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On Howebottom, the "ffained Ground" at Bowhill, Selkirk- 

 shire. By the Rev. James Farquharson, M.A., Selkirk. 



Whether we take the word " forest " in its ordinary sense of 

 a great wood, or give it its more special meaning of a chase, a 

 hunting-ground for the greater game, Ettrick Forest in our 

 time belies its name. There is not a great wood in the whole 

 county of Selkirk, and the greater game find no wild haunts 

 there. In former days the district was the hunting-ground of 

 the Scottish kings, with Newark Castle as their Forest residence, 

 and the opening verse of "The Sang of the Outlaw Murray" 

 tells us what the country was, — 



' ' Ettricke Foreste is a f eir forest, 

 In it grows many a semelie tree ; 

 There's hart, andhynd, and dae, and rae, 

 And of a' wilde beastes great plentie." 



In the olden time the higher slopes and the summits of the 

 hills must have been as bare as they are now ; but the bottoms 

 of the valleys and the lower slopes must have borne a large 

 amount of wood. Of this old timber little or nothing remains. 

 It is perhaps represented by such patches of natural wood as we 

 see in Yarrow or Tinnis Steel, in the neighbourhood of Ashie- 

 steel, and in clumps of wild thorn scattered over the county. 

 But from these slender remains we cannot form an idea of the 

 appearance of " The Forest" when in its glory ; for they occur 

 generally in very exposed and barren spots, and they are open 

 to the intrusion of cattle and sheep, which greatly modifies the 

 appearance and vigour of natural wood. There is an interest, 

 however, in inquiring into the aspect of the district in its uncul- 

 tivated forest state, and in endeavouring to ascertain what were 

 the prevailing trees and shrubs. To some extent an opportunity 

 is afforded for answering such an inquiry by a botanical exami- 

 nation of Howebottom, the name given to a large piece of ground 

 lying within the policies of the Duke of Buccleuch at Bowhill. 

 I shall first describe the locality, and then give in detail the 

 species of trees and shrubs which have established themselves in 

 ground which, for many years, has been left almost in a state of 

 nature. 



Howebottom is a large irregularly triangular area, about 300 

 acres in extent, occupying the southern portion of the height on 

 which Bowhill stands, where it runs out into Fauldshope Hill. 



