Fetraary 8, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



127 



took great interest in the literai-y sooietios of the towu, and 

 none ever flourished so well as ^Yhen he was secretary, some 

 years ago. — ■[U.cbridt/e Marvel.) 



A SO.TOUKN IN THE HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND. 

 {Continued from page !>9.) 



The fifth day we intended to make a day of comparative 

 rest, being somewhat tired by our Malgurdie excursion the day 

 before. We sauntered about and made ourselves better ac- 

 quainted with ICilliu and its surroundings. " Killin " says Dr. 

 McCuUoch " is the most extraordinary collection of extra- 

 ordinary scenery in Scotland, unlike everything else in the 

 country, and perhaps on earth, and is a perfect picture gallery 

 in itself, since you cannot move 3 yards without meeting a 

 new landscape." This is a somewhat overdrawn statement, 

 but true to a certain extent. 



There is certainly a great variety of scenery ; even the two 

 rivers are different in chai'acter. The Loehart comes into the 

 t3wu dashing over rojks, a noisy and boisterous stream ; the 

 Loehay silently flows on, and both are wedded together in the 

 jilacid Loch. Tlie Loehart, as it enters the town, divides into 

 two streams with an island between them ; this island is covered 

 with large Scotch Firs, and, we understood, was the burial- 

 place of the MacNabs, but it is a long time (seventy years) 

 since a funeral took place there. The island wore a gloomy 

 and weird aspect. 



We were recommended by a friend to caU upon Duncan 

 McKye, who sometimes goes out with plant-collectors, and 

 who acted as guide to Professor Balfour and his Edinburgh 

 botanic pupils on the last visit, a few months before we 

 were there. We had a long chat with McKye, who finally 

 accompanied us to the margin of the Loch. We passed the 

 buriiU ground of the Breadalbaue familj' ; it contains the ruins 

 of an old castle, and a handsome mausoleum, in which the 

 late Marquis was laid about two years ago. We saw some 

 magnilicent trees, and me.asured one Silver Fh', 11 feet in cu'- 

 cumference, at 4 feet from the ground. We met with thou- 

 sands of Asplenium Trichomanes, but looked in vain for varie- 

 ties. We, however, bap;ged a good form of Asplenium Adiantum- 

 nigrum, and some line foliaceous Lichens. AVe afterwards 

 went some distance on the Ben Lawers road, and found Cysto- 

 pteris deutata andfragihs, also Asplenium Adiautum-uigrum in 

 abundance. We followed a stream up the mountain for about 

 10,11(10 feet, but found few plants of much interest. We re- 

 turiii il to KUhu about eight o'clock. 



Tlio morning of the sixth day was gloriously fine, and the 

 mountain summits stood out in bold relief against the sky ; even 

 Ben Lawers, the monarcli of them all, greeted us bareheaded. 

 Everybody said it would be fine,' and we were so confident 

 ourselves that we did not deem it necessary to consult the 

 oracular fat l.ady, who had proved so true a prophetess a few 

 days before. As we calculated on making good bags, we engaged 

 Duncan McKye to accompany us. We ascended the moun- 

 tain (Craig Curich) from the Loehay valley, a much longer but 

 a somewhat easier route. We climbed the steep vigorously, 

 then over miles and miles of heather, and at length reached 

 the rocks, and our sport began. The following ai'e a few of 

 the many specimens which we saw and gathered ; Saxifraga 

 aizoides, everywhere; S. steUaris, sparingly; S. hypnoides, not 

 jilentiful; also a form of it, very like S. platypetala, which 

 we could not determine without inflorescence, and S. oppositi- 

 foUa, very abundant]}' ; on reaching the cliffs our excitement 

 was intense. The Saxifraga nivalis was somewhat plentiful. 

 To gather this child of the everlasting snow — for it is seldom 

 found much below the perpetual snow-line — is a botanical 

 aeliievement of no mean order ; we had gathered it once before, 

 near the summit of Snowdon about 1855, and its appearance 

 here awakened in us a flood of pleasing recollections. Festuea 

 vivipara was everywhere dangling its long viviparous panicles 

 from the rock ; Thalictrura alpinum, plentiful ; Lycopodium 

 nli)inmn, Selago, and selagiuoides were also there, Ukewise the 

 rare Dryas octopetala, -\rbutus Uva-ursi, and the two little 

 arctic Willows, Salix herbacea and reticulata. Mr. Mitchell's 

 daring exploits in climbuig were rewarded by three plants of 

 the rare Woodsia ilvensis ; this was a botanical triumph of the 

 highest order, and we rejoiced greatly at it, as we considered 

 it the best rind of the day. Professor Biilfour and his thuty 

 botanical pujiils had gathered a solitary plant on these chffs 

 some months before; lIcKye pointed out the exact spot where 

 the professor had his find. Wo saw many other rare plants, 



which we cannot stop here to notice. Our main object was to 

 secure a goodly quantity of the rare Polystichum Lonchitis ; 

 this we succeeded in doing, and quitted the cliffs with full bags. 

