102 ORMISTOUN'S LETTERS 



hither from the Coal hill if no opportunity offers to you. Pray 

 be careful in laying the roots putting the earth close to them 

 and doing every other thing right when you plant. This is fine 

 weather for it and should not be lost if other things can 

 possibly allow of sticking to it. Has George Ronaldson sent 

 for any Trees ? When he does go you up and teach them for 

 an hour or two how to plant. Be sure you make them observe 

 and follow your directions which you should be particular in 

 giving distinctly otherwise it will be only my losing so many 

 trees and them their time. Don't give more Trees at a time 

 than they can plant in two days for fear of frost or the root 

 being too long out of the ground. If you have been in the 

 pidgeon house let me know what you observed there. If better 

 stock by what we let fly, if Eggs and what dung you guess may 

 be ? When in the Wood look over all that is planted and 

 observe every years planting and if much are gone back and 

 how the firs planted in Ocf look.^ How the Swedish pines 

 and p. . . . look. When Sir J^ S*. CI.2 . . . sends for Oaks 

 draw the tallest for him. 



No. XXXIV., we have Mills, Miles, Milles. Cockburn most probably pro- 

 nounced it Mellis, in two syllables. Cf. Willis and Wills, and modern usage 

 in the case of Foulis. 



^ On 3rd January 1744 we read: — 'None [firs] from Norway equal to the 

 Timber I saw wrought from them which grew upon that spot when the Coal 

 machines were made ' — referring probably to the mining work done in 

 1735. It is a pity for the history of Scottish industry that we have but hints 

 here. These firs must have been used for the ladders on which the coal was 

 carried up the shallow shaft in baskets by women, as at Tranent, not far off. 

 With reference to a sentence above, it must be observed that, on 9th October 

 1739, he asks : — 'Will G. Ronaldson or any other want trees for ditching this- 

 winter ? ' 



^ Charles St. Clair of Hermiston, advocate, was one of the original members 

 of the Ormistoun Society. 



