Glasgow New Botanic Garden. 149 



We departed by another and most delightful approach through 

 an irregular grove of oaks, elms, pines, firs, cedars, Portugal 

 laurels, and hollies. This approach, as far as we can recollect, 

 was on a comparatively level surface, constituting the top of a 

 bank, which formed one of the boundaries of what doubtless 

 was at one time a broad lake, with a river running through it, 

 but which is now low irregular ground with eminences which at 

 one time had been islands. The place was moderately well kept, 

 particularly the kitchen-garden, and though it rained the whole 

 time that we were viewing it, we left it very much delighted. 



Glasgow New Botanic Garden. — We returned by the New 

 Botanic Garden, and walked round it with Mr. Murray. When 

 finished, it will combine a pleasure-ground with a scientific 

 garden. The situation of the hothouses, and of the curator's 

 house, is commanding; and between the terraces on which the 

 hothouses stand and the main entrance, on a lower level, there 

 will be at the bottom a large basin and fountain, and, next, a 

 series of horizontal terraces, with steps, forming part of a broad 

 walk up the middle, somewhat in the manner of the terraces and 

 central straight walk at Sans Souci, but with this difference, 

 that instead of training fruit trees on the low terrace walls, they 

 will be devoted to half-hardy things. Perhaps we are mistaken 

 in thinking that this is the plan. At all events, the work of 

 forming the garden seemed going on with spirit. 



Glasgow. — Through the kindness of the Secretary of the Hor- 

 ticultural Society, we drove to the different public buildings and 

 squares, and though we have nothing to say in the way of de- 

 tail, we cannot help expressing our admiration of the many 

 handsome street elevations, executed from the designs of Mr. 

 Hamilton and his sons ; and more particularly the new Banking 

 House and the new Club House. We cannot leave Glasgow 

 without mentioning the Eagle Inn, and its most obliging land- 

 lord, Mr. Fraser; for his accommodations and attention we 

 found to be far beyond what are usually met with at such places. 

 We were forcibly struck with the difference, when, about a 

 month afterwards, we were obliged to pass through Glasgow, and 

 stop at the Black Bull. 



The Climate. — We have complained much of the rain, which 

 we can truly say fell more or less every day during the month 

 that we were at Crosslee Cottage, and the two or three days that 

 we remained in Glasgow ; but it appears from the following com- 

 munication, received from a gentleman on whom we can depend, 

 that the climate is by no means so moist as is commonly thought. 



" You say that the ' trees, &c, are rarely seen in a thriving 

 state,' which you attribute to some other cause than the lodge- 

 ment ' of the earthy part of the smoke on the leaves,' because, 



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