On the Longevity of the Yew. 29 



blance than the reality of age, the first components of its bones 

 and flesh having long since been resolved into their original 

 elements, and, perhaps, assimilated into other bodies. A tree, 

 on the contrary, during life, is always, at least for a portion of 

 every year, in a state of growth ; the wood first deposited 

 soon ceases to minister to the purposes of vitality; but its fibre 

 remains, and is surrounded and enveloped by other rings, 

 composed of new fibres and vessels, elaborated through the 

 medium of new leaves and spongioles annually produced: so 

 that, in an old tree, its earliest wood remains, though concealed 

 within, and we see only the parts created within the last few 

 years ; and these, possessing the vigour of youth, a natural 

 capacity exists of Carrying on the process to an indefinite 

 period, so long as the exterior of the trunk, the leaves, and 

 rootlets escape the accidents to which they are exposed. 



The wood of the yew has long been known to be of slower 

 growth, and greater durability, than that of any other European 

 tree ; but I am not aware that, except by Professor Henslow, 

 any attempt has been made to ascertain the age of the vener- 

 able specimens scattered here and there throughout our island 

 by an actual examination of their annual woody deposits. 



De Candolle says that measurements of the layers of three 

 yews, one of 71, another of 150, and a third of 280 years 

 old, agreed in proving that this tree grows a little more than 

 one line annually in diameter in the first 150 years, and a little 

 less from 150 to 250 years. He adds, " If we admit an 

 average of a line annually for very old yews, it is probably 

 within the truth ; and in reckoning the number of their years 

 as equal to that of the lines of their diameter, we shall make 

 them to be younger than they actually are." I have a section 

 taken near the base of a trunk, whose average annual increase 

 of diameter, for the first 40 years, was 2^ lines. The ave- 

 rage diameter of eighteen yews now growing in the church- 

 yard of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, which it is 

 on record in the parish register were planted out in 1726, is 

 20 in., or 240 lines, which gives a mean annual increase of 

 2 lines in the diameter, allowing the trees to be ten years old 

 when planted out. A talented friend of mine *, and an en- 

 thusiast in trees, has a beautiful yew in his grounds at West 

 Felton, Shropshire, which was planted out about 60 years 

 since. Its diameter, below the divarication of the branches, is 

 now 20 in., showing a mean annual increase of 4 lines, or 

 perhaps of 3 J, allowing it to be 10 years old when planted 

 out. This extraordinary growth may be owing to its warm 



* J. F. M. Dovaston, Esq. 



