the Eastern Part of Fife. 531 



good order. The flower-garden is newly laid out, and is a piece 

 of splendid workmanship, independently of the plants with which 

 it is adorned. The upper half is in grass, with neatly cut figures, 

 with some large Irish yews judiciously disposed over the surface. 

 The figures in the other half are formed with box, and the spaces 

 are gravelled. The proprietors, and more especially the lady, 

 are most zealous promoters of horticulture and floriculture; con- 

 sequently every plant that is new or rare soon finds its way 

 hither. There are interspersed over the garden low seats of 

 China ware, chiefly blue, but of various shades and forms, which 

 add greatly to the beauty of the scene. On the north is situ- 

 ated a new substantially built green-house, containing many pre- 

 cious gems, with a small piece of rockwork planted with the finer 

 sorts of rock plants. Mr. Brewster next showed us an extensive 

 range of pine and melon pits ; but the culture of the pine is now 

 discontinued. The melons were good, and the cucumbers most 

 astonishing; one, in particular, measured almost 2ft. 6 in., and 

 was perfectly straight. Our opinion of this place is, that there 

 are too many fruit trees in the interior of the garden ; but we 

 believe these were planted as an experiment in shallow planting 

 by Mr. Reid : and the hot-houses, &c, are faulty in being scat- 

 tered up and down the gardens. Besides the inconvenience 

 that must attend their working, what a noble appearance these 

 extensive houses would have had, if they had been placed in 

 one line ! Great credit is due to Mr. Brewster for the orderly 

 manner in which this place is kept; and it needs not to be told 

 in this quarter that he is most enthusiastically devoted to his 

 profession. 



The last place we shall notice is Strathtyrum, the beautiful 

 seat of Mrs. Cheape : it is situated on an extensive piece of 

 elevated ground commanding a fine view of the city and bay of 

 St. Andrew's. The gates and lodge front the Cupar road, and 

 have a very neat appearance ; but the approach road from the 

 gate towards the house is very objectionable. The trees are 

 planted close to the verge of the road, and meet at the top ; so 

 that, when looking from the gate, we can compare it to nothing 

 else but a tunnel ; and this must be obvious to any one who has 

 a notion of planting. Had the trees been planted 30 ft. from each 

 side of the road, how different would have been the effect, com- 

 pared with the present ! On the south side of the mansion-house 

 is a fine flower-garden, in which is an elegant conservatory, con- 

 taining a fine collection of camellias and other plants in the free 

 soil, with a large stage in the centre for green-house plants, of 

 which there are a great many. In the flower-beds are many 

 new and rare plants, and an extensive collection of georginas in 

 masses. The flower-beds are rather formal, and would require 



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