38 1 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



contribute to tlie longevity of the yew, and it is eqnally probable 

 that these rootlets have a limited power of selection in the sub- 

 stances taken up by them, since tlie yew lives and thrives in soils 

 of the most opposite description and maintains a tolerably uniform 

 habit and colour of foliage everywhere. The situation of some of 

 the islands in the lochs in the west and south-west of Scotland 

 is peculiarly suitable for the growth of the yew in this respect, 

 .and the tree has for centuries held its habitat, and flourished in 

 luxuriant verdure, on some of these islands. Thus we find that 

 in the year 1814, the islands in Loch Lomond furnished for 

 the axe no fewer than 300 large well-grown trees, and yet a 

 sufficient crop was left. On the island of Inch-Lonaig there 

 still exists an extensive natural forest of yew, which consists 

 entirely of old trees, as the herd of deer which has been kept 

 on the island for ages prevents any young trees from getting up. 

 Many of these yews, when they have begun to decay, have sent up 

 shoots from the roots, close to the old trunk. A numV)er of these 

 coalesce, and form at last a complete new trunk, at the side of 

 Avhich the old one continues to decay. In this way the tree comes 

 to be regenerated from the root. Another particular sort of 

 renovation of an old tree which sometimes takes place, although 

 not confined to the yew species alone, has been observed in many 

 cases on these islands of Loch Lomond. A growth of young bark 

 forms and shoots ui)wards from the liase of the trunk or root 

 in several places, and puts forth fresh branches towards the top 

 of the old trunk ; this growth spreads laterally, and covers as 

 with a callus parts of the old tree that are dead, often over 

 large buttresses or angular growths on the stem, or even large dead 

 arms devoid of bark. Such is the marvellous recuperative j)ower of 

 Nature, and her methods of grappling with destructive forces, at 

 once ingenious and effectual. 



But besides the islands of Loch Lomond, the yew was par- 

 ticularly indigenous to the island of Bernera, adjacent to the 

 Sound of Mull. Sir Duncan Campbell of Lochnell (prior to 1770) 

 cut a yew upon that island " of vast size" Its jjrecise dimensions 

 are, unfortunately, not preserved ; but we may judge of its pro- 

 portions, when we find that the timber of this one tree deeply 

 loaded a Highland six-oared boat, and was sufficient to form a 

 large and elegant staircase in the mansion-house of Lochnell, 

 which was afterwards burned down. The abundance in which 

 the yew tree occurs in this locality, and on the western islands, 



