Report of the Meetings for 1893. 247 



The fragments of the old keep peep out from the grass on the 

 farm steading of Newhall, also a notable habitation, from its 

 having been the residence for thirty-two years of Walter Elliot, 

 who died there in 1861. When he began farming, the common 

 system of a wide district around Newhall was that called ' out- 

 field and infield,' which included periods of fallow to enable the 

 soil to recover the drain by cropping. Before he died, and 

 through force of his example, laying ground in fallow was 

 abolished, and cultivation was carried up the hill sides to about 

 900 feet above sea-level. He was born, we believe, at Orosslee, 

 Gala Water, and was the father of the family of Elliots who are 

 famous as farmers over all the south of Scotland. 



Here the valley was crossed to get to Laidlawstiel, whii.-h 

 stands on the watershed of a lateral pass from Oaddon valley to 

 Tweedside, and 800 feet above sea-level. The party walked 

 through the garden and small policy. The house is one of the 

 summer residences of Lord and Lady Reay, and was in her 

 Ladyship's lifetime transformed out of an ordinary farmhouse, 

 once owned, we believe, by Mr Gibson, father of Mr Gibson, 

 Haymount. The place must be cold, as it stands high and on a 

 narrow pass with heights on either side. A strip of plantation 

 faces the gale from the west, but being down the slope from the 

 house it cannot be a very effective screen, we should think. The 

 buildings occupy three sides of a square, and the mansion proper 

 is the middle block with front elevation to Tweedside. This side 

 is three storeys in height, the first flat half sunk into the terrace 

 on which the building stands. Two oriel windows in the central 

 portion improve the aspect of the building, which is of rubble 

 work. The terrace and grassy slope beyond it show some tastily 

 arranged flower plots, but this is not a situation in which to 

 expect delicate flowers. In the shrubbery is a healthy looking 

 specimen of an Auraearia from Chili, popularl}' called the 

 'Monkey Puzzle,' because that sagacious variety of animal 

 cannot ascend the tree, of which the bark is entirely covered 

 with hard prickles. The reason for tliis singularity is supposed 

 to be the puzzle that the monkey generations cannot find 

 out. 



Getting into the carriages again and descending a steep road 

 to Thornilee steading, two small cottages up the slope on 

 ' Cauldface ' hill — the last survival of a hamlet called Trinley 

 Knowes, is pointed to by one of the company there born. The 



