22 Rev. J). Landsborough on Australian [sess. li. 



in water-springs on the slope of the old coast line and about 

 200 yards from high-water mark. Trees are also planted at 

 Brodick Castle high garden. This is on a slope about 100 

 feet above the sea, and is sheltered by wood on all sides ; the 

 soil is light, and the garden slopes to the sun. Cromla 

 garden, Corrie, is only separated by the highway from the 

 sea at high water ; it is also sheltered by trees, while the 

 mountains rise so abruptly behind it, and so shelter it from 

 the wind, that, though seemingly exposed to the full fury of 

 the east wind, it is in reality so protected that the branches 

 of the trees all incline towards the sea, and at high water 

 some of them actually overhang it. The soil of this garden 

 is stiff clay, thoroughly drained. 



Gum Trees. 



The Alpine Gum {Eucalyptus alpina, Victoria). — This is 

 one of the most remarkable of the gum trees. Its native 

 lialjitat is the summit of Mount William, the highest peak 

 (3825 feet) of the Grampians of Victoria. Though exalted 

 in position it is of low growth, being " a mere bush 3 or 

 4 feet high, showing no tendency to form a main stem. 

 Its leaves, broad and rarely above o inches in length, are 

 dark green (purple when young); the flowers single, sessile, 

 and much resembling those of the blue gum (E. globulus), and 

 almost as large " (Miiller). Baron Midler was so much 

 intercisted in what he heard of it that he visited its lofty 

 liabitat, and took away seed, which he sowed in the Botanic 

 Garden of Mell)Ourne. Here it retained much of its original 

 character, and remained so dwarfish that " in a quarter of a 

 century it grew only to the height of 12 feet, and showed no 

 tendency to alter its bushy habit." I am happy to report 

 tliat, as Ijecame a Grampian jilant, it has taken most kindly 

 to tlie original land of the Grampians, and bids fair in Scot- 

 land speedily to outrival all its Australian compeers. It was 

 planted in Arran in 1884, wlien its luiight was only 2 feet; 

 now in 1880 it is 5^, having last year grown 2 feet, that is 

 four times the gTowth of the one in the Melbourne Botanic 

 Garden. Instead of tlie leaves being only 3 inches in length, 

 one of tliem, Ijcsides being so thick as to weigh tliree quarters 

 <jf an ounce, measui'ed 9 inches in lengtli and 5 inches in 

 breadtli. So very vigorous is its growtli, that my friend Mr 



