48 CHRISTISON—OBSERVATIONS ON 
The annual range in these two trees differed remarkably. In 
No. 7 it was ‘60 to 1:20, in No. 8 80 to 1:20. But the extremes 
do not show the difference sufficiently. If we take, for example, 
the seven years 1889-95, the range in No. 7 was ‘60 to 1°20, and 
in No. 8 only ‘90 to ‘95._ It is difficult to understand this differ- 
ence in two trees of much the same size, growing at the same 
rate, and within fifteen yards of each other, unless it may be due 
to No. 7 standing quite free, whereas No. 8, although not 
pressed upon, has trees and shrubs near it, and is more closely 
sheltered. 
Nos. 14, 38 wére much the same size respectively as Nos.7 and 8 
when they were all first measured in 1878, but have fallen behind 
in the race, their rates in the first decade having been only ‘48 
and °36, and in the second being reduced in both to 0°30, the 
average for the twenty years being 0°39 and 0°36, or considerably 
less than half that of Nos. 7 and 8. This may be accounted for 
by their position, on the South of Inverleith House, on a high 
site and probably in inferior soil. They are tall and handsome 
enough, but have not the fine heads of the other two. The varia- 
tions in their history have been much the same as in Nos. 7 and 
8, the results for their quinquennial periods being 4°80, 4°55, 3°10, 
3°25, showing the same fall as in the other two in the third period, 
not progressing in the fourth. 
The annual range in No. 14 was ‘25 to 65, and in No. 38 ‘15 
to ‘60. 
Taking the four trees together, the range in the first decade 
was considerably greater than in the second, owing to the dis- 
turbing influence of the low temperatures in 1879, 1880, and 
1881. In the first decade it was 1°95 to 3°60 and in the second 
it was only 2°05 to 2°80. 
The career of the young beeches, Nos. 97 and 98, was unfortun- 
ately soon cut short by death after transplantation, and that of 
No. 20 temporarily interfered with by pruning, but the average 
annual rate of the three, 1°34, was considerably above that of the 
best of the older trees. Their range in the twelve available 
records was I'00 to 1°70. 
[ TABLE. 
