Country Seats near St. Afidrew^ Fifeshire. 2 1 



of conti'oversy too often indulged in. I have been on the 

 point of noticing this before, but I was fearful you might deem 

 me impertinent, until I noticed in your last Number (Vol. VI. 

 p. 720.) your very candid introduction of the strictures of 

 your correspondent on the " Principles and Conduct of the 

 Conductor " (in the justice of some of which I must confess 

 I concur), and the real good feeling of your note attached to 

 them. In the last Number I am sorry to see, in one article, 

 the following terms applied to an individual of whom I know 

 nothing; but surely they are not calculated to throw any 

 light upon the interesting subject of pruning : they are — 

 " modern babblers," " impudence," " this immaculate author,'* 

 *' mark the matchless modesty of the man," " Oh, shame ! 

 where is thy blush ?" *' his drivelling ideas," &c. &c. All 

 this, to say the least of it, is in bad taste, and out of place. 

 Let us leave this personal vituperation to the mere politician 

 and polemic ; but pray let it be banished from the fair fields 

 of science, and especially from our speculations on the manage- 

 ment of the peaceful garden. I am, Sir, &c. 



Chaeles Laurence. 

 Cirencester, Dec. 1830. 



Art. III. Remarks on the Country Seats in the Neighbourhood of 

 St. Andrews, Fifeshire. By Mr. William Smith, Gardener to 

 John Small, Esq. 



Sir, 



I AM surprised that none of the writings of the gardeners 

 of the county of Fife appear in your Magazine, considering 

 how many excellent gardens and gardeners Fifeshire contains. 

 Remarks on gardens are solicited by you from your corre- 

 spondent Mr. Gale (Vol. V, p. 11.); and I am convinced 

 that visiting gardens, public or private, is one gi-eat means of 

 instruction. Since I last addressed you (Vol. IV. p. 91.), I 

 have had an opportunity of seeing a great number, and consider 

 myself much benefited by the inspection of them. As I am 

 now settled in this quarter, and have seen a few of the neigh- 

 bouring gardens lately, perhaps some account of them will 

 not be uninteresting to you. 



Lathallan, the seat of Major Lumsden, is situated in a val- 

 ley extending east and west a considerable distance. Here is 

 an admirable garden, of a quadrangular form, lately renewed, 

 and in every respect what your correspondent Mr. Wilson 

 (Vol. IV. p. 353.) would wish. The principal walks are 8 ft. 



c 3 



