1887-88.] Annual Increase in Girth of Trees:. 271 



The history and conduct of tlie seven measured yews is so 

 diverse and complex that it is essential to give in the first 

 place a complete history of each. 



No. 41, a beautiful spreading yew, by far the largest in 

 the garden, standing clear of other trees upon grass, is tra- 

 ditionally believed to have been transplanted in 1767 from 

 the old Physic Garden to the Botanic Garden in Leith 

 Walk, and is known to have been transplanted thence in 

 1821—22 to its present site. Writing of its age in 1878, Sir 

 Eobert Christison says, " by its traditional history it must 

 be 193, and may be 240." This yields an annual rate of 

 0"35 in the first case and of 0'28 in the second. Even the 

 highest of these rates seems low for a tree of such a healthy 

 and vigorous look as this, and it is probable that the 

 traditional history is at fault, unless we accept as a sufficient 

 explanation of so slow a rate, retardation caused by trans- 

 planting; and Sir Eobert was assured by the former head- 

 gardener, Mr Macnab, that the tree took many years to 

 recover its power of growth after the transplantation in 

 1821-22. At all events, the rate for the last ten years has 

 been much higher, amounting to 0*47, and this in spite of 

 five of the ten years having proved very trying to ever- 

 greens, three of the five actually causing a marked fall in 

 the girth-increase of this tree. If No. 41 be really entering 

 its third century of life, or possibly be already half-way 

 through it, its present annual rate of nearly half an inch is 

 considerably greater than that which Sir Eobert, from all the 

 information he could gather, assigns to a yew of its sup- 

 posed age in favourable circumstances. 



The stem of this fine tree has now a nearly uniform girth 

 of 6 feet for 3 feet from the gTound, to the spring of the 

 branches. The height of the tree on 23rd June 1879 was 

 27 feet 9 inches, and is now 27 feet 11*5 inches, representing 

 an annual increase of only about a quarter of an inch. 

 The spread of the branches at the same date was 51 feet, 

 and is now 55 feet 4 inches, representing an annual rate 

 of about half a foot in diameter, or 3 inches outwards all 

 round. 



No. 42 was transplanted from the former garden to the 

 present one in 1821-22, but its age is unknown. Being 

 situated in a border of trees and shrubs, it has not the 



