•260 TRANSACTIOXS, XATURAI, mSTORT SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



Union. They were then known as " Norwegian Pines." The 

 Silver Fir is stated to have been introduced into Britain in 

 1603, the year in which the two Crowns were joined. It was, 

 therefore, quite appropriate that this tree should be selected to 

 commemorate the Union of the two Parliaments fully a century 

 later, and that the planter should be a member of the new 

 (united) Parliament. 



The six trees in this row are by no means of the same size 

 as regards girth, the largest (No. 1) being at the one end of 

 the row, 16 feet 3 inches, and the smallest at the other end, 

 (No. 6) 11 feet 4i- inches, and (No. 5) 11 feet 4 inches. 



A Silver Fir in the flower garden, also planted in 1707, is 

 about the same size as the largest of the Union Trees, being, 

 in 1902, 16 feet OJ inch at 5 feet up. Another was planted in 

 or about 1757 by Dr. Muir, the great-grandfather of the Misses 

 Cathcart, and, in memory of him, is known as " The Doctor." 

 It girths 15 feet at 5 feet up. There are several other good trees 

 of this species here. The heights are — "The Doctor," 101 feet; 

 No. 1 Union, 97 feet in 1902; one in flower garden, 110 feet 

 in 1905. 



Ratk of Inci;kase in Girth. 



For la.<?t 10 years. 



No. 1 Union, 



No. 2 „ 



No. 3 „ 



No. 4 ,. 



No. 5 ,. 



No. 6 „ 



Flower garden, 



"The Doctor," 



Tree nearest house, 



Tree to N.W. of house, -70 ,. 



00 in. 

 So ,, 

 70 ., 

 70 „ 



70 ,. 

 45 „ 



71 „ 

 80 

 75 



a year. 



For whole life. 



•98 198 years. 

 ■85 



- -86 



- -78 



- -69 

 •69 



(for 7 years), "99 

 (for 10 years), 1-22 



195 



148 



The rate for " The Doctor," 1*22 inch a year for 148 years, 

 or 1"24 inch for 141 years, seems high compared with the others. 

 But Dr. Christison, having taken up that the tree in the flower 

 garden, which was photographed by Mr. Paxton, was planted 

 in 1797, says in the paper mentioned that this gives an annual 

 rate of TSS inch, which, though unusually high, is, he believes, 

 not unprecedented in Scotland. Therefore, 1"24 inch in the case 



I 



