98 HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TREES. PART I. 
sions in Galloway, from father to son, for upwards of 500 years. 
The only remaining known descendant of Heron of Bargally, in 
the male line, is Captain Basil Heron of the Royal Artillery, 
now (1835) on duty at Gibraltar; he married a daughter of 
Judge Mayne, in Ireland, and has three daughters ; he is grand- 
son of Dr. Heron, who sold Bargally, and great-grandson of 
Andrew Heron the botanist. The male heirs of all the branches 
of the family of Heron of Heron will be extinct on the death of 
Captain Basil Heron.” : 
Andrew Heron corresponded with Bradley on gardening 
subjects ; and from this correspondence it appears that he had 
a curious water-clock in his grounds, that he trained his 
pear trees in a particular manner, and that he cultivated in 
his fields what he calls the ** true Roman cytisus.” (See Bradley's 
Treatise on Husbandry and Gardening, 1726, vol. ii. p. 169.) 
Mr. Maxwell, writing about the same period to Mr. Hope 
of Rankeillor, says, “ I have of late been with Mr. Heron of 
Bargally, in whose garden there is a great variety of curiosities 
to be observed. He is, in my opinion, the most learned and 
ingenious gentleman, in the article of gardening, I ever conversed 
with.” (Practical Husbandman, p.179.) ‘ The want of money, 
that great enemy to old timber,” another correspondent in- 
forms us, ‘ compelled Mr. Hannay, the purchaser of Bargally 
from Dr. Andrew Heron, who was otherwise a gentleman of 
fine taste, to cut down a great many of the largest trees, — 
particularly four that grew one at each corner of Heron’s 
tomb.” 
We visited Bargally in August 24. 1831, and found anumber 
of the trees planted by Andrew Heron still in existence. 
Having applied to the present proprietor, John Mackie, Esq., 
for the dimensions of some of these trees, the following is 
an extract from his letter, dated Bath, March 21. 1835:— 
‘«¢ T have now received the measurement of some of the old trees 
at Bargally, which is as follows, viz.: the circumference of a 
beech (usually denominated the large beech), at 18 in. from the 
ground, is 18 ft., and it is upwards of 90 ft. in height. This 
tree is in the most perfect health, and when in full foliage is 
truly magnificent. The circumference of an evergreen oak in 
the garden, at 14 in. fgom the ground, is 12 ft. and it is above 
60 ft. high: this tree is also in a very thriving state, and does 
not show the least tendency to decay. The circumference of a 
hop hornbeam (O’strya vulgaris), at 1 ft. from the ground, is 
9 ft., and it is above 60 ft. high: this tree is particularly men- 
tioned by Dr. Walker, as having been measured by him in 
1750; it was then 4 ft. 1 in. in circumference at 4 feet from the 
ground, 60 ft. high, and considered the oldest and largest tree 
of the kind in Scotland. ‘The circumference of a variegated 
