RENFREWSHIRE EXCURSIONS. 21 



muraria) still flourish — and mounting the opposite bank, the old 

 yew which crowns the height was measured (girth, 8 feet 4 inches). 

 After a peep into the garden of Mr. Sweet, the author of Villa 

 and Cottage Gardening, the road was taken to Langside, and at 

 the monument there Mr. Scott gave an account of the battle of 

 Langside and the positions of the contending forces. A descent 

 was then made upon " Long Peter," the old Lombardy poplar in 

 Camphill Grounds, which has for years been a familiar object in 

 Langside, but is now decrepit; and at this point the party separ- 

 ated. The girth of the old poplar on 14th March, 1892, was 

 6 feet 2 inches at 3 feet 6 inches. 



Those present had had a full feast of fine trees, all the more 

 gratifying when it is remembered that the Rev. David Dow a 

 century before, in the first statistical account of the parish, had 

 declared that the "complaint of a late celebrated scholar and 

 moralist " about the scarcity of trees in Scotland was " but too 

 well founded." 



Austin & M 'Asian's nurseries for a long period have been one 

 of the institutions of South Glasgow. Before the present century, 

 however, their location was on the north side of the river, and as 

 illustrating the expansion of the city it may be stated that in 17 17 

 they were on ground between what we know as Glassford Street 

 and Candleriggs. As feuing proceeded the nursery was removed 

 on several occasions. The present nurseries on the Pollok Estate 

 and extending to thirty-nine acres, were entered on at Candlemas, 

 1886. On the evening of 14th July, 1890, they were visited, 

 under the leadership of Mr. John Cairns, Jun., by a goodly com- 

 pany of members of the Society, in spite of unpropitious weather. 

 Much interest was taken in the many species of coniferse, which, 

 though they were not of large size, yet served well as illustrations 

 of the highly interesting and ornamental trees belonging to this 

 order. The various operations of budding, grafting, and layering 

 were all carefully explained by one of the foremen, and examples 

 were shown in apples, limes, and rhododendrons. Many fine 

 young specimens of some of our less common ornamental trees 

 were pointed out. The pretty Patagonian shrub {Pernettya 

 mucronata) was in fruit, and the seeds were germinating inside ere 

 the fruit had fallen from the bush. The party afterwards visited 

 the extensive range of glass houses. The excursion was a novelty 



