Villa JResidetices. H 



At ErsHne, a house in the church Gothic style, and on a 

 most extensive scale, has been set down in a remarkably fine 

 situation on the Clyde. We doubt if it will ever be occupied, 

 as the day for building such houses, either in Scotland or 

 England, is decidedly gone by. The kitchen-garden here is 

 new, and one of the best which we have any where seen. The 

 gardener, Mr. Shiells, has received more prizes for superior 

 fruits and culinary productions than any gardener in the west 

 of Scotland. Here, as at most of the mansion residences 

 above enumerated, the fruit is sold. 



Castle Semple is a fine old place, with a magnificent lake, 

 and extensive woods. Some of the oaks, chestnuts, ashes, 

 beeches, sycamores, birches, silver and spruce firs, &c., are 

 remarkably large. The kitchen-garden, by Mr. Hay, is in 

 his most elaborate manner, with water-pipes in the walls, &c. ; 

 but we cannot approve of attempting circular work in wooden 

 hot-houses, on account of the expense, and the obstruction of 

 light produced by the converging rafters. Metal houses, 

 however, are not yet popular in Scotland. The gardens here 

 are well managed, by our correspondent, Mr. Lauder, who 

 has the good fortune to be under an excellent master and 

 mistress. Colonel and Mrs. Harvey. 



Of Villa Residences we can only notice a few, remarkable 

 either for their beauty, curiosity, garden culture, or keeping. 



Castle Dykes is on a romantic spot, overlooking the Nith 

 and the town of Dumfries. The surface is broken, irregular, 

 and rocky; partly from its having been the site of an old 

 castle, and partly from its having served for many years as a 

 quarry to supply red sandstone for the buildings of Dumfries. 

 Nature and accident supplied a few old trees ; and the late 

 Mr. Stott, the proprietor, who formed the place, spared no 

 expense in building and gardening, that could contribute to- 

 wards rendering it a little wonder of romantic beauty, as well 

 as a comfortable and elegant residence. This gentleman's 

 widow, now in America, had a taste for art and also for 

 botany ; and to this circumstance may be traced many beau- 

 ties in the grounds, which it is probable would not otherwise 

 have found a place there, and many rare trees and shrubs not 

 common in this part of Scotland. Mrs. Stott had an ex- 

 cellent collection of house exotics, the greater part of which, 

 however, we were told, she took with her to America. The 

 kitchen-garden is placed in the bottom of what was one of the 

 largest quarries reduced to a level, and covered with suitable 

 soil, brought from a distance. This level is in the form of an 

 oval, and on three sides of it there are steep grass banks, along 

 the top of which is a terrace walk, whence the eye looks 



