THE LADIES’ MAGAZINE OP GARDENING. 
355 
wandering on the rocky coast of Dunbar, and examining the ruins of the 
old castle, part of which is still as strong as the rock on which it stands, 
notwithstanding the great length of time to which it has been exposed to 
the fury of the German Ocean. After satisfying our curiosity here, and 
seeing the process of drying and smoking herrings, &c., we proceeded to 
Dunglass, the seat of Sir James Hall, where unfortunately we arrived 
during a thunder-storm, which prevented our seeing any part of the 
grounds but a most romantic bridge. 
September 17*— Berwick .—We here saw the building erected for the 
great cattle show, which was to be held the following week. We then 
crossed the border, and had scarcely entered England when we arrived at 
one of the best-kept places we saw’ during our whole tour. This was 
Haggerston, the seat of Lady Mary Stanley. In this garden there was a 
peach wall, 300 feet long ; in front of w 7 hich was a bed, or rather border, 
planted with pelargoniums, in quincunx ; so arranged, as to colour, as to 
produce a splendid effect. The plants were about five feet apart every 
way, and they were so treated as to make very handsome bushes. I 
never saw a flower border that I liked better than this. The regular 
distances that the plants were from each other, their uniform size, and 
their admirable arrangement in respect to colour, made this border as 
perfect as anything of the kind can be well imagined. The flower-beds 
on the lawn were all in circles, and I was quite delighted with the effect 
they produced. When a flow’er-garden is laid out in a regular figure, 
there can be only one or two points of view from which it can be seen to 
advantage; and, when seen in some directions, the figures, from being 
thrown into perspective, appear quite distorted. This can never be the 
case when the figures are all of the same form, at least if they are either 
in ovals or circles. Circles* in particular can never be thrown into any 
distorted form by the perspective, and consequently they look well from 
whatever point they may be seen. After leaving Haggerston we pro¬ 
ceeded to Alnwick, where we arrived just as it was dark, and we were 
much struck by the fine effect of the castle, with its outline only rendered 
visible by the lights of the town over which it seemed to be dimly frowning. 
September 18.— Alnwick .—I did not think the effect of Alnwick 
Castle so good by daylight as it had seemed the night before. The 
hundred and fourteen Norman figures on the walls had a paltry and 
puppet-show effect, strikingly incongruous with the bold outline of the 
castle itself, and its fine situation commanding the beautiful valley of the 
Alne. When seen from the bridge, these figures look like real soldiers, 
dressed up in ancient armour; and, had they been in a Catholic country, 
they would be just what one would expect in carnival time. The rooms 
