333: 
BRITISH YEW-TREES. 
The Yew-Trees | of Great Britain | and Ireland | By | John Lowe, M.D. Ed. 
| Honorary Physician to His Royal Highness | the Prince of Wales ; Fellow 
of the | Linnzan Society ; Fellow of the | Botanical Society of Edinburgh | 
etc., etc. | London | Macmillan and Co., Limited]... - - | 1897 | All 
rights reserved [Demy 8vo., cloth, pp. xiv. +270+ 23 plates, Price 10s. net]. 
Peruaps in these days of centralisation it is no more than a passing 
sign of the times that monographs should abound. Unfortunately 
there seems no ‘type’ specimen with which to compare the ‘ forms,” 
or, if any reader prefers, ‘states’ and ‘varieties’ that are continually 
put forward. This ‘ Book of the Yew-T'ree,’ as in truth we may call 
it, is better'than most, no doubt on account of its writer being better 
equipped for his work. Certainly there is a feeling of disappoint- 
ment in reading it, induced probably by the manner, not the matter 
The introduction is good; the historical portion better ; the 
question of age and the methods of getting at the proof; rejuven- 
escence, rate of growth and variation of rate, and such, are very 
well done and illustrated with plans of trees showing the dead and 
living portions. Unfortunately no real rule for calculation is given 
which one can apply for oneself. Then a chapter on notable trees, 
with tabular statement of measurements and notes on latest condition ~ 
then comes the churchyard Yew, and the unsolved mystery of its 
appearance there, but the author gives us no more clue. Chapters 8- 
and 9g treat of the wood and its uses, and bows. Chapter 10, the 
Poisonous qualities; and Chapter 11, poetical allusions. oor 
bibliography and an uncertain index. Plenty certainly, but still 
there is somewhat to add and correct, as must be expected in such 
a wide undertaking. On page 24 the spelling ‘ View-trees ’ is noted, 
and a reference to ‘Notes and Queries,’ 1st series, vi., 10, but much 
later than that, in 6th Series ix. (Vol. i., 1884) the subject came up 
again and was discussed. ‘To the present writer the way in which 
authorities are quoted is most irritating. Evidently priority, as 
understood by most of us, is disregarded here ; and if one has. 
a chronological bias, this only tends to strengthen it. On page 10°, 
Caxton’s Festale is quoted as ‘ Directions for keeping Fasts all the 
year.’ It should, of course, be ‘all the fasts of the year,’ but again 
no date and no reference. ‘The late W. Blades in his Caxton, 1882, 
gives it (14832). The book, of course, is not paged in our sense 0 
the term, but the reference is Sign. c. fol. v. On P- 106 a bit of 
folklore is given; to this may be added a trifle more from T. F. 
Thistleton Dyer’s ‘Folklore of Plants,’ 1889, Pp. 17% from an old 
dream book. 
England, no mention 1s made 
As to the Yew being a native of 
k; and are there not some 
of the ii oe Se 
oe limestone area of Giggleswic 
Nov. 1897. 
