41 
In 1891 Colonel Smythe measured it, and got 19 feet 10 inches, 
and on our visit, when the tape was passed round it, the bole 
measured 19 feet 11 inches; but this apparently large increase 
in a season may be easily accounted for otherwise than by 
supposing that the tree is still adding rapidly to its girth. 
Bishop writes further regarding it that, although the tree 
evidently belongs to the species of British oak known to 
botanists as Quercus robur pedunculata, it had in its flowers 
certain characteristics of Q. 7. sessilifora, a remark which 
showed that Bishop had a very observant eye. The sessilifora. 
characteristics were found by the members of the Arbori- 
cultural Society, just as they were by Bishop, though no 
doubt existed that the Pepperwell Oak was of the pedunculata 
variety. In 1836 the tree seems to have been surveyed, and it 
was estimated to contain about 700 feet of timber, which, at 3s. 
a foot—the price current then—was worth £105. The Pepper- 
well Oak has, however, been battered by storms since that 
time, and has lost three very large limbs, which has destroyed 
its symmetrical appearance, though so far it has not shown 
any signs of decay. Underneath it is a seat made from a slab 
of beech cut from a tree which grew farther up the slope, and 
which measured 4 feet 8 inches in diameter. 
Among other large trees which were measured on this sunny 
southern slope was a larch, which in 1882 was 12 feet 4 inches 
in girth, and was now found to be 12 feet 65 inches; and a 
clump of Spanish chestnuts—those from which the seed already 
referred to was procured. The largest of the group was 11 feet 
5 inches in circumference in 1880, 12 feet 5 inches in 1891, and 
12 feet 7 inches in August 1892. A grand oak with a fine 
straight bole, which was 13 feet 1 inch in 1880, gave now a 
measurement of 14 feet ; and an ash, which was 13 feet 6 inches 
in 1880, was now 14 feet in girth. Running aslant of the slope, 
a nice avenue of Deodars was seen which had been grown from 
seed sent home by Lord Elgin in 1863 or 1864, when he was 
Governor-General of India. Between the castle and the gardens 
are a large number of fine specimens of the newer Conifere, 
among which is a fine example of Cryptomeria japonica, 5 feet 
9 inches in girth at 4 feet up, and about 40 feet in height; 
an Abies Hookeriana (in cone), 30 feet high; a Wellingtonia 
gigantea, 61 feet in height, 8 feet 24 inches in girth at 
4 feet up, 12 feet 3 inches at the base, and covered with 
cones; and an Abies Albertiana, 70 feet in height, were also 
inspected. 
The following list of the finest specimens of conifers at 
Methven Castle, and their dimensions, has been kindly furnished 
by Mr Whitton, who has raised many of them from seed or 
