ON THE OLD AND REMARKABLE YEW TREES IN SCOTLAND. 3S5 



must, however, in a great degree, be attributed to the geniality of 

 the climate, and the rainfall of the district annually. The rate of 

 growth, height, girth, and length of trunk of all coniferous 

 trees in Britain — and the yew is no exception — are greatly in- 

 fluenced by the amount of moisture in the atmosphere in which 

 the trees are growing, or, which amounts to the same thing, the 

 annual rainfall of the region or district, Xumerous examples 

 have been cited during the last thirty years, since the study of 

 meteorology became more popular and received greater attention 

 and been scientifically applied to Nature's operations in tree life 

 and culture, as to other of her arcana, which prove that the rate of 

 growth of coniferous trees in the south-west and west of England 

 is more rapid than in the eastern counties. This is true also of 

 their growth in Scotland. The annual rainfall on the west coast 

 reaches 40 inches, and in particular localities and spots often much 

 more; while on the eastern seaboard of tbe country not more than 

 about 25 inches is the average. The finest specimeus of the rarer 

 coniferse in Scotland are to be found where the temperature and 

 rainfall are highest ; and the same may be said of the yew — soil, 

 exposure, and such adventitious circumstances being equal. 



Estimates have been made by difi"erent authorities of the ages 

 attained by some of the largest coniferous trees thriving in their 

 native habitats under favourable circumstances as to rainfall and 

 climate, but these must be accepted with an amount of reservation 

 corresponding to the difficulty experienced in ascertaining anything 

 like an approximation to the truth. Thus we are told, that, in 

 favourable sites as to moisture, etc., the following trees will live : — 



Wellingtonia gigantca, 



Sequoia scmpcrvircns (Redwood), 



Taxus baccata (Yew), .... 



Taxodium distichwn (Deciduous C_ypress), 



fccZrws i)t'ocZarrt (Indian Cedar), . 



Cedrits Libani (Cedar of Lebanon), 



Abies Doiujlasii (Douglas Fir), . 



Abies 2}cctinata (Silver Fir), 



Cupressits sempervirens, 



Pimcs Lambertiana, .... 



In tbe north-east of Scotland we find some fine examples of 

 yew trees at Ellon Castle, Aberdeenshire. They are growing in 

 the garden under the shelter of high walls, at an altitude of 50 

 feet, in a strong yellow loam with gravelly subsoil. The largest in 



