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A yew tree near boat house at Maer first week in Nov, few berries on any branches except some on E. Side, one of these rather thicker than my thumb about 4 ft long & with sub-branches abt 3 ft wide at bottom, had on it cutter fruit or fresh calise of 30 berries & 12 berries not quite mature.

I shd think these has been as large a stock of fruit last year from loose withered expanded calices. South [illeg] a bank between 50 & 60 yrds distant by east, there was a middle size tree without berries probably male & another 2 or 3 yrds behind it.

In the Spring the lowest tree would be hardly visible from these males & the branch with

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42 berries had thick laurel between. The plane of this br pointed upwards towards the males, in same wood at about 80 yds distance but more sefras by bushes there was a small group of males –

Examine posterior of pistil & size. To impregnate 42 berries pollen must have been dusted, on supposition of wind agency, like flower from dredger without indeed the flowers are excessively numerous, which I doubt.

How much pollen must be wafted too high & too low!

From posterior wind wd have little no particular tendency to blow pollen [illeg] the female. As the bough grew, perhaps present area of abt 4 sq. ft. Think what an enormous area of circular wall of yews 330 yrds long presents & for wht I can see any part would have had as good a chance of being dusted as this one tree. All this lead me