The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-05

legends which it is impossible to trace
to it's source, we may dismiss it as
curious but scientific evidence Such,
however is all that the majority of the
old yeW trees have to depend upon.
There are some at Kinglye Bottom
also in Sussex, which are said to have
been there when the vikings landed on
the coast. The tree in IfIiey church
yard, near Oxford, is supposed to be
coeyal with the church, which, it is
believed. was built before the Norman
conquest or, if not, as early as 113O.
But here, again. we have nothing but
tradition, supposition and conjectures
to rest upon.
There is another at Clontarf in Ire
land, which, on the same authority,
we are required to accept as the iden-
teal tree under which Brian Boru died
in the year 1914, but it is only ~ feet
in girth. Within sight of a view tree
standing at Ankerwyke, near Staines,
which one of our correspondents men
tons, magma charta is said to have
been signed. Other famous individuals
are the Borrowdale yews, immortalized
by Wordsworth in what Ruskin calls
the most vigorous and solemn bit of
forest landscape ever painted" The
Patterdale tree was blown down in
1888, but in none of these cases has
any definite opinion been arrived at
with regard to the age of these vet
Grams. 1t seems probable, however, that
there are few yew trees still standing
in England Scotland and Ireland from
600 to 800 years old, though we are
told by dendrologists that there is no
trustworthy record of any one exceed
ing 200 years.
According to the test proposed by the
Swedish botanist De Candolle which
would decide the age by the measure
ment and the lines, some yew trees
would be more than 1000 years old.
The Portugal yew, in Perthshire,
which is supposed to be the oldest sur
viving specimen, would be on that
showing nearly 5000. But it is strong
ly suspected of being composed of two
trees grown together, which would
make that criterion inapplicable. And
it is believed that the extra ordinary
girth exhibited by many of the ancient
trunks is the result of the same pro-
cess. But De Candolles theory has
been examined by skilled inquirers and
is said to be misleading, except in the
case of young trees. There is an i'm
mense yew tree in Wiltshire, with a
hollow trunk, capable of accommodate
ing a large breakfast party, which, &C
cording to local report, was planted
many generations ago by the Arundel
family. But if We adopt De Candolles
criterion that tree would be more than
100 years old, taking us back to the
Ihlfu century, WntT, we enTtNuly SuS-
pect, there We're no Arundels in Eng
land.
Many theories have been propounded
to account for the planting of yew
trees in our church yards. But none
seem altogether satisfactory. The most
plausible is that the somber and fu-
neral aspect of the tree rendered it
specially appropriate to places of sep
ulture, and certainly the yeW looks
more like a tree in mourning than any
other member of our fora. The alb
sence of precise knowledge as to the
age of yews does not affect their char
acter as singularly interesting trees
The ecclesiastical associations connect
ed with it, of course, add something to
the kind of romantic melancholy which
it inspires in us. while the lingering
military reputation which carries us
back to some of our greatest victories
sheds a halo over the good yeW bough.
The tree which has so much attrac-
ton for the conservative English mind
belongs to the past more than to the
present life. And the roots and stumps
and hollow trunks of the patriarchs |
that still survive among us might tell |
a tale that would add many a new page
to the poetry of history.