20 Obituary Notices — John Jeffrey. [sess. li. 



planting his park by the side of his works with choice 

 specimens. In consequence of Mrs Jeffrey's failing health, 

 the family left Balsusney and rented Largo House, where 

 Mrs Jeffrey died, and where after a protracted illness Mr 

 Jeffrey also passed away six months ago, to the regret of all 

 who had the pleasure of his friendship. 



He was one of the old members of the Botanical Society of 

 Edinburgh, of the Eoyal Caledonian Horticultural Society, the 

 Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, and the Antiquarian Society 

 of Scotland. His principal forte, however, was arboriculture. 

 "When the pressure" of business was relaxed, so as to allow 

 him to remain at home for a day, the recreative study of 

 plant life in the field was his delight, nothing being more 

 pleasing to him than the sight of some majestic tree that 

 stood forth among its contemporaries. He resolved, in con- 

 junction with the writer, to register the dimensions of trees 

 in the Fife district, a dendrometer being obtained from Mr 

 Sang of Kirkcaldy for ascertaining the height. When Mr 

 Jeffrey resolved to publish, we restricted our pursuits only 

 to taking note of the largest trees, and those of more recent 

 introduction, with the description of their past history as far 

 as we were enabled satisfactorily to ascertain it. It was 

 beyond our province to criticise the neglected state of private 

 woodlands, or find fault with a condition that appeared to 

 be satisfactory to the proprietor, but no expense was spared 

 in photographing specimens, the plates being forwarded to 

 London to undergo the Woodbury process. There were only 

 100 copies printed of this labour of love ■* many were given 

 away to friends, and the rest were readily disposed of. A 

 copy was presented to the then prime minister, with the 

 authors' compliments. One pleasing feature, which Mr 

 Jeffrey appreciated while passing over the estates, was the 

 uniform courtesy he met with from the landed proprietors, 

 foresters, and gardeners in his researches among the trees 

 and slirubs of Fife and Kinross. He was also much inter- 

 ested in the excursions of the Arboricultural Society of Scot- 

 land, and he frequently joined the excursionists to note 

 whatever was considered worthy of attention in the further- 

 ance of arboriculture. 



• Treen and Hhrubs of Fifn and Kinross, hy John Jeffrey and Charles Howie. 

 Printed for private circulation, 4to, Leith, 1879. 



