Cadzow Castle, the ancient baronial residence of the family of Hamilton, is situated on the top of a steep bank of the river Evan, which joins the Clyde near one of the entrances to Hamilton Palace. The old castle is approached through the remains of a forest of oaks, having from their age mostly the character of old decaying pollards. A few of them are very large, and one was pointed out to us with a trunk about 34 ft. in circumference at 6 ft. from the ground, and having the branches covering a space above 100 ft. in diameter. There are some very large ashes, sycamores, and broad-leaved elms, all evidently indigenous in this part of the country. The greater part of the oaks were of Quercus pedunculata, which renders it probable that many of them were planted, as Q. sessiliflora is the prevailing species on the banks of the Clyde and the Evan. In this park there is a herd of wild Scottish cattle, in which the prevailing colour is white. They are said to be much less ferocious than the wild cattle of Chillingham. We went to the old ornamental building called Chatelherault, and found it occupied by a solitary gardener, who, nevertheless, contrives to entertain himself in the evenings with the gardening newspapers, Chambers's Journal, and other periodicals. The soil of the gardens here is a light sand, and completely worn out for want of manure.
