436 Report of Meetings for 1881. By Jas. Hardy. 



anti-unionist Lord Belbaven, and planted about the beginning of 

 the last century."*- A very curious shaped tall Cypress is its 

 mate, being said to be coeval with it, but it is much less robust. 

 Its stems are bared half-way up, and all dead wood has been 

 carefully removed at the top, whose greenness is somewhat faded. 

 It was carrying cones. Both trees at one time were in a back- 

 going state, but fresh soil was supplied about the tips of the 

 roots, which was effectual in producing a renewed vigour, espec- 

 ially in the cedar. A fine P. Cembra next attracts notice, and a 

 young well-thriven Araucaria ; more Wellingtonias, and then a 

 young Quercus Ilex. Then we meet a double white hawthorn 

 draped with ivy ; and a good Cryptomeria Japonica, there being 

 two here, but one has lost its top. At the upper end stands a 

 beautifulMagnolia, a purple beech, and a weeping elm, there being 

 weeping ashes elsewhere. At the northern angle is a Weymouth 

 Pine (P. Strohus) pleasing in its emerald hue, although poor as 

 a tree. Besides these the maples and sycamores, the old walnuts 

 and ilexes in various positions near the house, are not to be 

 overlooked, and there may be others of a miscellaneous char- 

 acter. There are some stately oaks near the north-west approach, 

 although they might not furnish substantial results to the appli- 

 cation of the tape line. The plants picked up in making this 

 circuit, or elsewhere, were Bumex viridis, Hypericum hirsutum, 

 Lysimachia nummularia, Anchusa sempervirens, and Campanula 

 Trachelium. Grouni-ivy was frequent. 



On returning to the carriages it was found that the kindness 

 of Lady Mary Nisbet Hamilton had not terminated yet. The 

 company was invited to luncheon in the dining-room, where, 

 after a sumptuous repast. Canon Greenwell, in a speech of some 

 length, proposed the healths of ''Lady Mary and Miss Nisbet 

 Hamilton." In doing so he said the Club had had an opportu- 

 nity of viewing several State papers of rare interest and value. 

 Miss Nisbet Hamilton had casually remarked that what the Club 

 had seen were only a few which at random she had taken from 

 the family charter-room. This being the case, the Canon thought 

 it was a great pity that such historical documents should not be 

 searched into, and the valuable parts brought into public notice. 

 The Eoyal Commission for the preservation and publication of 

 family documents had examined into the charter-rooms and 

 charters of many of the ancient houses in England and Scotland, 

 * New Statistical Account of Haddingtonshire, p. 56. 



