218 COLLEGE GARDENS 



Wednesday, April 5, 1911, now believed to have been the 

 largest timber tree in all Britain. It was a Wych or Broad- 

 leaved Elm, U. montana^ characterised by the spreading habit 

 of its main branches, by the absence of the tall straight 

 bole so characteristic of the Common Elm. The leaves, 

 too, are different, being larger in the Wych Elm. 



As to its measurements, we are not quite confident that 

 all the published details (Wilson's " Magdalen College," p. 280) 

 are correctly assigned to this tree. We have seen evidence 

 that the early measures were those of another tree (A) 

 probably of the same age, which fell down in 1861 or soon 

 after. These measures were made by or for Dr. Daubeny, 

 and have been attributed to our Great Elm (B). 



ELM A.* GIRTH GIRTH 



At 5 ft. from ground At 2 ft. from ground 

 1831. 21 ft. o in. 27 ft. 4 in. 



1861. 23 ft. o in. 27 ft. 9 in. 



Estimated contents, 1,092 cubic ft., without small branches. 



ELM B.* GIRTH 



At 5 ft. from ground 



1866. 23 ft. 9 in. 



1866 or 1867. 25 ft. 6 in. 



1899. 26 ft. 5 in. Height, 130 ft. 



1910. 28 ft. 3 in. 143 ft. 



In February of 1911 the College was informed that Mr. 

 Elwes of Colesbourne had examined the Elm with an expert 

 (Mr. Havelock), and that its cubic contents were roughly 

 estimated at 2,000 cubic ft. by quarter-girth measure, without 

 any bark allowances; a size only surpassed, according to Mr. 

 Elwes' opinion, by one other English tree the Oak at Bevis 

 Castle. 



* Authorities : 1831, Dr. Daubeny, Botanical Notes, MS. in Magdalen 

 Library, and Walker's " Flora of Oxford"; 1861, T. Hopkins; 1866, 

 T. Hopkins ; 1886, O. W. Holmes, " Hundred Days in Europe," 1887, 

 p. 121 ; 1899, R. T. G. ; 1911, T. Whale, who found the girth at the base 

 to be 37 ft. 6 in., and at the fork (20 ft. high) to be 31 ft. 



