SCOTLAND.

Edinburgh Green Market. —June 26. New potatoes 3s. to 3s. Ed., and green peas 1s. 6d. to 2s. a peck; unripe gooseberries 3d. to 4d., and strawberries 1s. to 1s. 3d. the imperial quart; artichokes 14d. to 3d., and cauliflowers 2d. to 4d. a head; common white turnips 3d. to 4d., and yellow turnips 4d. to 5d. a dozen; carrots 4d. a dozen; best cabbages 1d. each.

July 10. Peaches and nectarines are selling at from 4s. to 7s. per dozen; grapes, 2s. 6d. to 3s., and cherries, 1s. 6d. to 2s. a lb. ; strawberries, 6d. to 8d.; Chile ditto, from 8d. to 10d.; currants, 10d. to 1s.; and gooseberries, 3d. to 4d. the imperial quart; melons, 2s., and pine-apples, 6s. to 78. per lb.; new potatoes, 1s. to 1s. 6d.; and green peas, 1s. a peck. (Scotsman.)

Caledonian Horticultural Society. Promenade at the Experimental Garden. — On July 2. the Meeting of the Caledonian Horticultural Society for the adjudication of prizes for the best seedling carnations, pinks, and roses, raised from seeds saved in Scotland within the preceding three years, was held, for the first time, in their Experimental Garden at Inverleith. In addition to the subjects exhibited for competition, a splendid collection of exotic plants, chiefly from the hot-houses and green-houses of the Royal Botanic Garden, of Professor Dunbar and of Mr. Neill, was tastefully arranged on stages placed under a temporary awning. Visitors were admitted by tickets, which had been liberally distributed, and the garden was crowded with an assemblage of ladies and gentlemen. The countenances of all indicated a kindred sympathy with the verdant freshness and beauty of the surrounding scenery. The site of this garden, and the plan on which it is laid out (Vol. I. p. 90.), are well adapted to bring into view the rich combination of magnificent and picturesque objects, both natural and artificial, which environ it on every side. Though easily accessible in every part, and exhibiting in many a commanding extent of view, yet the varying heights of the ground, and the judicious distribution of belts of planting and shrubby borders over its whole area, lend to it an intricacy and seclusion which add much to its fitness as a place of public promenade. Nothing, accordingly, could be more striking or beautiful than to see the figures of so many elegantly dressed females (for the ladies greatly prevailed as to number), now starting into view and now receding from it, over all parts of the garden; to meet them at one time on the great central walk, marching, as it were, with measured step in a sort of close column, and soon again to behold them dispersed in different quarters, and promenading in all the ease and freedom of unconstrained movement. In exhibitions of this sort, it is most desirable that the company should move slowly but continually forward, so as to afford every one, in turn, an opportunity of seeing the objects to be viewed. (Edinburgh Advertiser, July 7.)

The Ayrshire Horticultural Society met for competition on June 23., in Ayr, when, after a careful inspection by the judges, the prizes were awarded as follows, viz. :

Plants. Hardy Herbaceous (twenty-one distinct varieties): 1. Messrs. Smith and Son; 2. Mr. Faulds. Green-house (thirteen distinct varieties): Messrs. Smith and Son.- Flowers. The largest and best collection of Flowers (distinct varieties): 1. Messrs. Smith and Son; 2. Mr. Rose, gardener, Bellisle. Ranunculuses. Edged (five distinct varieties): 1. Mr. Faulds, gardener, Fairfield; 2. Mr. Hunter, florist, Prestwick; 3. Mr. Brown, gardener to D. Limond, Esq., of Dalblair. Striped (five distinct varieties): 1. Mr. Faulds; 2. Mr. Hunter; 3. Mr. Hill, gardener to Mrs. M'Taggart, Ayr; 4. Mr. Brown. Mottled 1. Mr. Hunter; 2. Mr. Faulds. Selfs : 1. Mr. Faulds; 2. Mr. Hunter; 3. Mr. Brown; 4. Mr. Hill. Anemones (seven distinct varieties): Mr. Hunter. Scotch Roses (thirteen distinct varieties): 1. Messrs. Sinith and Son, nurserymen, Ayr and Monkwood

Grove; 2. Mr. Imrie, gardener, Ayr. Daisies in classes (seven plain double, seven quilled, and seven chickened, distinct varieties): Mr. Faulds. Amongst the principal ranunculuses brought forward were, Dr. Franklin, Duchess de Wurtemberg, Louisette, Pucella, Vulcan, of new varieties. Dalglish's Beauty of Scotland, Diana, William Pitt, Mrs. Dalglish, and Mrs. Hunter.Culinary Vegetables. Early Horn Carrot: 1. Mr. Imrie; 2. Mr. Brown; 3. Mr. Faulds.

