202 THE OLD AND REMARKABLE 



Mid-Lothian Coal Measures, and the altitude of the site is 320 

 feet The tree is quite vigorous. Fine examples are also 

 recorded in the appendix at Belton, Salton Hall, and Yester 

 (East Lothian), and Milnegraden (Berwickshire). At Wells 

 (Roxbnrghshire), at an altitude of 500 feet, we find a very 

 fine tree with a beautiful bole of 15 feet, and girthing 10 

 feet 8 inches and 9 feet 2 inches at 1 and 5 feet respec- 

 tively, showing the suitability of the walnut to such an altitude. 

 In the soutli-west division of Scotland, fine trees are found at 

 Cessnock Castle (Ayrshire) ; and in the quaint old churchyard 

 of Kirkconnel (Dumfries), a picturesque old example still 

 exists. It is 50 feet in height and girths 14 feet at 1 foot and 

 13 feet 10 inches at 5 feet above the ground. This fine old 

 tree is very much swayed to one side, from the soil and subsoil 

 both being sandy,, and its three massive heavy limbs, which 

 spring quite horizontally from the trunk in one direction, with 

 their additional weight of foilage, being a severe strain upon 

 the roots. It presents a very weird appearance, and is an 

 appropriate and suitable feature in the foreground of the quaint 

 old parish churchyard and its surroundings. 



Having thus discussed the statistical features of the principal 

 trees in Scotland which we have been able to discover, we 

 may now proceed to notice the general characteristics of the 

 walnut, and its capabilities and value as a timber tree in 

 Scotland. 



The scarcity of old and remarkable walnuts in Scotland, both 

 at the present day and when the older authorities, such as 

 Evelyn, Walker, Selby, and Loudon collected statistics, has 

 been already referred to, and we may now, perhaps, consider 

 if it is not possible to discover the reason why a tree so 

 valuable, alike for its fruit and for the high price which its 

 timber fetches when of large size, is not found so extensively 

 distributed over Scotland as one might expect it to be, con- 

 sidering these special qualities, and its suitability of habit and 

 hardihood to our climate. That is it quite hardy in Scotland 

 there can be no doubt, for we find it even in the northern 

 counties of Scotland of large size, highly ornamental and 

 regularly fruiting, and in favourable autumns ripening its 

 fruit sufficiently for use as dessert. Xor is the soil unsuitable, 

 for it will thrive in almost any soil not water-logged, though 

 it prefers, like the oak, a strong adhesive loam, if the subsoil 

 be well drained or free from constant damp. Nor does altitude 

 of site much affect it in this country, for we find it of large 

 size and quite hardy, flourishing at altitudes of 500 feet and 

 upwards in Scotland, as, for example, at Wells (Eoxburgh 

 shire), where it is 10 feet at 1 foot and 9 feet 2 inches in 

 circumference at 5 feet from the ground {vide appendix); 



