Holly, Yew and Box 



It is stated to be at the present time about 50 feet 

 in height with a girth of 32 feet 3 inches at four 

 feet from the ground. An illustration of it may be 

 seen in the Wood Museum at Kew, with a foot- 

 note saying that the tree is estimated as being 

 about 2000 years old. 



Mention has previously been made of the 

 " Fountains Abbey Yews," which are of great 

 size. A very large tree, estimated to be upwards 

 of 1000 years of age, stands in Buckland church- 

 yard, near Dover. The trunk of this girths 

 22 feet, or did according to a description in the 

 Gardeners Chronicle m 1880. In March of that 

 year, although the tree was so old, it was success- 

 fully transplanted. The ball of soil taken with 

 the tree was 16 feet 5 inches by n feet 8 inches 

 by 3 feet 6J inches deep, the entire mass weigh- 

 ing about 56 tons. In Lander's Gilpin, reference 

 is made to a large Yew standing on the left 

 bank of Lymington river looking towards the 

 sea, which is described as a very fine specimen. 

 The Yew-tree Island in Loch Lomond is also 

 mentioned, the author stating it furnished 300 

 Yews at one cutting, and that a number of fine 

 specimens were still left. A large Yew is also 

 described as growing far from cultivation and 

 human dwellings, in the midst of the wild country 

 between Loch Ness and the sources of the river 

 Findhorn. The famous " Fortingal Yew" in 

 Perthshire also comes in for notice, and of this 



186 



