Red and white book of Menzies

454 THE "RED &• JVH/TE" BOOK OF MENZIES. [a.d. 1893.
opening through which an ordinary sized person might pass. One of the separate
limbs girths 9 ft. 10 ins., and the other girths 7 ft. 3 ins. At the point where the
two limbs re-unite the girth is 14 ft. 2 ins. It would seem that two trees had been
planted, and had agreed to amalgamate, the better to resist the storms of life and
time, in accordance with the motto, " Union is Strength." An adjoining tree has
grown up in the same way. Although there is virtually one trunk, there can be
little doubt that there were originally two trees, as the connection is perfectly
visible. At 1 ft. from the ground this double tree girths 16 ft. 3 ins., and at 5 ft.
from the ground is 13 ft. 2 ins. in girth, with a fine bole of 20 ft., after which the
tree splits into two branches. There is another very fine beech, girthing 16 ft.
6 ins. at 1 ft. from the ground ; and at 5 ft. from the ground, 12 ft. 8 ins. in girth,
with a grand bole of 1 8 ft. or 20 ft. Another beech, close to the castle on the east
approach, measured at 5 ft. up in 1879, was 10 ft. in girth, and in 1892 measured
10 ft. 9 ins.
OAK Trees, of which there are several very good specimens on the estates of
Menzies — one of those growing near the pond measured in 1881 : — 73 ft. high, 30
ft. in bole, and at 1 ft. from the ground girthed 15 ft. 8 ins., at 3 ft. up, 13 ft. 4 ins.,
and at 5 ft. up, 12 ft. in circumference. Another oak, growing close to the public
road between Weem and Fortingall, girths 15 ft. at 1 ft. from the ground, and 12 ft.
6 ins. at 5 ft. from the ground. There are also a number of very fine elms on the
property. One of these near Camserney Mill has a girth of 22 ft. at 1 ft. from the
ground, and 15 ft. 2 ins. at 5 ft. from the ground. An ash tree in the policies of
Castle Menzies girths 17 ft. 5 ins. at 1 ft. up.
ASH Trees. Both the mountain ash or Rowan Tree and ash tree proper
are the badge of Clan Menzies, consequently the tree seems to have been much
cared for from a very early period by the Menzies' of Menzies. Some of these
trees are among the largest in Scotland. One in the policies of Castle Menzies
girthed in 1883, 17 ft. 5 ins. at 1 ft. from the ground, and at 5 ft. up it girthed 13 ft.
10 ins., and stood about 107 ft. high. Another ash, given in the Transactions of
the High, and Ag. Soc, Scot., p. 142 (1880), measured 13 ft. 1 in. at 1 ft. up, and 10
ft. at 5 ft. up, and stood 83 ft. high.
There is another ash tree at Boltachan with a girth of 18 ft. 3 ins. at 1 ft.
from the ground, and 13 ft. 5 ins. at 5 ft. from the ground. A larch fir at the
west end of the garden girths 16 ft. at 1 ft. from the ground, and 10 ft. 6 ins. at
5 ft. up from the ground ; at the same height in 1892 it measured 10 ft. 10 ins.
Having detailed the more remarkable specimens of the common hardwood
trees at Castle Menzies, we will now proceed to describe the rarer and newer
varieties of trees, for which the Menzies property is no less distinguished.
Amongst the more prominent of these is a splendid Wellingtonia gigantca,
believed to be the largest specimen in Great Britain. It was among the first