272 The Journal of Forestry 



REMARKABLE YEW TREE. 



Sir, — Since reading the interesting account of ancient yew trees in 

 your last issue, I have carefully measured a grand old specimen growing 

 on the Longleat estate, and perhaps a record of its dimensions may be 

 acceptable to your readers. The site occupied by this veteran yew is a 

 portion of Temple Farm Garden, Corsley, adjoining Longleat Park ; and 

 I may as well mention that it is indebted to the upper greensaud forma- 

 tion for the sustenance which has been the means of building up so bulky a 

 specimen of the vegetable kingdom. The measurements are — Height, 

 .50 ft.; girth of butt at the ground level, 83 ft. 7in. ; do. at 1ft. above 

 the ground, 29 ft. 2 in. ; do. at 4 ft. up (or the smallest girth), 24 ft. 5 in. ; 

 length of butt, 6 ft., where it divides into several limbs ; the two huge 

 central limbs girth 12 ft. 7 in. and 12 ft. 9 in. respectively ; these latter, 

 by a strange freak of nature, again unite at 6 ft. up, and are there grafted 

 together in Siamese twin fashion ; the diameter of spread of branches 

 from north to south is 52 ft., and from east to west 57 ft. ; and the circum- 

 ference of the widest spread of branches is 168 ft. This fine old yew is 

 still healthy and growing, its head is very dense and full of leaf. Viewed 

 from one side, it exhibits a perfect pyramid of dark green foliage, being 

 broad at the base and gradually tapering to a narrow top, but on looking 

 at it from the opposite side, it is more shouldered, and presents a flatter 

 and more irregularly conical form. The butt, to all outward appearance, 

 is sound and solid, and tolerably round, save above two of the large roots, 

 where it bulges out slightly. The age of yew trees, growing under 

 favourable circumstances, and when in healthy growth, may be approxi- 

 mately guessed by allowing 100 years for every foot in diameter of stem, 

 therefore I should guess this tree to be not less than from ten to eleven 

 hundred years old. I have recently grubbed out a quantity of shrubs that 

 were growing round it, so as to encourage it to renew a lease of its life for 

 another century or two, forked the ground over a spit deep under and 

 some distance beyond its branches, and afterwards spread a good thick 

 layer of road parings over the surface. 



This I have no doubt will prove very beneficial to its roots, and promote 

 its healthy growth for many years to come. 



I also measured a group of six yew trees in Longleat Park. They are 

 more juveniles as compared with the old specimen above mentioned, still, 

 they are very fine examples of tall, healthy, vigorous growing yew trees. 

 They vary from 40 ft. to 55 ft. high, and girth from 6 ft. 1 in. to 7 ft. 11 in. 

 round the stem at 5 ft. above the ground. The largest specimen, which is 

 55 ft. high, contains 78 ft. of timber. The soil in which they are growing 

 is a rich loam resting upon a Kimmeridge clay subsoil. 



G. B. 