Amongst the splendid collections of herbaceous flowers exhibited, were fine specimens of Pæònia Whitlèju, Cypripedium spectábile, Gèum coccíneum, Saxifraga pyramidalis, Lychnis fulgens, &c. (Ayr Advertiser, June 23.)

The Ayr and Kilmarnock Horticultural and Florists' Societies having agreed that, in order to promote a laudable spirit of emulation in the elegant amusement of floriculture, they should compete alternately, in Ayr and Kilmarnock, for a whole round of the principal florists' flowers, they met in Mr. Noble's, King's Arms Inn Assembly Rooms, Ayr, on Tuesday, April 28., to compete for auriculas and polyanthuses, viz., auriculas in three classes: 1st, the seven best green-edged; 2d, the seven best greyedged; 3d, the seven best white-edged, distinct varieties: and in all the three classes of auriculas, the Ayr Society were declared by the judges, after a careful inspection, to be superior to the Kilmarnock Society; and, for the nine best polyanthuses, the Kilmarnock Society had the advantage. Among the principal flowers brought forward (many of which were certainly very fine) may be mentioned:

Auriculas. Green-edged: Page's Champion, Cockup's Eclipse, Clough's Dolittle, Page's Duchess of Oldenburg, Barr's Flora, Harris's Blucher, Stretch's Alexander, &c. Grey-edged: Thomson's Revenge, Rider's Waterloo, Kenyon's Ringleader, Gorton's Countess of Shipbrooke, Butterworth's Lord Hood, Thomson's Bangup, Metcalf's Lancashire Hero, &c. White-edged: Wild's Bright Phoebus, Pott's Regulator, Taylor's Glory, Cox's Pillar of Beauty, Lee's Bright Venus, &c. Polyanthuses: Pearson's Alexander, Manning's Lady Anne Hamilton, Manning's Sir George Monkton, Simms's England's Defiance, Cox's Prince Regent, &c.

There was exhibited, besides, on an extra-table, by the Ayr Society, a tasteful and elegant display of flowers, fruits, and vegetables; and, considering the backwardness of the season, the Show was allowed to be very fine. On May 23., they met in Mr. Rodger's, Turf Inn Assembly Rooms, Kilmarnock, to hold their Second Competition, as agreed, for the twenty-seven best tulips, in three classes, viz. the nine best Cherry and Rose, the nine best Bybloemens, and the nine best Bizards, distinct varieties; when, after a careful inspection by the judges, the Ayr Society were decided to have the superiority of the Kilmarnock Society in all the three classes. The flowers were well blown, and in beautiful condition; and, with the addition of a fine variety of other flowers, vegetables, &c., from the Kilmarnock Society, the exhibition was considered truly grand. Among the principal flowers were: Cherry and Rose: Comte de Vergennes, Rose Incomparable, Premier Noble, Triomphe de Hollande, Rose de Berlin, &c. Bybloemens: Grande Monarque, Louis the Sixteenth, Black Baguet, Roi de Britons, Reine des Amazons, &c. Bizards: Tamerlane, Sanzio, Abercrombie, Duc de Savoy, Prince Leopold Superbe, Trafalgar, &c.-James Limond, Clerk. Ayr,

June 26. 1829.

The Aberdeenshire Horticultural Society held their Competition Show on May 28., when, considering the backwardness of the season, there was a brilliant and varied display of flowers of different kinds. The judges awarded the prizes as follows:

Flowers. Tulips: 1. (large medal) David Gairns, gardener to James Mitchell Nicholson, Esq. of Glenbervie; 2. Mr. Alexander Fraser, nurseryman, Ferryhill. Ranunculuses: (small medal) Alex. Bell, Esq. Anemones:

1. (small medal) David Taylor, gardener to William Annand, Esq., Belmont; 2. William Smith, gardener to James Hadden, Esq., Grandholm Cottage. Polyanthus Narcissus: 1. (small medal) James Forbes, Esq., Broadford; 2. Captain Anderson, Skene Square; 3. Captain John Clyne. Stocks: 1. (small medal) David Gairns; 2. William Chalmers, gardener to Mr. Cheyne, Lochhead. Geraniums: (small medal) Mr. James Walker. nurseryman. Wallflowers: 1. (small medal) and 2. Mr. James Walker.Culinary Vegetables. Seedling Strawberries: (small medal) Mr. Thomas Milne, nurseryman, Sunnyside.

The following gentlemen were duly admitted as members of the Society: William Watson, Esq., Sheriff-Substitute, Aberdeenshire; William Allardyce, Esq., Merchant; James Allan, Esq., Union Place. Several beautiful flowers, in pots, were sent by members to ornament the tables; and there was a numerous and respectable assemblage of visitors during the time the hall was open. (Aberdeen Journal, June 3.)

