208 ON THE OLD AND REMARKABLE 



winters. At 5 feet above ground it measures 20 feet 10 inclies 

 in girth, and is still growing vigorously, and making wood 

 annually. Many other magnificent oaks throw a mantle of hoary 

 and honoured antiquity around the woods and policies of the 

 royal palace of Scone. Xear the two-mile stone from Perth, 

 near Balboughty plantation, stand three fine specimens, which 

 are remarkably large for their age. The first two (see returns) 

 are Qucrcus sessiliflora, and the other Q. pcduncidata. The first 

 were planted in 1808, and the other a year later. Measured in 

 Auo-ust 1878, the first has a fine bole of 56 feet in length, and 

 is 80 feet high. It girths 5 feet 7 inches at 5 feet above ground, 

 and contains 76 cubic feet of timber. The second is about the 

 same height, is 7 feet in girth at 5 feet, and has 93-J cubic feet 

 of timber. The third (Q. pedunculata) has a clear bole of 57 feet, 

 girthing 6 feet 11 inches, and contains 114 cubic feet of timber. 

 In the policies at Scone, near the river Tay, and in a hollow, 

 stands a majestic wide-spreading oak, planted by King James VL 

 of Scotland and I. of England. The diameter of the spread of its 

 branches covers 75 feet. It is now^ 55 feet in height, 15 feet 3 

 inches at the base, 14 feet 2 inches at 3 feet, and 13 feet 4 inches 

 at 5 feet from the ground. iSTot far distant stands a sycamore, 

 also planted by the same monarch, and girthing 12 feet 3 inches 

 at 4 feet from the base. North of the old Scone burying-ground, 

 in which are some stones of the early part of the fifteenth century, 

 including that of Alexander Mar, sixteenth Abbot of Scone, who 

 flourished when the battle of Flodden was fought, is an oak of 

 great symmetry and vigour, planted in 1809. It is now 70 feet 

 in height, with 40 feet of straight clear stem, and is at the root 

 10 feet 4 inches in girth, and 8 feet 4 inches at 5 feet. Although 

 at Castle Menzies the soil is light, and resting on pure gravel or 

 sand, at no great depth, there are some fine oaks. In our returns, 

 two specimens are described which grow there. The first is near 

 the pond, and is a noble tree, girthing 15 feet 6 inches at a foot, 

 and 12 feet at 5 feet from the ground. This tree is 70 feet in 

 heio^ht, and but from the fact that it has had one largje limb near 

 the top broken off some years ago, would have been much taller 

 at the present day. This untoward accident befel it in 1858, 

 which was in the district a very late and backward season, snow 

 falling heavily before the leaves had been shed. The superin- 

 cumbent weight of snow on the topmost branches and foliage 

 liroke off many branches about Castle Menzies policies, and sadly 

 disfigured some of the fine trees there. At the east gate of the 

 park of Castle Menzies stands a remarkable oak (see returns). 

 The peculiarity of this tree is, that it presents on one of its large 

 limbs, about 25 feet from the ground, a curious branch about 

 6 feet long, with inire v:hite foliage, densely matted and quite 

 distinct from all surrounding and adjacent branches. The white 