 We lingered so long on these alpine cliffs that it was dark 

 when we got down to the wooded part of tlie mountain ; bat 

 under the guidance of Duncan we finally found the road ; and 

 reached our quarters about nine o'clock, much fatigued but 

 highly deUghted with the successes of the day. 



■The morning of the seventh day was verj' fine ; we had asked 

 McKye the day before if he knew the exact spot where the 

 Cystopteris montaua was found ; he said it was over the 

 shoulder of Malgurdie, in Glenlyon. Mr. Mitchell, full of 

 botanical ardour, resolved to go to the habitat, provided 

 McKye would go with him ; to this Duncan agreed, and they 

 st:u-tod at an early hour in the morning. AVe accompanied 

 Mr. Mitchell and McKye as far as the bridge over the Loehay, 

 for the purpose of gathering the Lastrea spiuulosa, which we 

 had found on our first ascent of Craig Cmich. After gather- 

 ing a Buificieut quantity we took a walk up to the bridge over 

 the Loehart, which affords one of the finest views in Scotland. 



We rambled down a lane parallel with the river, and soon 

 found the rai-e Cystopteris fureaus. " We would wager," said 

 we to ourselves, " that this is the verj' habitat in which 

 Mr. H. S. found the plant this summer." We have since 

 ascertained that this was the fact. Just think of our being 

 told that a Uttle plant, not more than 2 inches high, had been 

 found in Scotland without any indication where, and our going 

 and finding the identical habitat ! This was a piece of good 

 luck, which no one could possibly have thought would occur. 



We went along the road parallel with the Loch for some 

 miles, and then along the margin of the Loch to see what 

 aquatic plants there were in its waters, but we saw nothing 

 except a few lacustrine Sedges of no special interest. 



We then ascended some of the hills south of KiUhi, examined 

 thousands of Lastrea montana, but found no vai-ieties, and 

 returned to the town in the evening. Mr. Mitchell and McKye 

 came back about ten o'clock. They liad found some plants of 

 the rare Cystopteris montana in Glenlyon, but were very 

 much fatigued with the long and rough jom-ney. We soon 

 got tea, and then to bed. — {Extracted from Mr. Ston-itieliVi 

 notes read before the Todmorden Botanical Societij.) 

 (To be coutinueiS.) 



ICE-STORING. 



In reference to "E. F.'s" communication to you on ice- 

 storing in the Journal of December 14th, page 469, I find, or 

 at least I think, with respect to stacking, that " E. F." writes 

 so as to mislead or discourage those who, lilce myself, may 

 not have the good fortune to be provided with an ice house. 

 Havuig had a good number of years' experience in storing ice, 

 both in houses built for the purpose and in stacking, my own 

 experience in this simple matter in the latter case may not be 

 out of place. I wUl, therefore, give it for the benefit of begin- 

 ners who may not be better provided for, and those who might 

 wish to enjoy the luxury of iced wines and dishes — to say 

 nothing of tlie pleasure afforded in giving a piece of ice to 

 assist in alleviating the sufferings of a fellow creature when 

 laid on a sick bed. 



Our mode of proceeding is one that has been carried out for 

 a considerable number of years, and is attended with the very 

 best results. After getting the ice m proper working order, 

 and the weather continuing frosty, we begin to take it off the 

 pond and cart it home to the stack, which is built on level 

 ground, but has the advantage of being shaded by trees and 

 bushes from the strong sunshine. We begin the stack by empty- 

 ing the carts on its foundation ; after which there are plenty 

 of hands ready to begin pounding the ice with light wooden 

 mallets sufficiently small to pack all large pieces firmly, thereby 

 excludmg from the interior of the stack as much air as possible ; 

 this should rather be a little over than under done. I retain 

 the people on the stack pounding away till the whole is finished, 

 and as the ice draws towards a point, one or two drop off as 

 the room for working becomes less, and begin breaking the lee 

 at the bottom before thro-vving it up to those who remain. As 

 the work proceeds we now and then throw a quantity of water 

 over aU, so as quicklv to congeal the whole uito a sohd mass. 



We stack m this way from 100 to 110 cartloads every year, 

 and it keeps perfectly well over twelve months, sometimes for a 

 longer period, and we have to open the stack nearly every day 

 during summer. 



Before coveriug-up, ii the weather will allow us, we leave the 



