THE IRISH YEW. 



303 



ments breaking the monotony of the grassy ranges. Each of them 

 seems to have a sad story in its custody. The dark Yew has long been 

 adapted as a favourite tree for shading the ground of our dead. The 



Irish Yew, or Florence 

 Court variety of the 

 Yew, has in a special 

 manner become the 

 most prominent and 

 distinguished of the 

 family. The history of 

 the Irish Yew may bo 

 of interest to many. 

 Here it is, and I quote 

 from the MS. in posses- 

 sion of Lord Kinnaird — 

 ' Above one hundred 

 years ago, Mr. Willis, 

 farmer, of Aghenteroark, 

 in the parish of Kill- 

 esher, county of Fer- 

 managh, found upon his 

 farm on the mountains 

 above Florence Court, 

 two plants of this tree. 

 These he dug up, and 

 planted one in his own 

 garden. He took the 

 other down to his land- 

 lord at Mount Florence, 

 where it was planted. 

 The tree that was 

 planted in his own 

 garden remained there 

 till the year 1865, when 

 it died. The other is 

 still alive at Florence 

 Court, and is the one 

 from which the millions 

 of plants now distri- 

 buted in all parts have 

 sprung. The first cuttings were given by my father, the Earl of 

 Enniskillen, to Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, then the largest Nurserymen 

 about London.' Signed, Enniskillen, Eossie Priory, September 8, 1867." 

 That the Irish Yew is a sport of the common Yew is proved by 

 the seedlings raised from it nearly always reverting to the common type. 



Fig. 



-The original Irish Tew at Florence Court. 



