2082

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART III.

twp old yew trees at Mamhilad and Llanthewy Vach will survive as indepen-dent trees when, centuries hence, the surrounding walls of their original bolesshall have completely disappeared; and, should no record of their true historyexist, an observer then will be quite unconscious that they are but portionsof some former trees, the germ of which existed, perhaps, 3000 years ago ;for the lateral scar, which would for a while mark the point of union, would,in time, be closed up and buried beneath new deposits. (Abridged from Mag.Nat. Hist., vol. i. new series, p. 90.)

The Ribbesford Yeiv stands in the parish of that name, near Bewdley, inWorcestershire. This yew grows out of a hollow pollard oak, the circum-ference of the trunk of which, at the ground, is 17 ft., and its height 20 ft.In this hollow cylinder the yew has not only established itself, but grown tosuch a size as completely to fill up the cavity; and it will doubtless, in a fewyears, increase to such a size as to burst asunder the oaken shell which nowencloses it, and ultimately to stand alone, as if it had sprung up from theground. At present, both the oak and the yew have numerous spreadingbranches, which make a fine appearance; the dark green foliage of the yew“ towering above the boughs of its aged companion.” There can be no doubtthat the seed of the yew was deposited in the decaying crown of the pollard,and that its roots gradually penetrated downwards till at last they reached thesoil. (The Analyst, vol. i. p.81.)

The Glendalough Yew, in the county of Wicklow, was an immense tree,and shaded from the sun and the storm, not only the ruins of a small churchunder it, but the greater part of the churchyard. Hayes was informed, onundoubted authority, that on one hot summer’s day, when this tree was in itsfull beauty, the agent for the bishop to whom the church belonged had all itsprincipal limbs and branches cut off close by the trunk and sold. About 40years afterwards, when Hayes saw it, the trunk was decaying at the heart,and a holly was growing up through one of the fissures. (Treat, on Plant.,p. 144.)

The Wcstfelton Yew (fig. 1990.) stands in the grounds of J. F. M. Do-vaston, Esq., at Westfelton, near Shrewsbury; and the following accounthas been sent to us by that gentleman : —“ About 60 years ago, my father,John Dovaston, a man without education, but of unwearied industry andingenuity, had with his own hands sunk a well, and constructed and placeda pump in it; and, the soil being light and sandy, it continually fell in : hesecured it with wooden boards; but, foreseeing their speedy decay, he plantednear to the well a yew tree, which he bought of a cobbler for sixpence;rightly judging that the fibrous and matting tendency of the yew rootswould hold up the soil. They did so; and, independently of its utility, theyew grew into a tree of the most extraordinary and striking beauty; spreadinghorizontally all round to the diameter of (now, 1836) 56 ft., with a singleaspiring leader to a great height; each branch in every direction dangling intressy verdure downwards, the lower ones to the very ground, pendulous andplayful as the most graceful birch or weeping willow; and visibly obedient tothe feeblest breath of summer air. Its foliage is admirably adapted for re-taining the dew drops ; and, in consequence, it makes a splendid appearanceat sunrise. Though a male tree, it has one entire branch self-productive,and exuberantly profuse in female berries, full, red, rich, and luscious; fromwhich I have raised several plants, in the hope that they may inherit some ofthe beauty of their parent. The circumference of the tree now, at 5 ft. fromthe ground, is 5 ft. 1 in.; and it is in a growing state, quite healthy andvigorous. The drawing which accompanies this (see fig. 1990.) was madeby one of the ingenious children of my friend Bowman. — J. F. M. D.Westfelton, July, 1836.”

Poetical and legendary Allusions. The yew has afforded numerous imagesto the poets, from the time of Homer, who speaks of the ancient inhabitantsof Crete as being “ dreadful with the bended yew,” to the poets of thepresent day. Virgil notices the elasticity of the yew in the Eneid : —