 
was broken from any of the adjacent trees 
and shrubs clustering around it. It looked 
like a piece of sheer spite. At this corner 
the hedge of fence looked almost gay with 
the-red blooms of a Fuchsia corymbiflora. 
In this corner, too, we find a shadehouse. 
(N.S.W.), Pteris tremula, Asplenium bul- 
biferum (N-Z.). Tree ferns, Alsophila ex- 
celsa and Dicksonia antarctica, were 
spreading their new fresh young fronds in 
that graceful, patronising fashion peculiar 
to their dignity over the modest, yet beau- 
tiful and delicate, foliage of Adiantum 
pubescens. Others that claimed notice 
were Aspidium elegans, Cyrtonium falca- 
tum, and ithe hare’s foott fern Davallia 
pyxidata (N.S.W.) The Japanese cycad, 
Cycas revoluta, and the palm, Rhaphis 
flabelliformis, also from. the land of the 
rising sun, were growing nicely. A. nice, 
well-grown Dracena nutans, helped to com- 
plete the foliage effects, while the floral 
beauties were represented by a border of 
Ericas (Cape Heaths), Salvia dolochoides, 
Calceolarias, and Camellias, and not forget- 
