The herbaceous Plants, in a district containing almost every variety of soil, and a surface so much varied, are necessarily of many species. The meadows of Dumfriesshire and in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright were covered with the blue flowers of Geranium pratense; and, in some glens in Renfrewshire, the snowdrop is indigenous. Mallows are common alone the coast; and at Ardmillan, three miles below Girvan, the Yucca gloriosa, which had been cast on shore there at some former period, is growing apparently in a wild state. All these plants, and numerous others, which might easily be enumerated, afford evidence of great mildness of climate near the sea and the rivers; and this is confirmed by the number of exotic shrubs which are found to live through the winter against walls in gardens, with very little protection. At Kirkconnell, on the Nith; at St. Mary's Isle, on the Dee; at Cally, on the Fleet; at Barganny, on the Girvan; at Doonholme, on the Doon; at Auchincruive, on the Ayr; at Eglinton Castle, near the Irvine; and at a number of intervening places; the common myrtle may be seen as a wall tree in the kitchen-garden, flowering in summer, and only slightly protected by a mat during the most severe months of winter. At Culzean Castle, on the sea-shore near Maybole, and at Ardgowan on the Clyde, near Greenock, the myrtle thrives as a wall tree without any protection. At the former place, A'rbutus Andrachne has attained a large size as a standard; and the common olive, the Japan quince, Camellia, green tea, Edwardsia microphylla, Taxus elongata, Bignonia Pandorï¾µ, Acacia verticillata, and other New Holland shrubs, have stood several years as wall trees. At Ardgowan, the Camellia has stood as a common shrub; and the green tea, Aloysia citriodora, and Medicago arborea have stood as wall trees. At Finlaystone, near Port Glasgow, the fig ripens on the open garden wall every year; and in the new garden at Erskine, on the Clyde, the Hamburgh, Frankendale, and other grapes have been brought to such a state of perfection on the open flued wall, without any covering either in spring or autumn, that they are sold in Glasgow market at the same price as grapes raised under glass. We saw large bunches (Aug. 31.) colouring beautifully. We do not think it at all likely that the same shrubs would pass the winter equally well on the sea-coast of Lancashire; because that flat coast, notwithstanding its advantage over the west coast of Scotland in point of latitude, is exposed to the Atlantic, and is without natural shelter either from islands or headlands in the sea, or from hills or mountains on shore.
