Cuttings: Root and branch

THE Tree Register of the British Isles is an extraordinary record, with more than 100,000 entries, of the growth and distribution of trees all over Britain and Ireland.

Its main object is to identify exceptional trees, such as the tallest (Douglas firs in Hermitage, Perthshire, and Dunans, Argyll) and fattest (a sweet chestnut growing at Canford School in Dorset).

The register is a charity, and funds are urgently needed to keep the registrars on the move and measuring. Any tree-lover who would like to help with the recording work, can send a donation to the Tree Register of the British Isles, c/o Mrs P Stevenson (honorary treasurer), 77a Hall End, Wootton, Bedfordshire MK43 9HP.