REPORTS ON EXCURSIONS. 93 



and in some parts of Scotland and in Ireland. See a most 

 excellent account of it in Hartig's ' Diseases of Trees,' English 

 translation by W. SomerN-ille (Macmillan, 1894), p. 179, with 

 figures, itc." 



Doonside Estate, on the left bank of the river, below 

 Auchendrane and opposite Doonholm, was seen under somewhat 

 unfavourable auspices owing to the afternoon being wet. 

 There are here the remains of an old building standing on an 

 eminence high above the river and a tributary burn, the angle 

 between the two being cut by a moat. We did not learn 

 anything of its history, except that it was probably a castle or 

 residence of one of the Kennedy families. Near it is a fine 

 Sycamore with a bole of 25 ft. and a girth at 5 ft. of 11 ft. 5 ins., 

 an increase in six years of 2 ins. = -33 of an inch per annum, 

 small To the W. of the house is a fine Oak, but with a short 

 bole oi oh ft. where it divides into three large stems. At 3 ft. 

 up it has a girth of 15 ft. 4 ins., an increase of 6 J ins. in six years 

 — average increase 104 in. annually. In October, 1889, when 

 I measured it with Mr. George Paxton, it had a spread of 93 ft. 

 It was the largest Oak in Ayrshire Mr. Paxton knew of at that 

 time, but Mr. M'Kay, Mr. William Armour, and I found a larger 

 one at Bargany in 1900, 15 ft. 2 ins. at 3 ft. ; bole, 7 ft.; spread, 

 101 f ft. 



On the river side is another Oak also with a short bole, 9i ft. ; 

 f'irth, 13 ft. li ins at oh ft.; increase 6 J ins. in 6 years — average, 

 1-08 in. per annum. In 1899 it had a spread of 92 ft. 



A Tulip tree has the largest girth of any we have yet measured, 

 being 8 ft. 4i ins. at 2 ft. 6 ins., an increase of 2i ins. in six 

 years = "oS inch per annum. But it has a short bole of 5^ ft. 

 where it divides into four. In 1899 it had a spread of 46f ft., but 

 it has since been much destroyed by storms, and is now decaying. 

 On the river bank at upper end of orchard is a tall Silver Fir, 

 girth, 11 ft. 5 ins. at 5 ft. 



In the haugh the gardener pointed out a patch of the AVind 

 Flower {Anemone nemorosa) darker in colour both of leaves and 

 flowers than usual, and stated that he had noticed it for several 

 years, but thought it was now a little lighter in colour than 

 formerly. 



After a visit to the hothouses, we went down by the little 



