THE YEW. 



309 



is most exposed 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."* 



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. 



Of the Yew there are a greater number of re- 

 markable specimens than of any other British 

 tree. Among these the first which deserve notice 

 are the following, mentioned by Evelyn. 



A Yew-tree in the churchyard of Crowhui'st, 

 in the county of Surrey, which I am told is ten 

 yards in compass, but especially that superan- 

 nuated Yew-tree growing now in Braburne church- 

 yard, not far from Scot's Hall in Kent ; which 

 being fifty-eight feet eleven inches in the circum- 

 ference, will be about twenty feet diameter, as 

 it was measured first by myself imperfectly, and 

 then more exactly for me, by order of the late 

 Right Honourable Sir George Carteret ; not to 

 mention the goodly planks, and other considerable 

 pieces of squared and clear timber, which I ob- 

 served to lie about it, that had been hewed and 



* Gilpin's " Forest Scenery." 



