Eeport of Meetings for 1881. By Jas. Hardy. 477 



Castle and crossed over, by a boat that Sir George H. S. Douglas 

 bad considerately provided, to tbe gardens and grounds of Spring- 

 wood Park. Tbe mausoleum and tbe gardens were visited. 

 Specially among tbe border flowers were to be noted tbe blue and 

 scarlet Salvias {Salvia patens), some good Pbloxes, a species of 

 Statice, and tbe tiger lilies. In tbe conservatories tbe foliage 

 plants and a fine series of Begonias were especially taken notice 

 of. Mr. Wemyss's bouse was beautifully ornamented witb a 

 perennial species of Tropseolum {speciosum), wbicb I see tbrives 

 also very well in Lord Eeay's garden at Laidlawstiel, and 

 I am told does not prosper so well wben transferred to tbe milder 

 climate of England. Tbe ravages of tbe frost bave been exces- 

 sively severe at Springwood Park. Almost every evergreen bas 

 eitber been killed or impaired, except tbe yews bordering tbe 

 *' Green "Walk ;" and two yew trees bave remained intact, wbicb 

 were sborter in tbe leaf tban tbose cut down. Tbe box and 

 privet bedges were severely damaged. I am informed tbat a 

 silver fir bere nearly destroyed by tbe Adelges or Chermes PicecB 

 was effectually resuscitated by tbe application of soap and water, 

 wbicb removed tbe insects. Campanula latifolia is planted out in 

 tbe woods ; but many tbings tbus set out fail wben tbe trees grow 

 up. Tbe Frencb willow bas also been transferred to tbe sides of 

 one of tbe walks. Tbe young sboots used to be eaten as a sub- 

 stitute for Asparagus. Tbere are some noble beecbes, as well as 

 otber fine sbapely timber trees in tbe parks and grounds. 



Arrived at Kelso several of tbe members visited tbe Abbey 

 ruins, St. Andrew's Episcopal cburcb, tbe parisb cburcb, &c. 



After dinner, tbe Cbairman, Dr. Douglas, gave tbe toast of tbe 

 Club, and in doing so, said tbat tbat day was also tbe first of tbe 

 annual meeting of tbe Britisb Association, wbicb was nearly as 

 old as tbe Club. He boped tbat tbe members would drink con- 

 tinued prosperity to tbe Club and tbe Britisb Association. Let- 

 ters of apology for absence were read from tbe Eev. Tbomas 

 Brown, tbe President, wbo was detained in tbe Higblands, and 

 from tbe Eev. P. Bainbridge, Makerstoun. Mr Jobn Ferguson 

 brougbt some rare plants from tbe vicinity of Dunse, including 

 Ltmnanthemum Nymphaoides, Nuphar luteum, JSymphcea alba, 

 A corns calamus, and Typha latifolia, from Dunse Castle lake. 

 Tbese were considered as introductions, but it is interesting to 

 know tbat tbey are tbere. Acorus calamus we saw at Foulden. 

 Mr Ferguson also banded in a list of otber rarities. Mr James 



