146 



Some Notes concerning Ashiestcel. 

 By Miss Russell. 



It is perhaps worth mentioning, as a fact in forestry, that 

 the oak-tree beside the river at Ashiesteel, under which 

 Sir Walter Scott undoubtedly had a seat, but which is not, 

 even now, a very large one, produced acorns in the season 

 1901, for the first time, as far as it has ever been oV)served. 

 It was, of course, a very warm summer, but this was probably 

 really a sign of decadence in the tree, which a large crop 

 of seed is well known to be. When the long branches were 

 broken by a snowstorm, some decay of the trunk became 

 visible ; and though the tree has grown very fairly, the 

 injured branches being amputated by degrees, one of the 

 uprights fell off in 1901, apparently by its own weight, when 

 in full leaf. 



The statement to be found in Mr Craig Brown's History of 

 Selkirkshire, that James Eussell, son of the William Russell 

 who bought Ashiesteel, was at one time chamberlain to the 

 Duke of Buccleuch, is apparently founded on the old document 

 given in Sir William Fraser's " Scotts of Buccleuch," a receipt 

 for the rent of the farm of Deloraine, given by James Russell, 

 younger, of Ashiesteel. Though it is not unlikely in itself 

 that he should have held that appointment, as the preference 

 generally is for a landed proprietor, or his heir, to act as 

 deputy-proprietor, where the estates are large and scattered, 

 it seems unlikely that the circumstance of his having done 

 so should be quite unknown to the family. And on the 

 Qther hai^d it is very probable, from other circumstances. 



