54 V^zv- Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



and is no doubt due to favourable conditions of 

 soil,' etc. ' No. 41, a beautiful spreading yew, 

 by far the largest in the garden, is traditionally 

 believed to have been transplanted in 1767 from 

 the old Physic Garden to the Botanic Gardens in 

 Leith Walk, and is known to have been trans- 

 planted thence in 1821-22.' ' By traditional history 

 it must be 190, and may be 240.' ' This yields an 

 annual rate of 0'35 in the first case and 0*28 in 

 the second.' ' Even the highest seems low for a 

 tree of such a healthy vigorous look as this, and it 

 is probable that the traditional history is at fault.' 

 ' If the growth of the last ten years be taken as an 

 index, the age would be about 180 ; but Dr. Chris- 

 tison's measurements of the four trees, Nos. 47, 48, 

 49, and 50. prove that the growth of the last nine 

 years, which, as above mentioned, gives "44 girth- 

 increase per annum, or (at the rate of) 11 73 of 

 diameter in eighty years, is below the actual in- 

 crease, which amounts in the known period of 

 seventy-two years to 12 "3 inches, whereas on the 

 above rate of "44 it would have been only io'28 in 

 that time. So that there is reason to believe that 

 the rate of No. 41 is also below the average in the 

 last nine years.' 



I am indebted to my friend Dr. Beddoe, F.R.S., 

 for some measurements of three trees o^rowing- 

 in his grounds at ' The Chantrey,' Bradford-on- 

 Avon : — 



