Beech and Fir and mountain Ash entirely surrounded it. A A Walled 

 grove one longed to thin or entirely lay low ; for the branches Garden 

 gave overmuch shade, and the roots crawled underneath the 

 walls and interfered with the growth of both flowers and 

 cabbages. It is not easy to get leave to thin or cut away trees 

 in that part of Scotland. The tree roots are so slow in getting 

 themselves established comfortably, having so much to contend 

 with in the way of weather. Trees are greatly desired by 

 their owner for the sake of shelter; and so plantations are 

 usually left to themselves at whatever cost of inconvenience to 

 a garden. Within the walls the garden was divided into great 

 squares for vegetables, with gravel walks across and along, 

 broad beautiful flower borders, with patches and hedges at the 

 back of them of Gooseberry and Black Currant. The Black 

 Currants ripened almost as big as Cherries ; and such Goose- 

 berries ! The white or yellow half transparent " Honey 

 Blobs," and dark red, hairy " Ironmongers " (or some such 

 name according to the old gardener) irresistibly tempted a 

 passer-by to cross the border. 



In early summer and even later, the garden walls cultivated 

 their own especial gardens. The top of them became turquoise 

 blue in May enchanting strips blooming thick with Forget-me- 

 not, and verdant with seedling forest trees, with the small St John's 

 Wort and Willow Herb. They have their charm, these flowery 

 walls. Out of the chinks and cracks in the rough stones of 

 them spring Foxgloves and Snapdragon and Verbascum, or 

 Shepherd's Club. Roses were the glory of that garden. Tall, 

 white Jacobin half-double Roses; yellow Scotch Rose, and 

 pink Briar Rose, the hundred leaved Rose, and big, round 

 Cabbage Rose, the full buds of which were too often petal- 



39 



