96 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 
Glasgow. The estate was again sold about 22 years ago, when it 
was purchased by Robert Ker, merchant in Glasgow, father of the 
present proprietor Mr. T. R. Ker. 
In his note kindly giving permission to visit the grounds, 
Mr. Ker stated that there are some good beech-trees near the 
entrance-lodge, but the best one is in the field immediately 
opposite the front of the house. This is really a fine tree, hardly 
excelled by any beech we have seen, girthing 15 ft. 6 in. at 6 ft. 
8 in., and 16 ft. 11 in. at 4 ft., with a solid bole of 18 ft., about 
which height it divides into several large branches. One of the 
heaviest of these is supported by what may be described as a natural 
bracket or tie, about 18 inches in diameter, joining it to the base 
of a branch growing in the opposite direction. The tree is over 
80 feet in height, and stands at an altitude of about 180 feet 
above sea-level, in good rich soil, exposed to all quarters, especially 
the south and south-west. In the Wew Statistical Account of 
Scotland, this tree is recorded as measuring 16 ft. at 3 ft. One 
of the beeches measured at the excursion to Eglinton on 4th 
June, 1892, was 17 ft. 7} in. in girth at 4 ft. 9 in., but had not 
so solid a trunk. One at Stair House, measured last autumn, 
was found to girth 17 ft. 8} in. at 4 ft. 3 in., and had more of 
the character of the Dougalston tree. None of these can of course 
be compared with the beeches at Newbattle and Belton in the 
Lothians. 
Two of the beech-trees referred to, at the entrance-lodge, both 
measure 13 ft. 5 in., the one at 4 ft. 10 in., and the other at 
4 ft. 8 in. 
Near the house are two yew-trees, the one on the north being 
a male, and the other on the south a female. Both trees were in 
flower. The latter, which is the larger, measured 11 ft. 8 in. at 
the present surface of the ground, but this has been raised about 
24 ft. within the last four years by debris from the construction 
of an addition to the house. Formerly a little burn flowed 
between the house and the tree, and passed under the shadow of 
its branches, but the water is now carried in pipes and the 
hollow filled up. At the time mentioned, the last portion of the 
mansion built in 1707 by John Graham, and enlarged after 1767, 
was demolished. The present house was erected about 18 or 20 
years ago, 
