486 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
June  7,  1900. 
The  Roeery. 
The  reader  may  gather  from  the  foregoing  remarks  that  the  whole 
of  the  gardens  and  grounds  at  St.  Fagan’s  bear  the  impress  of 
antiquity;  but  this  is  in  reality  by  no  means  the  case.  There  are 
modern  features  that  will  improve  under  time’s  softening  hand,  and 
there  are  places  where  the  new  and  the  old  are  associated  in  pleasing 
harmony.  Look,  for  example,  at  the  Hose  garden,  which  will  in  a  few 
years  become  one  of  the  pleasantest  retreats  on  the  estate.  Only  a 
short  time  ago  the  space  enclosed,  by  substantial  stone  walls  was  a 
rubbish  heap,  whereas  now  it  forms  the  garden  for  the  queen  of  flowers. 
In  shape  it  is  oblong,  and  in  each  corner  we  find  large  beds  given  up  to 
different  sections  as  well  as  varieties  of  Roses,  while  on  the  walls  are 
some  of  the  best  climbing  Roses  that  could  be  procured.  These  corner 
pieces  are  divided  from  the  other  beds  by  soft  green  turf,  and  the 
centre  is  occupied  by  a  cone-shaped  arbour,  over  which  other  climbers 
in  addition  to  Roses  are  being  trained.  This  erection,  beyond  its 
margin  of  grass,  is  surrounded  by  trellises  on  which  Roses  may  ramble 
practically  at  will.  Outside  of  this,  again,  is  found  a  red  brick  trough 
about  30  inches  wide  and  half  as  many  in  depth ;  water  is  admitted 
at  different  points,  and  it  is  proposed  to  have  some  of  the  choice 
smaller-growing  Water  Lilies  placed  therein  ;  needless  to  say  it  will  be 
stocked  with  fish  at  the  first  opportunity.  The  whole  ’of  the  soil 
utilised  in  the  formation  of  this  garden  has  had  to  be  carted  in,  and 
from  its  appearance  we  should  infer  that  it  would  have  been  difllicult 
to  select  any  more  suitable  for  the  purpose. 
Wall  Gardening. 
Mention  is  made  in  the  preceding  paragraph  of  the  association  of 
the  old  with  the  new,  which  result  has  been  achieved  by  the  aid  of  wall 
gardening.  The  grand  old  stone  walls  that  abound  on  the  estate  are 
admirably  adapted  to  this  form  of  gardening,  and  Mr.  Pettigrew 
purposes  to  make  a  distinct  feature  of  it  in  the  future.  It  is  so 
peculiarly  interesting  that  it  is  really  a  matter  for  surprise  that  it  has 
not  been  more  frequently  attempted.  Possibly  its  neglect  may  be 
ascribed  to  the  fact  that  generally  speaking  the  plants  suitable  for  the 
purpose  are  not  showy,  but  are  of  such  beauty  as  only  the  most  refined 
taste  can  appreciate  and  enjoy.  Of  course,  we  frequently  see  Wall¬ 
flowers  and  Antirrhinums,  but  beyond  these  there  are  scores  of 
smaller  growing  plants  that  are  available  for  the  purpose.  However, 
the  establishment  of  a  wall  garden  is  essentially  a  question  of  time, 
and  can  hardly  be  placed  on  a  level  with  the  planting  of  a  flower  bed 
or  the  making  of  a  Rose  garden.  ^ 
The  Fisheries. 
