Transactions. 75 



whole field had been covered with trees, as the tradition or fact 

 IS (I can't vouch for its correctness) that when the proprietor was 

 cutting down these other trees the Doctor paid him the full value of 

 the Gowk Tree to allow it to stand. Its dimensions are :— Girth 

 one foot three inches from ground, 12 feet 5 inches ; girth five feet 

 mne inches from ground, 10 feet 11 inches ; length of bole, 9 feet. 

 Tlie three principal branches girth respectively .5 feet, 7 feet, and 

 7 feet 1 inch, about three feet above cleft; height, 78 feet • 

 diameter of branches, 70 feet. The Gouk Tree cannot be far from' 

 being 250 years old, and is still sound and healthy, and appears to 

 be in a flourishing condition, and it is undoubtedly the best grown 

 and typical tree in the whole of Upper Annandale. The tree is 

 very symmetrical, the branches being curved downwards, and reach- 

 ing to within a few feet of the ground, and nearly completely 

 hiding the trunk, so that the general appearance of the tree is 

 like a solid ball. 



The late John Brown has also enshrined the Gouk Tree in his 

 "Musings and Maundering?," from which I make the followin^^ 

 extract : — ° 



Thou rare old oak, with massive trunk and arms thrown out around, 

 Thy bushy head with foliage dense o'ershades a rood of ground, 

 Thy heart within is sound and tight, as heart of oak should be,' 

 And the landscape's pride and boast is just the Auld Gowk Tree. 



The oldest residenter, whose boyish lore began 



When the Auld Kirk was a-building and the roaring Dilly ran, 



Marks scarce a change upon thee, and a twice as old as he 



Would have found thee still at memory's dawn, the Auld Gowk Tree. 



When, a century syne, the bank was cleared on which thou stands'talane 

 And lots of kin and neighbours fell, their fate had been thine own ; 

 But Dr. Walker, good old soul, true friend of worth and thee. 

 Shelled out to save from axe and saw, the Auld Gowk Tree. 



Some say the ransom was a pound, some say 'twas half-a-crown. 

 But gold or silver, sure enough his Reverence paid it down ; 

 And like the green bay flourishing, and fresh his memory be 

 Who saved our richest sylvan gem, the Auld Gowk Tree. 



In MofiFat walks there's elm and ash and mony a glossy beech, 

 Their whispering leaves just sound at eve like kindly, hamely speech ; 

 But which o' them, though tall and fair, can stir the heart like thee, 

 Or wake such tender memories as the Auld Gowk Tree .' 



