74 Transactions. 



Moffat in his pocket, on one of his many journeys necessary for the 

 due fulfilment of his dual duties, and planted it in the Glebe, 

 where it has grown and flourished for nearly 130 years. 



The dimensions of the Pouch Tree are as follows : — Length of 

 bole, 7 feet 6 inches; girth at one foot above ground, 10 feet; 

 girth at five feet above ground, 8 feet 9 inches ; spread of branches 

 east to west, 51 feet 6 inches ; spread of branches north to south, 

 69 feet ; height, 48 feet 6 inches. The Pouch Tree is standing in 

 the Glebe, nearly opposite the Railway Station, and for a long 

 while has been shewing extensive and visible signs of decay. The 

 trunk seems to be tolerably sound, but a number of the branches 

 are completely dead. Many years ago the late Rev. Dr. Mac Vicar, 

 minister of the parish, had the main cleft of the tree covered with 

 sheet lead to protect it from the weather, but this lead has disap- 

 peared from the tree for a long time, and has never been replaced. 

 In a few years at furthest we will have to lament the loss of this 

 ancient relic of the worthy Doctor. The late John Brown, another 

 of Moffat's worthy sons, has, in a rhyme on the Pouch Tree in his 

 work " Moffat Musings and Mauuderings " (rhymes on local sub- 

 jects), but now out of print, endeavoured to perpetuate the memory 

 of the Rev. Dr. and the tradition concerning the tree, from winch I 

 take the following extract : — 



I was the guid man's special care, 



Nor ken'd a want o' soil or air ; 



And, hame at last, his first affair, 



'Mang things maist pressing, 



He planted me, if no wi' prayer, 

 At least wV blessing. 



To what grand end, say ye wi' een. 

 Summer and winter since I've been 

 A swelling mass of living green, 



Spread out before ye — 

 The pride of Moffat's sylvan scene, 



The landscape's glory. 



The oak is locally known as the Auld Gouk (Cuckoo) Tree, and 

 stands by itself in the field on the right bank of the Annan (Kirk- 

 patrick-Juxta Parish), and fully 100 paces N.W. from the Dumfries 

 Road Bridge. This tree had seemingly been conspicuous from the 

 Manse windows, and came to receive its name of Gowk Tree from 

 the fact that Dr Walker had observed that it was on it that the 

 cuckoo was first heard by him in the district. At that time the 



