98 



HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TREES. PART I. 



sions in Galloway, from father to son, for upwards of 500 years. 

 The only remaining known descendant of Heron of Bargally, in 

 the male line, is Captain Basil Heron of the Royal Artillery, 

 now (1835) on duty at Gibraltar; he married a daughter of 

 Judge Mayne, in Ireland, and has three daughters ; he is grand- 

 son of Dr. Heron, who sold Bargally, and great-grandson of 

 Andrew Heron the botanist. The male heirs of all the branches 

 of the family of Heron of Heron will be extinct on the death of 

 Captain Basil Heron." 



Andrew Heron corresponded with Bradley on gardening 

 subjects ; and from this correspondence it appears that he had 

 a curious water-clock in his grounds, that he trained his 

 pear trees in a particular manner, and that he cultivated in 

 his fields what he calls the " true Roman cytisus." (See Bradley's 

 Treatise on Husbandry and Gardenings 1726, vol. ii. p. 169.) 

 Mr. Maxwell, writing about the same period to Mr. Hope 

 of Rankeillor, says, " 1 have of late been with Mr. Heron of 

 Bargally, in whose garden there is a great variety of curiosities 

 to be observed. He is, in my opinion, the most learned and 

 ingenious gentleman, in the article of gardening, I ever conversed 

 with." [Practical Husba7idvian, p. 179.) " The want of money, 

 that great enemy to old timber," another correspondent in- 

 forms us, " compelled Mr. Hannay, the purchaser of Bargally 

 from Dr. Andrew Heron, who was otherwise a gentleman of 

 fine taste, to cut down a great many of the largest trees, 

 particularly four that grew one at each corner of Heron's 

 tomb." 



We visited Bargally in August 24. 1831, and found a number 

 of the trees planted by Andrew Heron still in existence. 

 Having applied to the present proprietor, John Mackie, Esq., 

 for the dimensions of some of these trees, the following is 

 an extract from his letter, dated Bath, March 21. 1835: — 

 " I have now received the measurement of some of the old trees 

 at Bargally, which is as follows, viz. : the circumference of a 

 beech (usually denominated the large beech), at 18 in. from the 

 ground, is 18 ft., and it is upwards of .90 ft. in height. This 

 tree is in the most perfect health, and when in full foliage is 

 truly magnificent. The circumference of an evergreen oak in 

 the garden, at 14 in. fi'om the ground, is 12 ft. and it is above 

 60 ft. high : this tree is also in a very thriving state, and does 

 iiot show the least tendency to decay. The circumference of a 

 hop hornbeam (O'strya vulgaris), at 1 ft. from the ground, is 

 9 ft., and it is above 60 ft. high : this tree is particularly men- 

 tioned by Dr. Walker, as having been measured by him in 

 17S0 it was then 4 ft. 1 in. in circumference at 4 feet from the 

 ground, 60 ft. high, and considered the oldest and largest tree 

 of the kind in Scotland. The circumference of a variegated 



