THE YEW. 349 



bow. Hence probably arose the English phrase of bending 

 a bow, and the French of drawing one. Nor is the Yew 

 celebrated only for its toughness and elasticity, but also 

 for its durable nature. Where your paling is most ex- 

 posed either to winds or springs, strengthen it with a post 

 of old Yew. That hardy veteran fears neither storms 

 above nor damps below. It is a common saying amongst 

 the inhabitants of New Forest, that a post of Yew will 

 outlast a post of iron." 1 



The Yew is propagated either by seeds or by cuttings ; 

 but in whatever way young plants are reared, they grow 

 very slowly. 



A variety, called the Irish Yew, is cultivated, which 

 has upright branches, and leaves which are not arranged 

 in opposite ranks, but scattered on all sides of the stem. 

 It is very plentiful near Antrim, where there are said to 

 be specimens more than a century old. Another variety 

 is found in the grounds of Clontarf Castle, which differs 

 from the common kind in bearing yellow berries. 



Several instances are on record of old Yews being 

 renewed by a singular natural process. When the upper 

 part of a trunk begins to decay, the crumbling wood forms 

 a rich soil, into which a young shoot from a neighbouring 

 bough sends a root. The young branch thus nourished 

 independently of the old roots grows vigorously, and in 

 time becomes a tree, standing in the centre of the hollow 

 trunk, remaining perhaps partially united to the parent, 

 but deriving its support principally from the soil. A 

 tree thus formed, several feet in diameter, stands in the 

 centre of the great Yew at Mamhilad, and will probably 

 continue to flourish for centuries after the wooden walls 

 with which it is enclosed have crumbled to dust. A 

 similar phenomenon has been observed in the Willow. 



1 Gilpin's " Forest Scenery." 



