Culross Abbey. £91 



livered by a jet, so as to diffuse it through the air before it falls 

 into the basin, it will acquire the temperature of the air more 

 rapidly than by any other mode ; and hence jets d'eaux, which 

 are commonly considered as nothing more than ornaments, 

 are in reality, in gardens at least, most useful agents of cul- 

 ture. These remarks as to the temperature of water apply 

 to flower-gardens, and to every description of plant structure, 

 with this difference, that in these, where there are flues or 

 hot-water pipes, the requisite temperature can be given in a 

 shorter time. 



There is a large tank here for the preservation of sea fish, 

 viz., flounders, soles, turbot, skate, spellings, smelts, haddocks, 

 whitings, salmon, herrings, &c, all found in the Forth. It is 

 bordered with a bank, cased on both sides with stone, and 

 finished with a parapet on the outer side, in which parapet there 

 are stone boxes for receiving plants. A sluice admits the sea at 

 high water, and, being shut when the tide begins to ebb, retains 

 it. This tank was originally constructed by the late Lord Dun- 

 donald for producing salt by the natural evaporation of the sea 

 water, but the scheme did not succeed. The garden is not ex- 

 tensive, and the cottage is small ; but both must have been very 

 ornamental and very interesting, when under the care of Mr. 

 Drummond. 



Culross Abbey was the ancient seat of the Dundonald family, 

 and the building, though in ruins, was held in much veneration 

 by the country round, till it was almost entirely pulled down by 

 the late Sir Robert Preston, who, however, made the amende, by 

 building the present abbey in an ancient style. The place is 

 chiefly remarkable for a lime tree avenue, and a terrace walk 

 bordered by a high wall of pear trees, and terminated by alcove 

 seats. The lime trees are of great age; they stand 60ft. apart 

 in the row, and the avenue, or space between the rows, is 120 ft. 

 The trees in each row are within a few feet of touching one 

 another; but, as they do not touch, every individual tree shows 

 its particular shape, all somewhat different, and yet in a general 

 view all alike, so that this avenue is among the best open ave- 

 nues which we have ever seen. All avenues in which the road is 

 open to the sky ought, in our opinion, to have the rows of trees 

 completely detached, even if there should be a few yards of day- 

 light admitted between them. On the other hand, when the 

 trees are allowed to touch and grow into one another, they ought 

 also to grow over the road, and form a continuous arch, like the 

 elm avenue at Christ Church, Oxford, or the lime tree avenues 

 at Ampthill, and Woollaton Hall. An avenue, when the trees 

 grow into one another without arching over the road, is lowered 

 to the rank of a road between two lofty hedges. It is true, these 

 hedges may be of flowering trees, like the avenue of horsechest- 

 nuts at Hampton Court; but how much more grand and beauti- 



