IRISH GARDENING, 



ag-e, but it is known to have been regarded as 

 a venerable old tree before the original castle 

 was built. In the Earl of Erne's pamphlet, "An 

 Account of Some Plantation Castles," is stated : 

 " There is no authentic record as to its ag-e, but I 

 have heard a tradition that an O'Neill who was 

 attainted in the reig'n of Queen Elizabeth took 

 leave of his ladye love under the old yew tree at 

 Crum." Undoubtedly it must have seen many 

 centuries at that time. It is with a feeling" akin 

 to awe that one contemplates this mag-nificent 

 old relic of the past, and ponders on all the 

 dang^ers and vicissitudes it has witnessed in 

 Ireland's eventful history. It was calmly put- 

 ting forth leaves and shoots and berries when 

 Cromwell's soldiers were devastating- the country 

 and flourishing during" the " g^olden ag^e " of the 

 chieftains ; it was growing" when Brian Boru 

 routed the Danes at Clontarf ; probably, if it 

 could speak, it could tell of the time when St. 

 Patrick planted the first seeds of Christianity in 

 the country ; and who shall say that its history 

 does not even extend to the tragedy on Calvary 

 itself ! Judging" from the haleness and vitality 

 of the tree it is good for centuries to come, and 

 may see many more changes as sweeping and 

 as violent as in the past, when everyone now 

 living will be forgotten. 



At the back of the yew in the first photograph 

 is a much 3-ounger yew which has been trained 

 in an arbour or bower shape, the pleating of 



the branches having become long ago beauti- 

 fully intergrafted, and it is generally considered 

 even more interesting in this respect than its 

 older neighbour. This pleating, by the way, 

 is said not to have been practised later than the 

 thirteenth century. 



The demesne in which these grand old trees 

 stand contains many magnificent specimens 

 of other trees, notably oaks. It is open to the 

 public on certain days in the week, a privilege 

 largely availed of during summer by excursion- 

 ists from all parts ; but, to their shame be it 

 said, many thoughtless and unscrupulous persons 

 have scandalously abused this privilege by- 

 hacking and cutting initials and dates on the 

 yew trees. Such wanton vandalism in return 

 for the generosity of the owner, cannot be too 

 strongly condemned. 



^^ ^^ t^^ 



Light in Relation to Alpine Plants. — From a 

 series of interesting- experiments carried out by C. H. 

 Shaw on the Selkirk Mountains (N. America), it 

 would seem that the character of the ligfht at hig-h 

 altitudes differs in intensity from that in the lowlands. 

 The difference lies in the fact that the lig-ht in the former 

 stations has a greater proportion of rays towards the 

 blue end of the spectrum. The author g"rew in the low- 

 lands certain plants under blue-violet rays in addition to 

 the ordinary sunlight, and reports that the leaves were 

 more hairy and the internodes shorter than under 

 ordinary conditions. It is presumed, therefore, that 

 light may be one of the factors influencing the special 

 structure of Alpines. 



Photo by] 



[T. Magmre. 



Old Yew Tree at Crom Castle. 



Showing intergrafting branches near the bole. Photographed October, 



