GENERAL STUDIES IN LATER YEARS. 30 1 



Charles Black and to which he was then vigorously 

 opposed, according to the common prejudice he by-and-by 

 began to study, under the tuition of an uncommon man 

 called John Adam, at Alford. Adam was a good anti- 

 quarian and mineralogist, whose fine collection of archaeo- 

 logical, geological, and other specimens is now carefully 

 laid out and preserved at Haughton House near Alford, 

 being bequeathed by him to the proprietor. 



Adam was also a keen phrenologist, and assisted John in 

 the subject. One skull in particular was a great favourite, 

 it seems, with them. It had been obtained at " Fecht 

 Falls," the scene of Montrose's victory at Alford in 1645 ; 

 but whether it was the cranium of one of the luckless 

 warriors slain on that occasion, or a prehistoric specimen, 

 which is more likely, cannot now be determined. It is 

 described as being very flat on the top, of unusual thick- 

 ness, and very large, being " as big as twa heeds." At 

 Mr. Adam's death, his brother buried it, by order of Mr. 

 Farquharson of Haughton, in the garden of the present 

 veterinary surgeon at Alford a curious proceeding with 

 such a unique example. 



John's appetite for general knowledge was still omnivo- 

 rous and keen, and he had a host of books supplying for it 

 healthy food ; amongst others Chambers's " Information for 

 the People," and "Cyclopaedia," whole libraries in them- 

 selves, and the " Dictionary of Daily Wants." 



He still continued to practise gardening. He visited 

 all the gardens in the district, cultivated the acquaintance 

 of gardeners as hitherto, and worked a great deal in 

 gardens. In this way, he gradually acquired a consider- 

 able knowledge of the principles and practice of garden 



