THE 



GARDENER'S MAGAZINE, 



DECEMBER, 1842. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Art. I. Recollections of a Gardening Tour in the North of England 

 and Part of Scotland, made from June 22. to September 30. 1841. 

 By the Conductor. 



{Continued from p. 440.) 



Aug. 3. — Melrose to Dalkeith, by Dryburgh Abbey and Thirl- 

 stane Castle. The ruins of Melrose Abbey are, perhaps, the 

 best preserved ruins of the kind in Scotland, though they admit 

 of the improvement of showing the whole of the original floor, 

 by removing from it the heaps of rubbish with which it is now 

 disfigured. The accompanying burying-ground is extensive and 

 not over-crowded with graves, and it might be surrounded and 

 intersected with some straight gravel walks; and along these 

 might be planted a few Irish yews, and other evergreens, chiefly 

 of cypress-like shapes, which would afford agreeable walks for 

 the inhabitants, and display the abbey to advantage to strangers. 

 There are not many grave-stones that would be found in the 

 way of the walks ; but, where these did interpose, the symmetry 

 of the walk could always be preserved by expanding it volun- 

 tarily as much on one side of the grave-stone as it was expanded 

 from necessity on the other; surrounding the grave-stone with a 

 circle or an oval of grass, or grouping it with a tree or shrub, 

 where necessary or advantageous. If the levelling down of the 

 grave mounds were an objection, soil could be procured so as to 

 raise the walk above their level, which would give it a terraced 

 character, rather desirable than otherwise, by affording the spec- 

 tator a more commanding view on each side. It is much to be 

 regretted, that a regular system of laying out the burying-grounds 

 of country churches is not adopted; and also a prearranged 

 system, such as we have described in our Suburban Gardener, 

 followed in making the interments. The walks of burying- 

 grounds might have borders, and along each of these might be 

 planted a row of low trees, alternately evergreen and cypress- 

 like, and deciduous and round, or spreading-headed ; and these 

 borders might be let out in perpetuity, in portions, for erecting 

 tombs ; while the interior of the compartments might be ex- 

 3d Ser.— 1842. XII. p p 



