THE DARLEY YEW 103 



Thus we obtain the probable age of the Darley yew in this case, 

 and similar calculations will give it in others. 



T. Owens, the last clerk, was buried July 20, 1834, and his yew 

 was thirty-nine inches in girth, or thirteen inches in diameter, in 

 the spring of 1869 ; but, as he died at the age of 84, and the yew 

 had been growing in his garden for some years before his death, 

 with a view to its being planted on his grave, it must have been 

 larger than trees usually are when they are transplanted. I 

 therefore allowed four inches for its possible diameter when it was 

 planted on his grave, and this left an increase of nine inches in 

 diameter in the thirty-five years since his death ; and if the yew 

 continued to increase at the same rate, its diameter would be ten 

 »eet in 466 years. 



T. Petherick, the next clerk, was buried July 30, 1797, and his 

 yew was fifty-two inches in girth, or full seventeen inches in 

 diameter, and as there is nothing to show that the yew was larger 

 than usual when it was planted, I allowed one inch for its possible 

 diameter at that time, and that left an increase of sixteen inches 

 in diameter in the seventy-two years since his death ; and if the 

 yew continued to increase at the same rate, its diameter would be 

 ten feet in 540 years. 



E. Critchet, the third clerk, was buried April 21, 1748, and his 

 yew was ninety-three inches in girth, or 31 inches in diameter, 

 and in this case also I allowed one inch for its diameter when it 



iwas planted, and that leaves an increase of 30 inches in diameter 

 in 120 years; and at the same rate it would reach ten feet in 

 diameter in 480 years. 

 The ignorance of the exact size of the yews when they were 

 planted necessarily left some doubt as to the precise accuracy of 

 these calculations, and in order to obtain greater certainty, and to 

 ascertain at what rate the yews continued to increase, they were 

 again measured in the spring of 1876, and in October, 1878, and 

 the following table exhibits the different measurements and the 

 increase in inches, to which are added the last measurements in 

 October, 1879. 