In  all  probability  the  title  of  this  paragraph  will,  if  only  for  a 
moment,  recall  to  the  minds  of  readers  the  great  International  Fisheries 
Exhibition  that  was  held  at  South  Kensington  in  1883.  There  was  on 
view,  as  the  writer  can  well  remember,  an  immense  variety  of  things  of 
interest  connected  with  fisheries  and  allied  pui'suits.  The  fisheries  at 
St.  Fagan’s  aspire  to  no  such  universal  glory,  but  they  are,  at  the  same 
time,  of  the  greatest  interest.  As  a  matter  of  fact  they  consist  of  three 
trays  or  troughs,  in  which  trout  of  two  or  three  varieties  are  being 
raised  for  stocking  the  lakes  and  presumably  the  watercourse  in  the 
Rose  garden.  In  the  three  watertight  boxes  at  St.  Fagan’s  there  were 
quite  fifteen  hundred  trout,  varying  in  size  from  an  inch  to  an  inch  and 
a  half  in  length.  A  constant  flow  of  fresh  water  is  apparently  the  great 
desideratum,  and  this  falls  from  the  upper  box  to  the  centre  one,  whence 
it  passes  through  the  third,  and  escapes  by  the  overflow  ;  the  depth  of 
water  maintained  would  be  some  3  or  4  inches.  The  series  of  boxes  is 
placed  on  a  stand  under  a  high  wall,  and  is  further  shaded  by  over¬ 
hanging  trees ;  the  locked  lids  are  seldom  raised  when  the  sun  is 
striking  directly  on  to  the  water,  and  then  only  for  a  very  short  time. 
The  youngsters  are  fed  once  a  day  on  hard  boiled  egg  rubbed  through 
fine  gauze,  and  they  take  it  with  avidity.  Beyond  the  constant  supply 
of  moving  water  the  points  are  cleanliness  and  the  prompt  removal  of 
any  fish  that  may,  from  some  known  or  unknown  cause,  die.  In  any 
case  the  process  is  most  interesting,  and  is  so  simple  that  anyone  might 
undertake  it. 
Beauty  versus  Utility. 
When  Mr.  Pettigrew  first  took  over  the  charge  of  the  gardens  at 
St.  Fagan’s  he  found  in  immediate  contiguity  to  the  mansion  Straw¬ 
berries  growing  on  a  bank,  and  near  his  own  house  the  ground  given 
over  to  vegetables.  He  further  learnt  that  his  noble  employers  were 
flower  lovers  first  and  vegetable  lovers  afterwards.  Thus  utility  had 
to  give  way  to  beauty,  and  the^bank  is  now  occupied  with  thousands  of 
flowering  plants,  and  the  vegetable  quarters  are  divided  into'beda  of 
Gladioli,  Sweet  Peas,  Carnations,  Phloxes,  and  Pentstemons ;  while'in 
the  adjacent  garden,  which  was  erstwhile  given  up  to  Roses,  are 
magnificent  Pseonies,  and  many  other  plants  that  will  provide 
flowers  for  cutting.  These  are  in  very  great  demand,  and  the 
provision  ot  beds  in  such  positions  as  those  described  obviates 
the  necessity  of  drawing  from  the  beds  and  borders  near  the  mansion 
to  maintain  the  supply.  Utilitarianism  is  not  put  aside  entirely,  for 
there  are  considerable  numbers  of  fruit  trees  on  the  walls  with  bushes  and 
standards  of  various  kinds  in  suitable  positions  all  in  fine  condition]; 
while  under  glass  we  find  Tomatoes  and  excellent  Grapes.  There  are, 
too,  the  plant  houses,  but  St.  Pagan’s  is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  an 
outdoor  place,  and  in  that  section  lie  its  many  striking  beauties.  With 
the  occupation  by  flowers  of  the  entire  home  garden,  it  became 
necessary  to  find  a  new  place  for  the  vegetables,  which  were  eventually 
relegated  to  a  field  some  distance  away.  This  has  been  laid  out  and 
planted  with  various  fruit  trees,  and  is  now  becoming  stocked  with 
vegetables ;  many  crops  are  of  course  well  advanced,  and  others  are 
being  rapidly  brought  forward  until  in  a  short  time  all  the  space  at 
disposal  will  be  occupied.  Even  here  beauty  is  combined  with  utility, 
for  a  few  rows  of  Sweet  Peas  were  observed  growing  well ;  but  then 
Mr.  Pettigrew  is  a  member  of  the  General  Committee  of  the  Sweet 
Pea  Bicentenary  Celebration,  and  as  such  should  support  the  flower  of 
the  year. 
