94 



HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OP TREES. PART I. 



of the world by travel, and accomplishments, rendered both 

 himself and his seat the models for imitation to the country 

 where he lived. To have every thing about themselves and their 

 houses as like to James Nasmyth and New Posso as possible 

 was then the height of their ambition, about 1775, among the 

 gentry of Tweeddale. A very well written letter, by this Sir 

 J. Nasmyth, on the subject of botany, in answer to one from His 

 Lordship at Blair Drummond, is preserved in Lord Wood- 

 houselee's Life of Lord Kaims^ and in compliment to him the 

 birch called the >6etula NasmytLv was so named. Many of the 

 fine trees about New Posso have been lately cut down and sold, 

 besides all those at Posso." The above is extracted from Dr. 

 Pennycuick's Works in Prose and Verse^ which were originally 

 published in 1715, but of which an edition was published in 

 18 14, with notes up to that year. New Posso is at present 

 distinguished for its pine and larch plantations ; and, according 

 to Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, the first larches introduced into 

 Scotland were planted at Dawick in the year 1725 {Lauderh 

 Gilpin's Forest Scenery, vol. i. p. 148.) ; though this is doubtful, 

 as will hereafter appear. Sir Thomas also mentions a locust 

 tree at Dawick, which, at 3 ft. from the ground, measures 5 ft. 

 10 in. in girt. The present proprietor of Dawick, or New Posso, 

 is Sir John Nasmyth, grandson of the Sir James celebrated by 

 Dr. Pennicuick. 



Holyrood House, where the Oriental plane was first planted 

 in Scotland, is, as every one knows, the royal palace of Edin- 

 burgh. The Abbey of Holyrood, according to Maitland {Hist. 

 ofEdin.), was founded by King David L, in 1 128, and consisted 

 of a church and cloister. Maitland speaking of this church 

 and cloister, says : — " After having stood 400 years in the 

 fields, by themselves. King James V., about the year 1528, 

 erected a house to reside in at his coming to Edir)burgh, 

 near the south-western corner of the church, with a circular 

 turret at each angle, which is the present tower at the north- 

 western corner of the palace ; to which was added, by King- 

 Charles II., in the year 1674, all the other parts of the present 

 magnificent royal mansion. The said King James, to accom- 

 modate himself with a park, inclosed a large quantity of ground 

 in this neighbourhood with a stonern wall, about three miles in 

 circumference, which probably is no where to be paralleled ; for, 

 instead of trees and thickets for cover, which ether parks abound 

 with, I could not, after the strictest search, discover one tree 

 therein : in lieu whereof, it is supplied with huge rocks and vast 

 declivities, which furnish the Edinburghers with the best of 

 stones to pave their streets withal ; as do the other parts of the 

 said park yield good pasturage, and meadow grounds, with con- 

 siderable spots of arable land." {Maitland's Hist, of Edin.^ 



