340 TREES ON THE DAWYCK ESTATE. [Suss. UXxm. 
Two venerable horse-chestnuts growing near Dawyck 
House are said to be the first of their species planted in 
Scotland. These grand old trees are showing signs of decay, 
and it is fortunate that they stand in a sheltered position. 
Their leaves change colour very early in the autumn, and 
present a glorious gradation of reds and yellows, while the 
younger trees of their kind are still green. The trees were 
probably planted about 1730. A small stream (the Scrape 
Burn) flows past the house. On its right bank stood an 
avenue of horse-chestnuts, of which only a few specimens 
now remain. Sir Walter Scott used to visit Dawyek to 
walk down this avenue. 
The drive to the old Dawick House still exists as a cart 
track. A part of it is lined by English elms planted about 
the middle of the seventeenth century. These, however, 
are poor trees. 
Beech grows well in the valley, but makes slow progress 
on higher ground. A fastigiate beech near the house is 
interesting rather than beautiful. A lime avenue dates from 
about 1730. Oaks, ashes, and sycamores grow to a fair 
size, but the few Spanish chestnuts are poor trees. There 
are many fastigiate oaks in the grounds. Quercus rubra 
grows in the park as well as does our native oak, but is 
apt to be damaged by snow in autumn before the leaves 
have fallen. 
Conifers in great variety grow in the grounds near the 
house. Among them we find :—the common larch, Douglas 
fir and Lebanon cedar ; also Picea excelsa, Abies pectinata, A. 
nobilis, A. grandis, A. concolor, A. Nordmanniana, A, Pinsapo, 
Picea Menziesii, P. nigra, Pinus sylvestris, P. Laricw, P. 
Cembra and P. montana, Lawson cypress in several varieties, 
Thujopsis borealis, Sequow gigantea, Araucaria imbricata, and 
a number of varieties of yew. 
About 1300 acres of land at Dawyck is wooded, but much 
of this is of little value as timber, being covered with birch 
and mountain ash. There are some fine larch woods approach- 
ing maturity. The young larch plantations are affected by 
disease, but Japanese larch of ten years old, planted in strips, 
is healthy and should prove valuable. Douglas fir grows 
well in sheltered places. Grown among hardwoods, the tops 
stand out and are apt to be damaged by wind. They should do 
