248 REPORT OP MEETINGS FOR 1908 



time was exceeded on the way to Hume, so that the party 

 began the latter half of their journey considerably after the 

 advertised hour. Half-an-hour was allowed for the drive from 

 Humebyres to Newton Don, in the course of which the artistic 

 village of Stichill, with its modern cottages and Public Hall, 

 called forth words of admiration, as did also the view of the 

 Merse obtained from it. Descending the steep hill to the 

 West, from which branches the approach to Stichill House with 

 its imposing gateway, they again crossed the river Eden and 

 entered the grounds of Newton Don made accessible for the 

 day to them, and usually to the inhabitants of the neigh- 

 bourhood, through the courtesy of Mr Charles B. Balfour, 

 honourably known for many public services rendered to the 



county of Berwick. In a historical review, 

 Newton entitled " Notes on Newton Don and its former 



Don. owners,""^' contributed by him to the Proceedings, 



he ascribes the title of the property to the 

 family of Alexander Don, a writer in Kelso, and before 1648 

 styled portioner of Little Newton, who about that date acquired 

 possession of it, and subsequently obtained a Crown charter 

 erecting various lands into the Barony of Newton. For two 

 hundred years these remained in the hands of this family, 

 by various members of whom the policies were laid out and 

 numerous trees were planted. The present mansion-house 

 was built in 1817-18 after designs by Sir Robert Smirke, 

 architect of the British Museum; and a plan of 1828 shows 

 the walks and shrubberies engineered and finished very 

 much as they are at present. In the unavoidable absence of 

 the proprietor, the party were conducted over the grounds by 

 Mr William Wood, gardener, who drew attention to many of the 

 natural objects of interest. Among these were several forest 

 trees named by Jeffrey in his History, and recently particu- 

 larised in the paper above referred to. A recently felled 

 Scots Fir (Pinus sylvestris) was shown which was estimated 

 from the number of its rings to be 170 years old. A Silver 

 Fir (Abies pectinata) on the bank below the house girthed 

 14 ft. 5 inches at 5 ft. from the ground, and two handsome 

 Oaks (Quercus robur) in the Lawn Park, reported in 1893 



* Ber, Nat. Clab, Vol. xiv., Fart n., pp. 291-310, 



