[ 78 1 



You know it is difficult to difcover the age of old 

 frees, as very few old planters kept regifters of their 

 plantations. 



f I have feen a memorandum of a former Rector 

 of Hevingham> wherein is written, that " in 1619 

 «^ he planted two chefnuts by his church porch/' 

 the largeftwas, lad autumn 1778, 14 f. 8t inches, 

 or 1 7'6v inches in 168 years. Suppofing the tree 

 Ito have been ^i inches when planted, you fee it in- 

 creafed an inch yearly. — And I have a deed bef 

 tween an anceftor of mine, as lord of the manOr^of 

 Stratton^ and his copyhold tenants, upon his in- 

 elofing fome of the wade, wherein the abuttal to 

 the weft is upon the road leading from Hevingham 

 to Norwich, which you know cannot be rniftaken: 

 the date i^ 1580, apd the largeft oak on that bank^ 

 at 4 feet, was, laft autumn 1778, 16 f. jt inches^ 

 ■pr'igjfi inches in 198 years. 



f Now, from the increafe of the Bentley oak, and 

 the two laft-named trees, I conclude the Tortworth 

 thefnut is not lefs than uoo years old; perhaps it 

 tnay be much older. 



i \ 



* I offer you the following calculation for your 



amufementi from its vafl bulk, you muft conclude 



it was a very healthful tree. Suppofe it increafed 



an 



