56 ORMISTOUN'S LETTERS 



best you can what will be the level of the surface when all laid 

 in one flat. 



Enclosed I send a Sketch done by guess of the ground as 

 now and showing where I would have the Mulberries,^ by which 

 you may see what I aim at. Whether we can ever have fruit 

 upon them or not in our Climate I know not. I believe a fair 

 trial never has been made, but I am sure without great care 

 in first planting we never can, and they must have a great deal 

 of room to stretch their roots in a proper soil every way. It 

 is a long lived tree and does not carry fruit when young even 

 here. I believe I mentioned in the direction for the Mixture 

 some ashes, if not, I now recommend some to give it a little 

 heat to help in our climate, or if you have no ashes some sea 

 sand, if to be got or the hottest sand can be got which will 

 keep it open and give it some life, which late things or that 

 want more sun than our climate can afford, can only be helped 

 with and this should be considered and allowances made for 

 it in planting or after management. You will also have two 

 plants of White Sweet Water Grapes, fruit I don''t expect, 

 but shall at least have leaves for such uses as they are wanted 

 for. You must make the soil for them light, hot and open, 

 but with some strength not just barren gravel. Loom ^ with 

 hot sand or Ashes is best. It must be sweet and not sour and 

 barren. This moment I have your's of 25*^. If you '1 write 

 as you see I do as I can get five minutes, you '1 be less liable 

 to forget. It w^on't take so much of your time at once and if 

 any thing interrupts you of the night before the post you 

 design to send it by, the less will be my disappointment. Ten 

 minutes of an Evening now and then through the week will 

 leave little to be added the last night but what has occurred 

 that day. 



You say nothing of the ever Greens planted abroad. I 

 believe the Vines may do best in the lower Garden, One a 



^ Said not to be grown now in Scotland. They are an experiment here. The 

 same may be said of quinces, another of the experiments. There is now a fig- 

 tree at the Hall, but it is not mentioned in the Letters. Mulberries are recom- 

 mended for Bell's father's garden, p. 23. He asks what progress his own, of 

 this letter, are making, p. 58. 



^ Loam. 



