EXCURSION TO DAWYCK. 1 39 



remotest idea that those treasures were so numerous, or that 

 they represented almost every temperate country. To have 

 been allowed the privilege of sauntering amongst so many 

 rare species would have been a treat not readily forgotten, 

 but when to that was added the good fortune that enabled 

 Mr Balfour to conduct the party in person, and allowed us 

 to hear him describe to the minutest detail the life-history of 

 such a marvellous collection of plants, one readily came to the 

 conclusion that no previous excursion could compare with this 

 from a purely educational point of view. 



The first object of interest to be noted was a magnificent oak 

 standing close to the mansion-house, which was found to have 

 a quarter-girth of 43J inches at breast-height. In its immediate 

 neighbourhood were seen two of the orignal larches which were 

 planted in 1725. One of those was measured and was found 

 to have a quarter-girth of.33j inches at 5 feet from the ground. 

 Next in turn came the famous beech, Fagus sylvatica var. 

 Dawycki. This is a product of Dawyck, and cannot be found 

 in any other country. Its chief characteristic is its upright 

 habit of growth, which in the distance makes the tree somewhat 

 resemble a Lombardy poplar. Mr Balfour has been successful 

 in propagating it both from grafts and layers. Coming to the 

 pinetum one was immediately struck with the number of species, 

 as well as the extraordinary healthy appearance of the trees. 

 Prominent amongst many were beautiful examples of Abies 

 gra?idis, A. ?nag?iijica, A. sibirica^ A. mwiidica^ A. concohr, A. 

 Pindrow^ A. auiabilis^ A. Nordmanniana^ A. ?iobilis, A. Delavayi, 

 Fseudotsuga Douglasii, Tsuga albertiana, Picea Breweriana, 

 P. asperata^ and P{?ius Jeffreyi. A few measurements taken 

 were as follows : — Abies gra?idis, quarter-girth measurements 

 at 5 feet, 31 J inches; Pseiidotsuga Douglasii, 31;^ inches; Tsuga 

 albertiana^ 27 inches ; and Abies Nord??ia?iniana^ 23 inches. The 

 last is a magnificent tree, over 100 feet high, with clean straight 

 bole, and is supposed to be the finest specimen of its kind in 

 Britain to-day. Interesting also were the Cembran pines, said 

 to be planted in 1843, ^"^ ^^^'"^ veteran horse chestnuts planted 

 in 1660. The latter are still marvellously healthy, and look 

 as if they might survive another half century. 



Wonderfully vigorous also are the lime trees planted about 

 1737, which form a beautiful avenue looking down the valley 

 of the Tweed. 



