76 Transactions. 



Long may'st thou stand in veteran might, unscathed by bolt or blast, 

 The emblem of a grand old age, still glorious to the last : 

 And Moflfat bards, a century hence, rejoice to sing of thee. 

 The chief tan of her sylvan race, her Auld Gowk Tree. 



Lochwood Tower has long been famous for its old oak trees, and 

 it is rather interesting to have a record of the measurements of 

 some of these trees taken by Dr Walker about 120 years ago, and 

 to contrast them with the present measurements of the oak trees 

 growing there, and possibly the same trees as those measured by 

 the Doctor (see Dr. Walker's Natural History article, " Catalogue 

 of remarkable trees in Scotland "). Thus he says : " An oak which 

 stands about due north from the old Castle, on the 29tli of April 

 was measured, and six feet above the ground was 14 feet in circum- 

 ference. It was about 60 feet high, with a fine spreading head 

 exactly circular, covering a space about 60 feet in diameter, and 

 was the finest tree in the place, although another was measured 

 which was near 15 feet in girth. There are a great number of 

 oaks approaching nearly to the same size. From a few that were 

 cut down they appear to be at present about 230 years old." 



Since Dr Walker's day a number of these trees have fallen a 

 prey to the ravages of time and the elements, and have completely 

 di -appeared. Those which are standing still look grand and 

 sLatfly iu their decay, and bear evidence in their hollo wed-out 

 trunks and dead branches of their great age, which, if Dr. Walker's 

 estimate be correct, must be somewhere about 350 years. They 

 would ai^o l)e sturdy young trees at the time when Robert Max- 

 well and his men, in the stirring times of Border warfare, set fire 

 to L ichwood Tower aud " gave Dame Johnstone light enough to 

 set lier silken hood." 



In September, 1891, I measured a few of the oaks still re- 

 maining ; the largest at two feet from the ground girthed 17 feet, 

 with a length of bole of 16 feet. This, from its position, I have no 

 doubt, is the same tree as the Doctor measured in 1793, which girthed 

 14 feet. I did not take the height of any of the trees there, but 

 the girtii and length of bole of a few others growing there are as 

 follows : — Girth, 16 teet one foot from ground ; girth, 16 feet five 

 ieet from ground; length of bole, 9 feet. Girth, 13 feet 6 inches 

 three feet six inches from ground ; length of bole, 8 feet. Girth, 

 12 feet 10 uiciies three feet from ground ; length of bole, 13 feet. 

 Girth, 12 feet 3 inches three feet from ground ; length of bole, 4 



