68 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORIUULTtJRAL SOCIETY. 



VIII. Excursion of the Royal Scottish Arhoricultural Society to 

 Srveden in 1902. By Fraser Story, The Glen, Innerleithen. 



The s.s. " Balder," bearing the Scottish party, sailed from 

 Granton on 18th July 1902, bound for Gothenburg. The little 

 vessel carried an unusually large number of passengers, upwards 

 of seventy members of the Society being upon her decks. In 

 1895 about half that number only went over to Germany. The 

 German visit was the Society's first essay at foreign travel, and 

 Scottish caution may have prevented some of the members from 

 taking part in its experiences. But it was a success. The 

 present year's augmented numbers testify to this, though the 

 increase also indicates the continued activity of the Society. 

 Almost before the members had rightly located their berths, 

 they might have imagined themselves in Sweden. " Svenska " 

 sounded on every side ; the ship was manned by Swedes, and 

 the courtly presence of Captain Dahlstrom, a true Viking, was 

 remarked upon the bridge. At lunch the fare was yet more 

 Swedish still. Many small but dangerous dishes, comprising, as 

 the members learned later, the "Smorgasbord," preceded the 

 meal. The strange assortment was not the best, perhaps, with 

 which to begin a voyage, and it did not seem to tend to the 

 company's later happiness. 



Be the reason what it may, it was with feelings of gratitude 

 that the majority of the passengers entered quiet waters on the 

 following Sunday morning. They were in the Gota Alf, pro- 

 ceeding between storm-swept islets and signalling stations 

 towards their port of landing. The Secretary, Mr Galloway, 

 had made all preliminary arrangements, and eveiything was 

 ready for a start when the party reached Gothenburg. There 

 Mr Nilson, who did so much for the members during the tour, 

 joined the company. Mr Nyman also was upon the quay to 

 render his first attentions. Walking a short way through the 

 town, the party reached one of Gothenburg's public parks — 

 Slottskogen, and later on visited the Horticultural Gardens. 

 The treatment of the city gardens is a fine feature in every 

 Swedish town. They are always bright spots, fresh and 

 gay, pleasing the eye by their arrangement and natural 

 beauty. Nothing about them is stiff or formal ; they 

 present no geometrical puzzles. They are flower-gardens for 



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