44 ORMISTOUN'S LETTERS 



Allers and all other unsned trees at foot of the Wood east of 

 the pan Meadow. They'l get rice there for what follows. 

 Let a rice dyke ^ be made round the firs behind Runshy hall 

 and that planted with good iirs out of the Nursery. Do 

 the like west in Alex"^ Wight's ground. Let the Stake and 

 rice be at such a distance from the trees that tall cattle cannot 

 reach over to touch them. Let your men pull up the dead 

 and make holes for the new at leisure when you can spare them. 

 The holes for all the firs must be made by end of next month 

 that they may be planted from 10*'^ to 20*^ Oct^ The rest 

 of the holes in the Wood and the trees planted in them may 

 be done at times when convenient any time before Christmas. 

 The Oaks in the walk over against the Church may be supplied, 

 as also the Beeches of West Byres side any time before 

 Christmas, and the Beeches in the long walk towards Cleekhim 

 in, but the sooner the dead trees in all the above places are 

 pulled up and new large holes are made the better, that the stuff 

 taken out may sweeten. Let me know how many Oaks for the 

 above walk will be wanted, also what Beeches for the Walk and 

 what over against the Church, and how many to finish the Walk 

 upon David"'s ground West of the bottom to carry it to Preston 

 Hall^ march and if you think you can get enough large 

 enough. 



I design to try to Improve the fruit in the Garden and also 

 to have all kinds of Garden Stuff in perfection. In order to 

 the last, let me know what seeds you '1 want, and if you know 

 any I can trust to get them from, good, and begin you presently 

 to ridge up and dung all your ground as the present crops 

 come off and clean it of roots of Weeds the best you can, for 

 it wants to be strengthened sweetened and cleaned. Lay it as 

 high as you can and don't spare dung, nor pains about clearing 

 of it from Weeds. You '1 have good dung in the yard and in 

 the hot beds and you '1 soon come to make more as you '1 want 

 it. What ever you found last year yourself short of for the 

 Kitchen, provide whether I come to use it or not. By east 



^ Rice or rise (Ger. Reis)^ old word for twig or branch. Rizzer-berries are 

 garden-currants. 'Cherries on the rise,' is an old London street cry. 'A rice 

 dyke,' or ' stake and rice fence,' is made of posts with twigs interlaced. 



^ Preston Hall adjoins the Ormistoun barony on the west. 



