HiijUjUmenl  If 
226 
JUUUXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
March  12,  1903. 
r 
Hopetoun  House  from  the  park. 
with  broad,  flatly-trimmed  Yew  hedges,  after  the  pattern  of 
old-time  galleries,  wdth  cosy  “  neuchs  ”  and  seats.  Here  and 
there  an  opening  brings  to  view  the  Fife  coast,  and  Black¬ 
ness  Castle  is  seen  standing  boldly  out,  and  this  is  (or  was) 
one  of  the  four  fortresses  which,  by  the  Articles  of  the 
Union,  are  to  be  kept  constantly  garrisoned. 
The  tour  is  continued  round  the  west  side  of  the  grounds 
with  “Lord  Hope’s  Walk”  on  a  lower  level,  and  from  a 
certain  point  the  visitor  obtains  a  distant  view  of  the 
famous  Deer  Park,  studded  with  immense  groups. of  Rhodo¬ 
dendrons  and  flowering  shrubs,  and  the  church  and  manse 
of  Abercorn  peeping  prettily  out  from  amongst  Pine  trees. 
In  referring  to  the  west  front  one  should  not  omit  to 
mention  the  Yew-lined,  arched  alcoves  of  part  of  the  wall — 
a  feature  of  some  interest  because  it  is  uncommon.  Cedars 
planted  by  the  King  and  Queen  before  they  ascended  the 
Throne  are  pointed  to,  as  well  as  others  planted  respec¬ 
tively  by  the  Shah  of  Persia  and  the  Kings  of  Saxony  and 
Denmark.  On  the  south  side  there  stands  a  Cedar,  of 
greater  age  than  the  house,  which  makes  it  nearly  three 
hundred  years  old.  The  Dark  Walk  has  been  a  leading 
feature  for  two  or  three  generations,  and  remains  so  still. 
It,  too,  is  on  the  south  side,  and  an  illustration  of  it  is  given 
at  jiage  229. 
Within  the  garden  walls  the  lover  of  flowers  and  the 
practitioner  in  the  culture  of  fruits  hardy  and  tender,  and 
of  vegetables,  will  find  a  very  great  deal  to  interest  him. 
Mr.  James  Smith  is  one  of  the  leading  gardeners  in  the 
North,  and  has  managed  Hopetoun  for  many  years.  Being 
happily  situated  in  a  shallow,  sheltered  valley  with  good 
soil,  the  produce  of  the  culinary  garden  here  is  all  of  good 
sample.  The  illustration  conveys  an  admirable  impression 
of  the  general  lie  of  the  hardy  fruit  and  vegetable  quarters, 
the  houses  being  in  an  adjoining  section,  which  could  not  be 
included  in  the  photograph.  Bush  fruits  are  very  good,  and 
the  vegetable  crops  at  the  time  of  my -visit  were  all  excel¬ 
lent.  They  are  grown  in  large  quantities.  The  walls  are 
high  and  in  splendid  condition,  Peaches,  Apples,  and 
Apricots  on  them  bearing  good  crops.  Twelve  acres  of 
ground  are  enclosed  within  the  walls,  and  a  tiny  streamlet 
flows  through  the  centre  of  the  garden. 
In  the  division  which  is  stated  to  be  outside  the  range 
of  the  photograph,  stand  the  ranges  of  plant  houses,  sur¬ 
rounded  bv  ornamental  grounds,  including  the  formal  flower 
garden  and  a  newly-made  rosery.  The  glass  section  is 
admirably  disposed,  and  the  original  designers  of  the 
garden  showed  commendable  judgment  in  their  plans.  A 
range  of  fully  eighty  yards  is  divided  into  six  fine  vineries, 
in  front  of, which  there  is  a  large  plant  house,  and,  slightly 
beyond  a  strip  of  shrubbery,  is  an  older  range  of  structures 
consisting  of  peacheries,  vineries,  and  Fig-house,  with  the 
new  Rose  garden  in  front.  A  range  of  span-roofed  forcing 
and  intermediate  houses  were  built  a  good  many  years  ago, 
and  the  ground  being  part  of  a  steep  declivity  lu  was  neces¬ 
sary  first  to  construct  arches  as  a  foundation  for  the  houses. 
With  the  frugal  gardener’s  instincts  to  make  the  most  of 
everything,  Mr.  Smith  uses  the  spaces  under  the  arches  for 
Mushroom  culture,  and  doubtless  in  other  ways. 
Carnations  .  are  favourites  at  Hopetoun,  and  of  Mal- 
maisons  one  could  note  well-developed  samples  of  Cecilia, 
Mercia,  Prime  Minister,  Sir  Evelyn  Wood;  the  old  Blush, 
with  Mrs.  Trelawny  and  Churchwarden.  As  a  Tree, 
Duchess  of  Fife  was  specially  recognised.  Roses  are  well 
grown  under  glass,  and  the  visitor  cannot  but  remark  the 
handsome  Ivy-leaved  Pelargoniums.  The  Trumpet  Honey¬ 
suckle  and  Rwainsonia  galegifolia  depended,  profusely 
flowered  and  in  effective  contrast  from  the  roof-beams  of 
one  of  the  greenhouses.  In  a  mixed  cool  house  there  were 
wonderfully  robust  Statices,  scented  Pelargoniums,  Be¬ 
gonias,  Liliums,  Hydrangeas,  and  shapely  plants  of 
Juniperus  Bermudiana.  Flower  borders  and  tiny  rockeries 
are  situated  around  the  exterior  of  these  houses. 
In  other  houses  the  outstanding  subjects  are  Clivias, 
Humea  elegans.  Fuchsias,  Ferns,  and  tender  bulbous  plants. 
The  stove  contains  some  beautiful  Hibiscuses,  Hoffmannias, 
Aralias,  Anthuriums,  Phyllanthuses,  and  the  handsome 
Monstera  deliciosa.  On  the  roof  we  find  the  waxy-flowered 
Stephanotis  upholding  its  specific  name — floribunda,  and 
