42 Report of Meetings for 1879, by James Hardy. 



it formerly grew. There has been no change since, nor has the 

 gap shown any tendency to widen, notwithstanding the heavy 

 rains of the present season. 



The old mansion house of Eedbraes had been situated on a 

 level platform at the top of the banks, whose soil being of the 

 red tint communicated to it by the subjacent red sandstone, had 

 given origin to its name. The only remnants of the last Eed- 

 braes, which in the front was a lengthened line of building, with 

 a central peaked tower, are two back wings, one the kitchen de- 

 partment, now converted into the manager's house ; and the 

 other, the laundry, now constitutes part of the offices. The walls 

 are of great thickness. In the intervening grassy area between 

 these old Eedbraes tower stood ; the outline of the encircling 

 moat being still traceable by a different colour in the grass. 

 The old garden lay to the south ; the sole remains of it are a yew 

 fence, now grown into trees, with the roots densely intertwined ; 

 and a very luxuriant hedge of boxwood. The garden was a 

 terraced one, in the style of a by-gone age, with rockeries and 

 mazes, and abundance of fruit trees. All this arrangement has 

 been altered, and the site planted over. On the removal of the 

 house to a different position, about 120 years ago, and the new 

 title of Marchmont adopted for it, the name Eedbraes fell into 

 disuse. It had been constructed of old red sandstone, similar to 

 that at present wrought in the extensive quarry on the estate 

 opposite Greenlaw. The new mansion is of a white sandstone. 

 Some fragments of the old house bearing inscriptions have been 

 preserved in the garden walls. 



Everything about the garden and pleasure-grounds is well 

 kept. While the ribbon style of bordering is the most prevalent, 

 a goodly array of old perennial favourites have been preserved. 

 The flowering borders appear to be usually made up of a yellow 

 and a blue Viola ; Geraniums of various colours ; Gladioli ; 

 Ageratums ; backed by a kind of white Pyrethrum. A con- 

 siderable variety of good plants are cultivated in the greenhouses. 

 The Taxonias, natives of Japan, are particularly to be noted, as 

 we believe they were first flowered, and the fruit first reared to 

 perfection at Marchmont. The fruit is yellow, like a small 

 gourd, and edible. One, Taxonia Van- Volkheimii, placed in the 

 centre of one of the houses, which is 60 feet long, spreads its 

 arms, and fills both sides, crossing the house in an arch five 



