THE YEW SUB-FAMILY. 377 



not too tight, or the remedy will prove far worse than the 

 evil itself. 



The usual form of the English Yew in this country is a 

 large bush with numerous ascending or slightly spreading 

 branches, clothed with fine, dark-colored foliage. During 

 the rage for clipping trees into grotesque forms, this spe- 

 cies was probably used for that purpose in preference to 

 any other ; but we sincerely trust that such a preverted 

 taste will never again be introduced into our gardens, to 

 destroy the beautiful outlines that Nature has bestowed 

 upon our trees. 



In speaking of the longevity of the English Yew, Nut- 

 tall quotes several instances of its great age. He says : 

 "The antiquity of the Yew is as surprising as any other 

 of its properties. Mirbel counted in a slice of Yew, 20 

 inches in diameter, 280 annual layers, and Mr. Pennant 

 mentions a Yew in Fortingal churchyard, in the High- 

 lands of Scotland, whose ruins measured 56^ feet in cir- 

 cumference, and was in all probability a flourishing tree 

 at the commencement of the Christian Era." According 

 to Loudon, " the largest tree of this kind in England is in 

 Harlington churchyard, near Hounslow, which, is 58 feet 

 high, with a trunk of 9 feet, and a head of 50 feet in diam- 

 eter. The oldest are at Fountain's Abbey, where they 

 are supposed to have been large trees at the time the 

 Abbey was founded, in 1132. The trunk of one of them 

 is 26 feet 6 inches in circumference, at 3 feet from the 

 ground. The Aukerwyke Yew, near Staines, is supposed 

 to be upwards of 1000 years old." 



The wood of the Yew is exceedingly heavy, remarkably 

 elastic, durable, and fine-grained ; thus combining all the 

 requisites that are sought for in valuable timber. The 

 heart-wood is very beautiful, being of a lively red color, 

 while the sap or outer wood is pure white, and both are 

 readily polished. In durability it cannot be excelled, as 

 instances are known where carvings of this wood are at 