An  Afterword. 
The  afterword,  or  postscript,  of  a  lady’s  letter  is  said  to  contain 
the  gist  of  all  that  has  preceded  it,  but  no  such  claim  can  be  made  for 
the  afterword  to  St.  Fagan’s.  That  more  might  be  said  is  readily 
acknowledged,  but  for  a  writer  to  absolutely  exhaust  his  subject  in  one 
article  is  so  contrary  to  the  tenets  of  journalism,  that  something  must 
ever  be  left  unsaid.  Thus  an  excuse  remains  for  further  reference  to 
these  beautiful  gardens,  which  are  so  cherished  by  Lord  and  Lady 
Windsor,  and  admired  by  all  their  visitors.  One  reference  only  to  the 
charming  village  can  be  made,  and  that  is  simply  that  the  main 
entrance  to  the  castle  from  the  main  street  passes  through  an  avenue 
of  Robinias,  with  some  handsome  Cedars  of  Lebanon  spreS,ding  their 
arms  on  the  right  background.  With  Mr.  Hugh  Pettigrew  and  St. 
Pagan’s  we  have  done  for  the  present,  but  there  are  others  of  that  ilk 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  whom  something  must  be  told  in  the  days 
that  ai’e  to  come. — Zingaei. 
- - 
Tlie  Temple  Show. 
I  HAVE  read  with  interest  both  your  report  of  the  Temple  Show  and 
“  Scrutator’s  ”  comments  thereon  on  page  460  of  your  last  issue.  I 
found  the  crush  in  the  tents  during  the  afternoon  of  the  first  day  very 
uncomfortable,  and  wish  some  scheme  could  be  devised  that  would 
facilitate  the  examination  of  exhibits  and  locomotion.  It  was  practi¬ 
cally  impossible  for  anyone  to  adequately  inspect  all  the  exhibits, 
though  I  have  heard  of  one  remarkably  clever  individual  who  “  saw  the 
entire  show  in  an  hour.  ” 
I  am  writing  now  to  state  how  much  my  views  coincide  with  those 
of  “  Scrutator”  relative  to  the  size  of  the  collections.  It  seems  to  me 
quite  unnecessary  for  such  immense  collections  of  Begonias,  Calceo¬ 
larias,  Gloxinias,  and  other  similar  plants  to  be  shown,  as  we  all  are 
familiar  with  the  general  run  of  the  varieties,  and  have  a  keen  desire  to 
see  only  the  choicest  of  the  choice  when  we  go  to  the  Temple.  I  should 
therefore  support  your  correspondent’s  suggestion  most  heartily  rela¬ 
tive  to  the  limiting  of  the  collections  to  say  fifty  plants  in  from  6-inch 
to  10-inch  pots,  according  to  the  habit  of  the  several  kinds.  One  friend 
goes  even  further  than  this  and  advocates  the  appointment  of  a  censor, 
who  shall  have  power  to  exclude  everything  that  does  not  attain  to  his 
ideal  of  perfection  from  the  tents.  I  cannot  say  I  have  much  sympathy 
with  this  project,  but  I  should  be  full  of  sympathy  for  the  man  to  whom 
such  a  task  was  allocated,  and  who  would  certainly  come  in  for  quite 
as  much  abuse  as  the  press  censor  has  done  during  the  South  African 
war. 
“  Scrutator’s  ”  scheme  is  certainly  a  workable  one,  and  I  hope  the 
Council  will  bear  it  in  mind  in  ax'ranging  for  this  great  show  in  1901. 
It  would  relieve  the  pressure  on  the  space  and  would  permit  of  the 
several  exhibitors  displaying  rather  more  taste  in  arrangement  than  is 
at  present  apparent.  There  is  still  too  much  packing  in  the  stands,  and 
this  is  bad  for  the  plants  as  well  as  the  visitors  who  wish  to  inspect 
them  carefully. — Countet  Visitor. 
