80 REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1901 



Each member, thanks to the forethought of the President, 

 came provided with a printed paper containing " A Few Notes 

 on Spring wood," written for this purpose by Sir George 

 Douglas, and these notes, here reprinted, leave but little 

 remaining to be said in regard to what we saw within house 

 and park. 



As the members of the Club entered the hall they saw 

 before them a fine collection of ancient and modern swords, 

 as well as the war trophies secured by the members of the 

 Douglas family in other countries. Then, in the billiard room, 

 which contains also a library. Sir George had laid out for 

 inspection some first editions (quarto) of Sir Walter Scott's 

 poems in the original bindings; a "Journal" kept by Lieut. 

 Jas. Douglas while on board H.M.S. Ipswich from 28th 

 September 1734 to 14th January 1739; a quaint picture of 

 Springwood with Floors Castle, Stichill, and Kelso in the 

 background (believed to be 150 years old) ; an old water- 

 colour sketch of Kelso Market Place ; a stone axe found at 

 Oxnam Row ; and, of particular interest, the quaich that 

 belonged to the Ettrick Shepherd, and was presented to Sir 

 George by the Shepherd's daughter. Mr Stephenson, of Chapel, 

 showed us a very neat flint arrow head, not barbed, which his 

 gardener had found while digging at the farm of Primrose 

 Hill near Bunkle, at about 5 inches below the surface. 



A Few Notes on Springwood. 

 After leaving the railway station, a noticeable object is the 

 Big Tree at Maxwellheugh. It is a Black Italian Poplar, 

 measuring 21 feet in circumference at 5 feet from the ground. 

 In 1859 its height was 92 feet. Speaking of this tree, Mr 

 Swan, writer in Kelso, who died in old age several years 

 ago, was used to say that an aged uncle had told him that 

 throughout his life he had never known any difference in the 

 size of the Big Tree. This would imply that it was much 

 the same a hundred and twenty years ago as now. Tradition 

 traces it to a walking stick cut by a Maxwellheugh man to 

 walk with to St. Boswell's Fair, and on his return stuck into 

 the ground, where it took root and grew. In 1902 this tree 

 had unfortunately to be taken down, having become a source 

 o| danger to the neighbouriog; highroad and houses. 



