Rate of Growth in Old Trees 63 



The Ormiston yew is another instance of growth 

 in niature age as great as that of young trees. 

 Mr. Hutchison considers this tree second only to 

 the Fortingal yew in point of age, size, and his- 

 torical interest. Of this last 1 would say nothing. 

 Historical interest has found such a wide field of 

 conjecture in old trees that one can only admire 

 the fertility of speculation with which they have 

 been invested. Norbury Park and Cherkley Court, 

 however, can show many trees of greater age 

 and size. The Ormiston tree measured, in 1834, 

 1 2 feet 9 inches at the ground, and 1 7 feet 8 inches 

 at 5 feet. In the forty-five subsequent years it had 

 gained at the rate of i inch radius in twenty-two 

 years at the ground, and i inch in twelve years at 

 3 feet, and i inch in eleven years at 5 feet, the two 

 latter measurements giving a rate of increase very 

 nearly i foot of diameter in seventy-two and sixty- 

 six years respectively. 



A tree at Ferniehurst Castle, Roxburghshire,^ 

 which measures 10 feet 7 inches at 2 feet from the 

 ground, 'is supposed to be five hundred years old.' 

 It is difficult to understand the reasons for assign- 

 ing such an age as this, which seems to be mere 

 guess-work, seeing that the same writer mentions 

 those of Old Meldrum and Pitmedden as havingf 

 nearly the same diameter, though they are known 

 not to be much more than two hundred years old. 



' Hutchison, op. cil. 



