Eeport of Meetings. By James Hardy. 263 



eyes," and a few grebes, were mentioned as resorting thither. 

 The ponds contain perch and tench. 



Glancing at the flower margins of the shrubbery there were 

 noted : — Spacious plots of the great flowered Hxjpericum caly- 

 cinum ; a large kind of Agrimony ; a very well-grown example 

 of Potentilla fruticosa ; the double Geranium pratense ; Spiraeas, 

 including the common meadow-sweet ; Burnet, a large kind ; the 

 French willow ; and a shrub allied to the Snowberry, with blue 

 berries, unknown to the company. kSilver firs appear to grow 

 well. There was a healthy Abies 8mithiana, not particidarly old, 

 but entire at top; a fairly-sized Cedrus Ailantica ; a, Sequoia 

 gigantea, of medium height. What else there were do not call 

 for remark. A flourishing Quercu/t Ilex had escaped the recent 

 winters. There is a vast collection of well-grown timber in the 

 park. There is a thriving ^ pauish Chestnut, growing in sandy 

 loam, with a clay-subsoil, and a N.E. exposure : 60 feet high, 

 25 feet length of the bole; circumference at 1 foot 11 feet ; at 5 

 feet 9 feet 5 inches. The altitude of its position above the sea 

 is 50 feet (Mr Hutchison). Some of the stems of the beeches 

 are infested with the cottony Coccus Fagi, which, in a few 

 instances, has been experienced to be fatal. Chermea Picece was 

 prevalent on some of the trunks of the silver firs. Larches are 

 apt to decay, and become hollow in the centre. 



There was some curious grotto work, the production of a local 

 stone mason, now deceased, consisting of shore gravel placed in 

 upright rows, and cemented to form pillars, studded at the top 

 with sea shells, and crowned with the vast Chama gtgas, and 

 having suspended from the centre a large madrepore. There 

 were three or more huge Lias Ammonites as adjuncts to these 

 laboriously-constructed exemplifications of a taste now little 

 esteemed. The rockeries were cleaner and better filled with 

 variety of plants than is usual in these structures. 



The garden is on a great scale, and is mainly devoted to the 

 production of fruit and vegetables. The soil is forced. The 

 bedding out border was very fine, one long band of vivid colour, 

 with sundry subsidiary detachments of skilfully -placed blossoms. 

 The herbaceous border is thinly planted, and, at present at least, 

 is not attractive. Roses do not thrive well here, owing to the 

 prevalent winds. The present rosary has been thrice planted 

 and only owes its existence to a sheltering west wall. The crop 

 of fruit this year is very heavy, pears especially. On one of the 



