80 TRANSACTION'S OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A Giant Elm (Ulmns campestris). 



( With Plate.) 



The following particulars, and the accompanying photo, of a 

 remarkable tree felled in October 1918, on Bicton Farm, Rolle 

 Estate, East Budleigh, Devon, the property of the Right Hon. 

 Lord Clinton, may be of interest to silviculturists generally, 

 and particularly to members of the Royal Scottish Arboricultural 

 Society : — 



Age, at least . . . . .270 years. 



Height 107 ft. 



Circumference 5 feet from butt . . 22 ft. 8 ins. 



Contents 10 12 cub. ft. 



15 per cent, of volume deducted for bark. 



Several huge limbs had formerly been broken off, which must 

 have contained from 150 to 200 cubic feet, but these are not 

 included in the present measurements. This tree, which was 

 growing in an open field, shows to a remarkable degree the 

 retarding effects of severe pruning on the growth of the 

 tree. 



The normal rate of growth was 6 years to measure 1 inch of 

 radius, but after being pruned at 



18 yrs. old, it took 10 yrs.' growth to measure ^-inch radius. 



43 

 57 

 73 



93 



104 ,, 



122 ,, 



142 



Between these, and after the last-mentioned date, growth 

 went on at normal rate, which leads me to believe that latterly 

 pruning must have been performed at shorter periods, and 

 therefore much smaller branches had been cut off. The pruning 

 here referred to means the trimming up of the bole of tree, as 

 practised on hedgerow timber in Devon. The observations as 

 to pruning were made 15 feet from the butt. 



J. Milne (forester). 



