of EdiTiburgh, Session 1881-82. 



cm 



VII. On an Ivy Tree blown domn in the Gale of Friday, 14:ih 

 January 1868, which grew on the south side of Wliite- 

 hill Mansion House. Communicated in a Letter by 

 E. B. WAEDLA^Y Eamsay, Esq., Whitehill, Haw- 

 thornden, to Professor Balfour. Plate XII. reproduced 

 from a photograph. 



The tree encircled a massive stone and lime pillar, depicted on an 

 old plan of 1758, as the former gateway of the garden. The stem 

 ahove the surface of the ground attained a height of 14 feet. As 

 the stone pillar was only about 7 feet high, the trunk grew clear of 

 it, with a small portion surrounding it. 



The following measurements may be interesting : — 



Stem at the root (6 inches of solid timber). 



Two root stems at siu'face of ground, 



„ at 6 feet up 



First branch of stem, 

 Second „ 

 Third „ 



Height of stem, . . . .1 



Extreme height over all, ^ 



Spread of branches, 



miscellaist:ous communications. 



jMr John Buchanan, Blantyre, East Africa, in the letter to Professor 

 Balfour, quoted above, stated that the Coffea aralica plant sent out 

 by him three years previously was now yielding a magnificent crop 

 of berries ; and also, that the sugar-cane grows well at Zomba, many 

 of the canes being 2 and 3 inches in diameter and 12 feet high. 

 Coffee promises to be the more successful crop. 



Mr John Campbell, Ledaig, Argyleshire, sent specimens of 

 flowering plants from his open garden, collected on November 9. 

 These included strawberries in flower and fruit, — Agapanthus vm- 

 bellatus, Escallonia macrantha, Aster argophyUus, Cyti'sus hyhridus, 

 Andromeda media, Helleborus niger, Pynis japonica (white and 

 scarlet varieties), Anemone hepatica, Sec. 



