86 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The party then drove to Riding Mill, whence they returned to 
Newcastle by train. 
The Excursion was brought to a close by a visit to Cragside, 
the residence of Lord Armstrong, on Friday, 3rd August. 
This property was acquired by the late Lord Armstrong, and 
by bringing to bear on the problem the happy combination of 
engineering skill and fine taste for landscape effect which he 
possessed, what at the time he entered into possession was a 
sheer waste has been converted into a beautiful demesne, 
teeming with ornamental coniferous and broad-leaved trees and 
flowering shrubs of every description. The soil is in many 
parts of the property very shallow, so shallow, indeed, that it 
is insufficient to conceal the underlying rock, and in the 
vicinity of the mansion-house enormous quantities of soil had 
to be transported for the establishment of the plants. But so 
skilfully has everything been carried out, that it is now difficult 
to imagine the ground ever having been the waste it formerly 
was. 
The party travelled from Newcastle by rail to Rothbury, and 
on their arrival they were met by Mr Bertram, the overseer 
on the estate, under whose guidance they were conducted 
over the demesne. On the outlying parts the principal 
coniferous trees used are the Scots and mountain pines, trees 
well adapted to thin poor soil such as this is. An inspection 
was made of the splendidly equipped laundry, the workshops, 
the electric power house, and other objects of interest, and 
thereafter the party drove through the grounds, by another 
route from that by which they entered, to Rothbury, where 
lunch was served in the Station Hotel. After lunch, a start 
was made for Brinkburn Station. On the way, a halt was made 
to see two recently formed mixed hardwood and coniferous 
plantations, and also one of the estate nurseries on the Duke 
of Northumberland’s property ; and from Brinkburn the party 
travelled by rail to Morpeth, whence they took their departure 
to their respective destinations. 
