198 " A FEW NOTCHES ON OLD TREES." 



to King John's time. The tree containing " W. M." was cat 

 down in 1785, or nearly one hundred years after their acces- 

 sion ; the letters were nine inches within the tree, and three 

 feet three inches from the centre. The letter " I " and crown 

 were eighteen inches within the surface, and about a foot 

 from the centre. 



When describing the Fortingall yew, I said I would refer 

 to it again in relationship to the ages of trees. 



Dr. Haggart, of Aberfeldy, who has given me most kind 

 information on the subject, tells me that the late Dr. Guthrie, 

 of Free Church renown, believed in the assigned age of the 

 tree, and in his characteristic way described it as being a 

 " sapling when David was a boy." Then the late Professor 

 Christison, of Edinburgh, who must certainly be regarded 

 as a very good authority, spent some time near Fortingall, 

 and took much interest in the tree and pains in making 

 sections of portions of the trunk and branches, in counting 

 their concentric rings, and in making careful measurements 

 of the various parts of the tree. 



Counting the rings of a tree like a yew is not a very easy 

 task. It is sharp work for eyes and fingers. A lens has to 

 be used, and every now and then a needle has to be inserted 

 in the wood to indicate a pause or resting-place. You then 

 continue counting from the needle, and insert a second for a 

 second break, and so on, like marking the score on a cribbage 

 board. Christison came to the conclusion that the traditional 

 age of the tree and the apparent scientific one corresponded 

 very, very closely. Long, indeed, may it be before some of 

 the trees we have " notched " this evening come to be placed 

 in the examiners' hands — be he a Christison, a Decandolle, 

 or a Balfour. 



[The lecture was illustrated by photographs or drawings 

 of most of the trees, but these we cannot, of course, give. — 

 Editor.] 



