Nov. 1892.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 



501 



Poplars grow to a great size in the English Midlands. 

 Mr. Malcolm iHinn saw a black Italian poplar cut down 

 in 1863 at Eardiston, Worcestershire, of which the quarter 

 girth, 6 feet up, was 5 feet 3 inches. The lower cut of 

 12 feet contained 250 cubic feet of sound but coarse 

 timber. Above tliat it branched. The tree as it stood 

 sold for £10. 



Eate of P. nigra, IG feet 9 inches in girth, at 3 feet up, 

 Methven, Perth, from records (Col. Smythe). 



Nisbet, Berwickshire — Lombardy poplar, 60 ft. high ; 6 ft. 1 in. in girth at 



4 ft. ; 26 years old ; rate, 2-80 (Dr. Walker, 1795). 

 (h-aiglockhart, Edinburgh— Balsam poplar, 50 ft. high ; 4 ft. in girth at 4 



ft. ; 27 years old ; rate, 1-77 (Dr. Walker, 1795). 

 Annat Lodge, Perth — P. hahamiftra, 4 ft. 5 in. in girth, rate 0'70 ; 



P. fastigtata, 7 in. in girth, rate 1'40 ; P. alba, 1 ft. in girth, rate 



2 "50, all at 5 ft. up, and for one year (Dr. Buchanan White). 



XI, The Oriental Plane {Platanus oricntalis). 



As this species thrives well in the smoke of London, 

 attempts have been made to introduce it in the 

 Edinburgh gardens, but with little success. It grows 

 fairly well for a time, but seems unable to withstand our 

 strong winds. Last century, as we are told in Dr. 

 AValker's essays, the oriental plane was introduced with 

 some success in Eothesay. Lord Bute planted one at 

 Mount Stuart in 1738, which in 1786 was 6 feet 10 

 inches in girth, giving an annual rate of 1'70 inch. 

 Another at Kaimes was 60 feet high, with a clear stem 

 of 15 feet, 4 feet 1 inch in girth. Dr. Walker also 

 mentions one at Loudon Castle, 4 feet 5 inches in girth. 

 All these girths are at 4 feet from the ground. I have 

 not found any notices of oriental planes in Scotland at the 

 present day. 



TRANS. BOX. SOC. EDIX. VOT,. XIX. 



20 



