UV2 Getieral Results of a Gardenbig Tour ;■ — • 



places. From Newton Stewart we went, by Penningham House and 

 Straiton village, to Kirkraichael ; and next dtty visited *B'lairquhan, the 

 town of Maybole, Crossraguel Abbey, *Culzean Castle, and the town of 

 (Grirvan. On August 19. we saw Killochan, *Clencaird, *Barganny, *Dal- 

 quharran, *Kilkerran, and the town of Ayr. P'rom Ayr we went to see 

 Dalblair House, Belle Isle, Roselle, Doonholme, *Cassilis, *Auchincruive, 

 Belmont Cottage, and the cottages of Mr. Paton and Mr. Auld. We visited 

 also the Nurseries of Messrs. Smith and Sons, at Ayr, and at Monkwood ; 

 Mr. M'Kenna's Nursery, and Mr. Imrie's Nurserj', at Ayr ; and Mr. 

 Goldie's Botanic Garden at Colroy ; the farms of Shields, Highfield, and 

 Greenfields ; the celebrated works at Catrine, and the agricultural improve- 

 ments on Mr. Buchanan's estate at Woodside. In the neighbourhood of 

 Kilmarnock, we saw *Loudon Castle, Lanfine, *Caprington Castle, *Wil- 

 liamfield, *Ilosemount, *Fullarton Place, and a number of other places ; 

 the town garden of Mr. Brown, and the Nurseries of Messrs. Dyke and 

 Gentle, of Mr. Foulds, and of Mr. Samson. Near Irvine, we saw *Eglin- 

 ton Castle, and on the road thence to Greenock, *Kelburn House, and 

 *Ardgowan. We also glanced at Skelmorlie, Southennan Lodge, Kell}', 

 and Fairly Cottages. We arrived at Greenock on August 29., and saw 

 there Shaw's water-works, and the various contrivances of Mr. Thorn for 

 filtering water, and conveying it to the town. Between Greenock and 

 Paisley we saw Finlaystone and *Erskine, and glanced at Barr and Walk- 

 ingshaw. At Paisley we saw Greenlaw, Reid's Nursery, the town gardens 

 called the United States, Crossflat, Auchintoolie, Kilnside, Gibbs's filter- 

 ing-apparatus and bleaching-works, Mr. Glen's farm at Hawhead Mains, 

 Mr. Craig's Mill, the town garden of Mr. Torbet, and a variety of other 

 gardens, works, and establishments, which will be noticed in the details of 

 our tour. On September 3. we arrived at Crosslee Cottage, where we 

 remained with our much-esteemed friend, Archibald Woodhouse, Esq., till 

 September 5., and saw Craiglands and *Castle Semple. On the evening of 

 that day, we received the distressing intelligence of the dangerous illness of 

 a parent, and on the following morning we set off for London, where we 

 arrived on September 9., having passed through Glasgow and Edinburgh, 

 without waiting a moment to see either a friend or a garden. Happily 

 we arrived in time to soothe the last days of our much-loved and much- 

 respected mother, who died on October 14., and whose loss those sons 

 only can feel and understand, who, like us, have lived with their mother 

 nearly half a century under the same roof, and who have long before lost 

 their father. 



The Geologjj of this Fart of the West of Scotland presents many interest- 

 ing features. A sandstone, similar to the red sandstone of Warwickshire in 

 appearance, but considered by some geologists an older formation, called 

 the old red sandstone, constitutes the foundation of the town of Dumfries, 

 and supplies abundance of excellent material for the new buildings of that 

 town, which display it to advantage in handsome fronts of squared and 

 frequently polished blocks, which in the better class of buildings, are very 

 neatly jointed with glazier's putty. The same rock continues to the foot 

 of the hills, which, within a few miles of Dumfries, commence with argilla- 

 ceous schistuSj trap, basalt, and granite, and continue, with freestone and 

 secondary limestone intervening here and there, over all the tract which 

 we have mentioned, to Paisley. Advancing up the shores of the Clyde, we 

 saw froin the road, at low water, a lower stratum of dark basaltic rock, 

 which is intimately associated with the red sandstone above, appearing to 

 pass by gradation into it. The intervening strata of sandstone seem as if 

 partially fiised by proximity to the basaltic rock beneath. The strata in a 

 descending series are : — L Red sandstone, a fine conglomerate ; 2. Grey 

 siliceous fine-grained sandstone, with particles of green earth ; 3. Striped 

 red and grey sandstone, similar m composition to No. 2. ; 4. More com- 

 pact sandstone, with numerous particles of felspar, presenting the appear- 



