Statements concerning Sir Walter Scott. 277 



Lady Scott was very full of an arbour she had had 

 constructed beside the river, and wanted the gardener to 

 transplant a large hop- plant from the garden to grow over 

 it. This he would not do ; and she waited till he left his 

 work in the evening, and then asked Miss Russell to come 

 and help her, and they two would transplant the hop. 

 Miss Eussell assured her it would not stand transplanting 

 in full leaf, but Lady Scott declared, if they watered it 

 well, it would. So being one of the most good-natured, as 

 well as one of the most sensible of women, she went with 

 her. The hop was very heavy, and got much broken, and 

 they got very muddy ; but eventually the hop was planted 

 on the bower, and watered. The next morning it was 

 hanging quite dead, though, being a vigorous plant, it 

 came up the next spring. The indignation of the gardener 

 may be imagined — " Ma bonny hop ! " 



In spite of this unpracticalness, Lady Scott had a real 

 liking for the garden, as for other amenities; and the old 

 gardener was said never to have cared for his work after 

 her death. 



The circumstance of the large hop-plant in the Abbotsford 

 garden shows the Scotts had been settled some time at 

 Abbotsford ; and two or three years later Miss Eussell, with 

 her surviving sister, went abroad to the Italian waters — 

 remaining some years on the Continent — so it is rather 

 likely that this incident happened at the time Miss Russell 

 is mentioned as being in Melrose, probably with the Scotts. 



There were hops at Ashiesteel when the Scotts were there 

 — planted by Sir Walter's aunt, Mrs Russell — and they are 

 there still, at the top of the steep bank opposite the middle 

 window of the present drawing-room. They were at one 

 time reduced to very small plants ; but since the plan has 

 been adopted of throwing weeds and other rubbish over the 

 bank, to counteract its occasional slipping, they have grown 

 much better in the soil so produced. They must have 

 been planted in the ornamental hedge of barberries and 

 wild plums. 



The hops on the fence of the small flower-garden, which 

 garland the heavy Irish yews, and the hop-arches in the 

 upper garden, were all planted by a gardener who had long 

 left Ashiesteel, but who only died within the present year. 



