Nov. 1892.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 457 



they are more accessible to those who are likely to interest 

 themselves in the subject. 



After some introductory remarks on the mode of 

 ascertaining the size and age of trees, I have divided the 

 detailed part of my subject under the heads of native or 

 long naturalized trees, and trees of comparatively recent 

 introduction ; and in place of dealing with the species in 

 their scientific order, I have preferred to take them either 

 according to their importance, or to the amount of reliable 

 data which I have been able to get for them. 



I have to thank a number of gentlemen, whose names 

 appear in the course of this Paper, for their assistance. I 

 may specially mention Mr. Eobert Hutchison and Mr. 

 Malcolm Dunn, without whose previous labours in the 

 field my own could hardly have been undertaken. No 

 inconsiderable part of my information about individual 

 trees comes from foresters and gardeners on the spot, who 

 have invariably answered my inquiries in the most careful 

 and accurate manner. 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



SiZK OF Trees. — To form a right idea of the size of a 

 tree, we ought to ascertain its cubic contents of timber ; 

 the height to which the foliage towers aloft and spreads 

 horizontally ; the length and girth of the stem ; — but the 

 last of these cliaracteristics is almost universally used as 

 the best single index of size. With this limitation it 

 might be expected that the actual size of the most remark- 

 able trees within the small compass of our islands would 

 be accurately known ; nevertheless there are few subjects 

 of popular and scientific interest in which our knowledge 

 is so vague. This has arisen mainly from the most 

 reckless carelessness in making oi recording measurements, 

 and from the want of a recognised standard of position of 

 measurement. Multitudes of girths have been recorded 

 without the position being mentioned, while in many 

 others the point selected gives no true index of the size 

 for comparison with others. Mr. E. Marsham as early as 

 the middle of last century appears to have been the first 

 to adopt a scientific mode of measurement. He chose 5 

 feet as the most convenient height for girthing a tree, and 



