near Gargrave, in Craven, Yorkshire. 493 



stone debris never to reach water, it would arrive at a great size. 

 On the alluvial gravels in the vicinity it grows well. The elm, 

 above all trees, once touching water, rots at the heart. All plants, 

 in excessive droughts, shoot downwards after moisture ; the 

 next v/inter rains, raising the bottom level of the water, rot the 

 lower fibres ; and a great length of time is necessary for 

 healing them again. It is upon this principle we have acted, by 

 bruising, not cutting, in successfully destroying weeds very dif- 

 ficult to eradicate, such as equisetums and the two tussilagos. The 

 larger one, with its enormous leaves, often invades our low mea- 

 dows. A roller, applied in spring, when the plant is in vigorous 

 sap, destroys it. This was discovered from observing that the 

 plants wei'e completely destroyed by the summer tread of cattle. 



The oak, near the pond, close to the aged oak, planted in 1 782, 

 at one yard from ground, in 1806, 32|in.; 1816, 4-1 in.; 1830, 

 51^in. ; 1836, 57 in. This oak is, of course, more or less- af- 

 fected by the superior strength of the old one in depriving it of 

 nourishment. Probably, the death of trees under others is more 

 caused from the greater vigour of the large one depriving the 

 weaker of food, than shade. Seedlings soon die a.'^y unless of 

 a different genera. 



Another oak, which stands near the ditch from the pond to 

 the cascade, planted in 1787, at one yard, measured, in 1806, 

 n^ft. ; 1816, 27ift.; 1830, 36|ft.; 1836, 41ft. 



The larch oak, at one yard, planted in 1782 : 1806, 34^ ft. ; 

 1816, 44^ft. ; 1830, 53| ft. ; 1836,60 ft. This oak, so named 

 from its spiral growth, by Mr. Dixon, of Leith Walk, Edinburgh, 

 who visited it on the day of the jubilee, 1809. The soil here 

 is hazel loam, of good depth, on a flat, showing the shale beds 

 to be soft above, and deep. 



The corner oak, at one yard, and planted in 1787: 1806, 

 18 ft.; 1816, Sl^ft.; 1830, 44|ft. ; 1836,54ft. The average 

 height of all these trees above the level of the sea is from 380 ft. 

 to 390 ft. Most of the trees were two years old transplanted 

 plants when first planted out. 



These notes, on the increase in size of trees, pei'haps demand 

 some short description of their locality. Craven is naturally a 

 cold and wet country, from its elevation above the level of the 

 sea, its contiguity to mountains, and, above all, its short grass, 

 being wholly a grazing land. The effect of all this is a greater 

 radiation into space, which tends to cool its atmosphere con- 

 siderably. Flasby, the place from which these admeasurements 

 are derived, is situated in the parish of Gargrave ; and the ap- 

 proach commences immediately on crossing a bridge leading from 

 that place over the Eshton brook. Bending on the right, is the 

 Flasby brook, there flowing in a close wood before its junction 

 at right angles with the other. This water is a clear trout stream, 



