REPORTS ON EXCURSIONS. 255 



great part of the lower grounds on both sides of the parishes of 

 Buchanan and Kilmaronock, and when the water lies dead and 

 goes oflf gradually, it enriches the ground ; but the floods have 

 often proved hurtful in the spring, after the seed was sown, and 

 oftener in harvest, both before the corns were cut down, and 

 afterwards, carrying some away, and greatly damaging the rest. 

 In harvest, 1782, in a flood, the haughs of Endric in this parish 

 were covered with water, and immediately after there came snow 

 and ice, so that in some places people walked on the ice above the 

 standing corn.' 



"Buchanan belongs to the Duke of Montrose, but for seven 

 centuries it was the property of the Buchanans of that ilk. The 

 direct line of the old family became extinct in 1682, when John 

 Buchanan, the 22nd laird, died. The estate was then purchased 

 by the third Marquis, who afterwards became the first Duke, 

 of Montrose. 



" The policies are of considerable extent, about two and a-half 

 miles in length by fully a mile in breadth, and are well wooded. 

 Mr. Crosbie, the gardener, stated that, from the sheltered situa- 

 tion, Buchanan is more moist than are other localities farther 

 north, on the side of Loch Lomond, and the trees are thus more 

 covered with lichens and moss. 



" Under this gentleman's guidance the party visited the hot- 

 houses, the flower and fruit gardens, and the policies. In the 

 gardens they were shown the original plant of the Buchanan 

 Fern {Athyrium Filix-fce.mina, var. Victorice, Moore). This fern 

 was discovered by Mr. James Cosh in 1861 by the side of a wood 

 on this estate, and was removed to the garden in 1863. Mr. 

 Wm. Stewart states that it grows freely from spores, retaining 

 perfectly its unique character, and is now in all the fern nurseries. 



"Between the gardens and the castle are a number of very 

 fine conifers. Nowhere in our excursions have we seen 

 any specimen of the Menzies Spruce Fir (Abies menziesii, 

 Loudoun), at all approaching one here, which rises to a height of 

 81 feet, has a spread of 49 feet, and a girth of 9 feet 1 inch at 5 

 feet up. A fine Noble Silver Fir {Picea nobilis, Loudoun), also 

 attains a height of 81 feet, with a girth of 7 feet 9 J inches at 5 

 feet. A Wellingtonia (Sequoia gigantea, Lindley^, has a height 

 of 71 feet, and a girth of 9 feet 3i inches at 5 feet, 10 feet 9 



