2 ORMISTOUN'S LETTERS 



portion. I hope the planting and the Tennents ditchen has 

 gone well on in this open weather and that the Nurserys are 

 put into some order. I found Alex^" Wight and some others 

 fond of a border w* a hedge in the middle and Willows of each 

 side, such as he made before his House behind Will^^ Cokburne 

 and the Colliers houses, but I fear they will find themselves 

 deceived if they expect to make a good fence of it against Cattle, 

 it not having the advantage of a ditch, for cattle will go 

 through any hedge that is not very old when it is upon a Levell 

 with them, and they can lay their breasts to it. Tell them 

 that this is my opinion. I know it is cheaper made, but the 

 best hedge, even upon a height above cattle, has enough to doe 

 and fear the willows will prove a small help to keeping of them 

 in or out, till the hedge grows so strong as to resist them upon 

 a flatt. I wish I may be in the wrong and not they. You 

 know that I have advis'd the strengthening of our fences by 

 the way I proposed of covering the whole face of the Bank w* 

 white and black thorn, even to make stronger fences than we 

 made formerly, which is just contrary to this practice; and I 

 believe in time they will wish they had followM the methode I 

 desir'd you to show them, rather than this of theirs, tho' theirs 

 costs much less trouble at first. Tom: fell from the Copper 

 this day se'night when a brewing, and broke his Legg, but 

 Mr. Evans ^ says he will doe well. 



I have sent a good quantity of Melon Seeds which my 

 Brother or you may make presents of or Exchange for other 

 Seeds. All that are my own I can answer for being from good 

 fruit, and I never sent any of them down to Scotland before. 



Tliey will be better some years hence. The other seeds I had 

 directly from the places in fFrance I have nam'd upon y® papers. 



My own Cabbage Seed of wch you know I had a great deal, 

 was mostly let Shake as was all the Turnep Seed and most of 

 the onion and Leeks. The Cabbage that was sav'd was all 

 mix'd, but as it was from good Cabbage of all kinds, I have 

 sent you some of it. I have put up also Savoys Seed, but I 

 don't know wch is White and which is Green. I don't know 

 if the Onion Seed is of the Strasburgh or Spanish or mix'd, for 



^ Apparently a London surgeon. Home brewing was general then. 



