528 Horticultural Tour through 



singular group of rams, goats, cows, and elephants, in various 

 standing postures : — 



" Some seem'd to muse, 



Some seem'd to dare, with feature stern." 



These are all formed with shells in alto-relievo. The front of 

 the house is also beautifully ornamented with large sea shells 

 stuck close together, and has a fine effect. Various other figures 

 are on the west side; and several curiously entwined crowns of 

 rams' horns complete the whole. A little farther up the street 

 is to be seen the following scene, painted from Burns's famous 

 poem of Tarn o' Shanter : — 



" As bees bizz out wi' angry fyke, 

 When plundering herds assail their byke ; 

 As open pussie's mortal foes, 

 When pop she starts before their nose ; 

 As eager runs the market crowd, 

 When ' Catch the thief ! ' resounds aloud ; 

 So Maggie runs ; the witches follow, 

 Wi' mony an eldritch screech and hollo." 



The next town is Pittenweem. The road passes on the north 

 side, and we did not enter the town. In a straight line north of 

 this is situated the estate of Grangemoor, the seat of the Hon. 

 W. Keith Douglas. This place is at present undergoing ex- 

 tensive alterations and improvements. A new approach road, 

 the porter's lodge, the gardener's house, and kitchen-garden, 

 with part of the hot-houses and orchard, present a fine spectacle 

 to the traveller coming from Pittenweem. On finding Mr. 

 Weir, the gardener, who was very busily employed, he first 

 showed us through the flower-garden, a very neat little spot, 

 containing no commonplace plants, but planted wholly with 

 those most lately acclimatised, georginas, &c. Attached to this 

 is a small green-house, in which we observed some of the latest 

 introduced tender plants. A few yards onward are the pinery 

 and melon-ground. The pines were young, healthy, and plunged 

 in bark ; and the pits contained moderate crops of melons, &c. 

 The colour of these pits was green, which we disliked, it being 

 too much in unison with the surrounding scenery. We next 

 entered the kitchen-garden, and at one glance could perceive 

 that it was to our taste. Here were no " mixtie maxtie queer 

 hotch potch," but straight walks, straight espaliers, few flowers, 

 no shrubs, and not a single standard tree. The crops of fruit 

 were excellent, and the keeping of the finest polish ; in short, we 

 may say that it was a perfect model for a country garden. In 

 town gardens there are some allowances to be made, for shrubs, 

 flowers, and vegetables being mixed up together ; but in the 

 country, where ground is no object, we see none whatever. 

 Behind this garden are the hot-houses, two in number, in which 



