gb0551ms-33-83

Transcription

[Page] 83
[continued from page 82]

to the west I have planted great numbers
of Iris Germanica. Many of these are new
varieties, which I obtained from Wallace
at Colchester. The Irises I have set out
in triangular formation and have filled
in the spaces with oriental popies, erigerons,
pyrethrum, and polemonium, with masses
of the little wild Swiss rose which my father
brought back from the Furka Pass some
40 or 50 years ago, & which my sisters & I have
kept going since.

[Margin]
Feb. 1941. The 'Turka
rose still flourishes
among my heather
at Ornmore.' ---

I reckon I have about
50 different varieties of Iris on the bank.
I am going to give them a good dusting
of basic slag shortly to start them, but
it will be a year or two before those which
I have planted this autumn will flower.
Prices are as high as ever for food. An egg
costs 6d. As for butter we have not had any
in the house for ages. Margarine serves
our turn perfectly. A suit of clothes with
two pairs of trousers which I got recently
cost £25! There is very little entertaining
now-a-days and such as it is, is on a
much simpler scale.

19 November 1922.
Two years since I wrote a word in this book!
I have been very busy and most of my time has been
taken up working on the Traprain Law Silver book.
It is far advanced towards completion. I have
revised the paged proof and have written several
pages of introduction. Of such a work fortun:
:ately the illustrations are the most important
part and as in these there will be reproduced prac:
:tically every detail of ornament as well as
actual vessels and fragments so that scholars
may form their own opinions, my descriptions
and conclusions do not matter much.
Messrs MacLehose of Glasgow are the publishers.
Mr Craig Annan is producing 21 photogravures,
and there are numerous line blocks & some half
tones as well. Mr John Bruce of Helensburgh, who
has taken great interest, and given much help
in the excavation &c. has agreed to subscribe
for at least 200 copies at £2.2/- each, to be
presented by the Soc. [Society] of Antiquaries of Scotland to
the leading libraries of the world. The purchase
price to members of the general public will be £3.3/-
I have so much to write up for two years that it is
difficult to know where to begin. During the
last two years I have been much in request to
lecture on Traprain Law. I have been to Inverness,
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