BALCARRES 



and measures 125 feet round the circumference of 

 its branches. An inspiring point of brilliancy 

 was furnished by the finest clump of Adonis vernalis 

 I ever saw, whereon were blazing between thirty 

 and forty satellites to the glorious May sun, testify- 

 ing to what soil and climate in the East Neuk are 

 capable of producing for spring display, were they 

 but given a fair chance. According to present 

 arrangements, all effort is focussed upon autumnal 

 splendour, when, as shown in Miss Wilson's study, 

 there is no lack of colour on walls and in parterres. 

 My visit to Balcarres was ill-timed for garden 

 effect ; outside there was ample beauty to com- 

 pensate for flowerless borders, for it would be hard 

 to find a more glorious bit of park scenery. Wych 

 elm and sycamore, trees which must turn the century 

 before attaining majesty, abound here of great size ; 

 there is also much fine ash timber, and some well- 

 grown modern conifers, not scattered as specimens, 

 but crowded as they should be in close forest. The 

 Californian Pinus monticola, which is but a glorified 

 form of the Weymouth pine, luxuriates here, and 

 shows as yet no liability to the disease which has 

 proved so fatal to this fine tree at Murthly. Domin- 

 ating the whole demesne is Balcarres Craig, a lofty 

 precipitous rock, from the summit of which a soul- 

 stirring prospect spreads around. Beyond the rich 

 woods and fertile plain lies the blue Firth of Forth, 

 bearing on its bosom the massive Bass Rock. The 

 smooth outline of the Lammermuir forms the southern 

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