At a subsequent Meeting of the above Society, held June 23., the judges awarded the prizes as follows:

Flowers. Ranunculus: 1. (a medal) Captain John Clyne, Aberdeen; 2. (a premium) Mr. J. I. Massie, Aberdeen; 3. (a premium) Captain John Clyne, Aberdeen. Pinks: 1. (a medal) Thomas Milne, nurseryman, Sunnyside; 2. (a premium) Wm. Barron, gardener, Blackhall. Irises: 1. (a medal) and 2. (a premium) Alex. Bell, Esq., Marywell Place. — Fruits. Melon: 1. (a medal) George Cardno, gardener, Woodhill; 2. (a premium) John Davidson, gardener, Dunottar. Grapes: 1. (a medal) and 2. (a premium) Wm. Anderson, gardener, Cornhill. Cherries: 1. (a premium) Wm. Barron, gardener, Blackhall; 2. (a premium) Peter Archibald, gardener, Park. Strawberries: 1. (a medal) Mrs. Gavin Hadden, Union Grove. Culinary Vegetables. Early Peas: 1. (large silver medal) Duncan Cadenhead, gardener, Strawberrybank; 2. (a premium) Alexander Diack, nurseryman, Mile-End. Cauliflower: 1. (a medal) David Gairns, gardener, Glenbervie House; 2. (a premium) Robert Fraser, gardener, Woodside. Kidney Potatoes: 1. (a medal) William Lawson, gardener, Devanha; 2. (a premium) Thomas Milne, nurseryman, Sunnyside. Cucumbers: 1. (a medal) Colonel Gordon of Parkhill; 2. (a premium) John Davidson, gardener, Du nottar. Lettuces: (a medal) David Taylor, gardener, Belmont.

An extra-medal was also awarded to Peter Laing, gardener, Raeden, for a basket of beautiful preserved apples.

There were also various other baskets of preserved apples, in fine preservation. The peas were considered very fine; the ranunculuses were beautiful. Upon the whole, the Show was better than could have been expected, considering the backwardness of the season during the spring months.

Alex. Fraser, Esq., advocate, Capt. A. Farquhar, R. N., and John Lumsden Shireffs, Esq., advocate, were admitted members of the Society. (Aberdeen Journal, June 24.)

The Montrose Horticultural Society's Second Show for the season took place on June 23., Sir George Ogilvie, Bart., in the chair; when, notwithstanding the late season, there was a very fine display. As might have been expected, the bouquets were splendid and various, and the decorations were much superior to any thing we have seen any where else. Besides the articles presented for competition, we observed many beautiful flowers from different collections. The Cactus speciosíssima attracted general attention from its splendid appearance; also, the Pæònia Moútan, in all its beauty, from the flower-garden of Fasque. The display of geraniums was superior to any thing of the kind we have ever seen; and we do not hesitate to say, that both they and the tulips might have challenged any Society out of Edinburgh. The prizes were awarded as follows:

Flowers. Tulips. Bybloemens: 1. Mr. Sharp, Montrose; 2. Alexander Smith, Rosemount. Roses: 1. Alexander Smith; 2. Mr. Sharp. Bizards: 1. Alexander Smith; 2. Mrs. Sim, Montrose. Double Anemones: 1. Mr. Sharp; 2. Alexander Smith. Double Stocks: James Tough, Old Montrose. Pelargoniums. Dark Ground: 1. and 2. James Tough. Light Ground: 1. Mr. Sharp; 2. James Tough. Best variety: 1. James Tough; 2. Mr. Sharp. Best Bouquet of Flowers, from green-house: James Tough. From open border: 1. Alexander Smith; 2. James Tough. - Fruit. Gooseberries: Mr. Robert Clark, Montrose. Culinary Vegetables. Peas: John Begbie, Rossie. Potatoes: 1. John Hardie, Brotherton; 2. Alexander Smith. Turnips: James Tough.

Extra-Prizes. Kept Apples: 1. James Tough; 2. Alexander Smith. Seedling Geranium : John Begbie. Peas, from the open border: James Tough. (Montrose Review, June 5.)

Dumfermline Florists' Society's Show of Tulips, June 2.--The flowers consisted of Bybloemens, Incomparable Verports, and Bizards, and prizes were awarded as follows:

1. Mr. David Hutcheson; 2. William Meldrum ; 3. John Angus; 4. John Duncan; 5. D. Inglis; 6. James Elder.

This was allowed to be the most splendid show of tulips ever exhibited in Dunfermline. (Scotsman, June 10.)

