21 
Perth, the policies of Scone, lying on the left, were entered by 
a plain wooden gate, and here the party were met and welcomed 
by Mr Lewis Bayne, forester on Scone estates; and Mr Alex. 
M‘Kinnon, gardener, who accompanied them over the grounds. 
Pursuing our way along the drive through the richly wooded 
park, its fine arboreal features were greatly admired and 
specially noted by the large party, which now numbered over 
one hundred. Hard by the entrance was observed a remarkably 
handsome specimen of the weeping beech, which attracted 
general notice from its peculiarly graceful drooping branches 
and handsome proportions. Stretching away from the entrance 
is a fine irregular avenue of limes, elms, and oaks, and as we 
drive along we get beautiful peeps of the stately park studded 
with noble trees, and of a charming stretch of country beyond. 
It is still a demesne worthy of the ancient royal palace of 
Scotland, upon which we now gaze with patriotic pride—its 
softly toned red walls being in many places covered with ivy, 
which has crept up to the battlemented parapet. Over its 
towers floats the Mansfield flag. On nearing the palace, Lord 
Stormont did the Society the honour to come personally to 
receive them at the entrance to the private grounds, and to act as 
their guide in the inspection of the beautiful pleasure-grounds, 
gardens, and pinetum, rich in remarkable specimens of grand 
old trees, and luxuriant examples of the newer Conifers, which 
attracted the special attention of the Excursionists. Here it 
had been arranged that the company was to be met by a party 
of about sixty of the members of the British Association, who 
were to travel specially from Edinburgh to join the Excursion 
for the day, but as there were no signs of their arrival, the 
Society proceeded without them to view the policies. And first 
a visit was made to the splendidly kept pinetum. Many of the 
visitors would liked to have spent a little more time here than 
was permissible. Here all the hardy coniferous trees of the 
world find themselves assembled together. What a glorious 
congress they make ; and what an educative value there is in 
such a pinetum as that at Scone. The lawn is like velvet ; 
trees stately and rare rise in all directions, and to each apper- 
tains a neat label with its name, and in many instances the 
date of its planting. Nota few of the specimens are memorial 
trees, planted by royal and noble hands, and as such are 
proportionately valued above their neighbours. It would be out 
of place to merely catalogue the rare pines which grow in this 
well-tended spot. It may suffice to say that worthy of most 
special mention, perhaps, are examples of Abies Albertiana, A. 
Douglasii, A. grandis, A. Menzesvi, A. Nordmanniana, Welling- 
tonia gigantea, Araucaria imbricata, and Pinus monticola. 
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