Measurements at Fixed Pomts 53 



expense of James Wilkins, M.A,, Vicar of this 

 parish.' ^ 



The second kind of measurement was inaugur- 

 ated by the late Sir Robert Christison,' and has 

 been continued by his son, Dr. Christison.^ The 

 results are of great interest and value in determin- 

 ing the rate of growth in young trees. Thus 

 'No. 47' was noted in 1878 'as having a smooth 

 trunk of about 5 feet, unpruned, but overshadowed 

 by other trees on one side. The annual average 

 growth in the last nine years was only 009, its rate 

 for the previous sixty-four years of its life having 

 been 0*53. No. 48 showed that its annual increase 

 for sixty-four years down to 1878 was 0*59, and 

 since then has been o'48.' No. 49 'stands clear 

 upon grass.' ' Its annual increase for sixty-four 

 years was only 0*37, but in the last nine years it 

 has averaged 0*45. The average annual girth- 

 increase of six is 0*38. Removing two whose 

 girth-increase has received a prolonged, though, 

 judging from their healthy appearance, not pro- 

 bably a permanent, depression from the severe 

 frosts of 1879, 1880, and 1881, the average of the 

 remaining four rises to 0*44. These four trees are 

 known to be seventy-two years old, and they yield 

 an average girth of 36 inches and a diameter of 

 1 2 "3, which is beyond the usual rate of growth (?), 



' W. p. W. Phillimore, Notes and Queries, Ser. 8, vol. x. 



- Trans. Bot. Soc. Edin., 1879. ^ Ibid. vol. xix. 