Pine-Apples have been grown to perfection, in common Dung Hot-beds, for the last seven years, by Mr. Hosie, gardener to Lord Lynedoch, at Lynedoch. I lately saw eighteen of the fruit, about 2 lbs. weight each. — Charles Sidey. Perth, Jan. 31. 1829.

ART. III. The Marquess of Hertford's Villa in the Regent's Park.

WE lately had an opportunity of inspecting the exterior of the building, and walking round the grounds. The situation of the house is elevated, and the extended front commands views of the water and a great part of the Regent's Park, in such a way as completely to appropriate them. The architecture is simple and elegant, with the exception of the conservatory, in the roof of which are two sloping semicircular windows, which instantly struck us as having been taken from two shop fronts. We are astonished that a man of the Marquess of Hertford's taste and wealth can bear the sight of them for a moment. Doubtless, we were more affected than we otherwise should have been, from knowing of two green-houses, at or near Bayswater, actually made up of old windows and shop fronts; and of one of them, not a great way from a certain grand square called Orme's Square, containing a semicircular window-head not unlike the Marquess of Hertford's. The entrance front of the house is good, and also the main stack of chimneys; but, at one end, there is a copper chimney tube or top. which disfigures the whole building. How that deformity can be permitted to remain, we are at a loss to conceive.

The grounds, 10 or 12 acres, possess a much greater variety of surface than we could have expected, in consequence of an ancient brook, the course of which is now turned another way, having passed through them, and worn out a fine circuitous dell, in the bottom of which a walk has been very properly introduced. We are sorry that this is the only walk that we can praise. There is a serpentine one, such as would not have occasioned any surprise had it been met with in a cockney garden of the last century; we have seen such another in a modern garden (Vol. III. p. 362.), but not quite so bad. We hope our noticing this walk will not injure any one,

more especially as the gardener informed us that it was not made with his consent.

But, what is still worse than this naked serpentine walk, the trees and shrubs around this villa are every where of the very commonest and cheapest sorts. From ocular inspection from the roads, we think we should be justified in asserting that there is not a garden, small or large, within a mile, which contains so few good things, in proportion to things common and cheap. Probably the Marquess may not have much knowledge or taste in this way; but one would think that he would have applied the same principles to completing a villa which he does so successfully to furnishing a house, and have felt it to be a matter of propriety and good sense to have a garden laid out and planted suitably to his mansion and rank. On the whole, we were delighted with the situation, and pleased with the house, some points in the conservatory, the walk in the dell (not speaking of the plants on each side of it), and the exterior holly hedge, and quite satisfied with the high order and keeping maintained by Mr. Mackay, the very intelligent gardener; but quite disappointed in regard to all the rest. There is, in our eyes, a general appearance of meanness and poverty pervading every thing exterior to the house, which forms a sad contrast to it and to the noble distant scenery. Cond.

ART. IV. Retrospective Criticism.

MR.KNIGHT's Pine-apples.-Sir, I observe in the last two Numbers of the Gardener's Magazine (p. 1 to 240.), that you widely disagree with T. A. Knight, Esq., in the cultivation of the pine-apple, without the aid of bark-bed heat, as practised by him. For this reason, I can no longer remain silent and see his horticultural information undervalued, without making some observations on the subject. In the first place, it is well known that Mr. Knight had no pecuniary motives for writing the papers published in the Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London, and I am confident that it is far from his disposition to try to deceive or misguide any person; therefore, if any gardener has miscarried in the trial, I consider it must be for want of proper curvilinear houses and fuel similar to his. I must allow it is quite an impossibility for any man to grow large good-flavoured fruit on stages without bottom heat, in many of the old barns of houses that are standing about the country; but in good houses, with attention, it may be done. In the year 1819, I resided within a few miles of Downton Castle, and I remained in that neighbourhood five years, during that time (each year) I frequently saw Mr. Knight's pines, and in the year 1825, I saw them again, which you must allow is six successive years; and I do declare that I never saw finer nor more healthful pines of the sorts he was growing in my life; not even round the neighbourhood of London, nor in any county in England. So that what Mr. Knight has stated in the Transactions of the Horticultural Society is nothing but the truth; but, by your own account, the Society has rejected the Numbers of the Gardener's Magazine, so that it is easy to conceive where the grievance is. In my conclusion, I must give you to understand that I have no interest whatever with Mr. Knight, in fact he may be no more, for all that I can tell, but I like to see justice done to every man. Sir, I remain, yours, &c.-A Practical Gardener. Exeter, May 18. 1829.

The idea of the "grievance," &c., is good in its way, and we return our anonymous friend our best thanks for the amusement it has afforded us. However, as we have said before, our present opinion as to Mr. Knight's mode of growing the pine was expressed in 1822, and therefore the VOL. V. No. 21.

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