The Growth of Trees

Abstract

JUST fifty years ago I was at school in Salisbury. I have only visited it once since until last week, when I had the unique pleasure of rambling over the old but familiar haunts, of course including Old Sarum. On mounting the outer ring of the well-known mound from the Stratford side, a beech tree in the bottom of the ditch reminded me that it was just there our usher carved with his knife on such a tree “Tempus Fugit.” On going down to look for the motto, I only found unreadable abrasions on the bark, but on the north side of the same tree “1817” was distinctly engraved. On examining a tree near, I found on the bark “Carpe Diem, 1831.” This recalled to my memory the fact that our usher's “Tempus Fugit” was suggested by some such motto carved by the usher of another school. Is it worth recording that this carving on the bark of a beech tree is quite legible after an interval of fifty years, while the date “1817” on another is also probably genuine? If so, perhaps it is worth noticing that both legible carvings are on a north aspect not reached by the sun, while the lost motto “Tempus Fugit” would be exposed to the sun with an easterly aspect.