THE ANNUAL MEETING. 113 



divine service is held at certain seasons of the year, Another contains a large 

 hollow in which the water often stands five feet deep. 



Natural grafts of oaks are not uncommon. Frank Hodgman, of Climax, 

 has sent an interesting specimen to the Agricultural College. It is a natural 

 grafting of yellow oak and white oak. The top of the latter grew for some 

 years after all connection was severed with its own roots, so there is no doubt 

 of the real connection between the wood of these two widely different species. 

 In early Britain, criminals were tried under an oak tree. Saxons held their 

 national meetings under an oak. Perhaps this induced the republican party of 

 our country to be born under the oaks of Jackson. Kemarkable oaks in the 

 old country are all named, as King Oak, Queen Anne's Oak, Queen Charlotte's 

 Oak, Heme's Oak, Pope's Oak, Staple Hill Oak, Fairlop Oak. "For many 

 years a fair was held beneath the shade of Fairlop Oak, no booth of which was 

 allowed to extend beyond it. This celebrated festival owed its origin to the 

 eccentricity of Daniel Day, commonly called 'Good Day,' who, about 1720, 

 was wont to invite his friends to dine with him, the first Friday in July, on 

 beans and bacon, under this venerable tree. Mr. Day never failed to provide 

 annually several sacks of beans, which he distributed, with a proportionate 

 quantity of bacon, from the hollowed trunk of the oak, to the crowds assem- 

 bled. Mr. Day had his coffin made of one of the limbs of this tree." 



" Parliament oak derives its name from a parliament having been held under 

 it, by Edward L, in 3 290." Queen's oak was so called in honor of Queen Eliza- 

 beth, who is said from this favorite tree shot a buck with her own hand. " The 

 oak is the most majestic of forest trees. It has been represented as holding 

 the same rank among plants of the temperate hemispheres that the lion does 

 among quadrupeds, and the eagle among birds. In one word, it is the king of 

 forest trees." In open places the tree becomes broader than high. Its 

 branches are long and irregular, often gnarled and crooked. "The oak ap- 

 pears in all ages to have been an object of veneration, — from the time of the 

 v oak of Mamre,' under which Abraham sat in the heat of the day, down to 

 that of the Greeks, by whom it was held sacred, and the Komans, who dedi- 

 cated it to Jupiter. The Druids worshipped beneath its shade." 



The dry brown rustling leaves of winter, in groves of small oaks, are associated 

 in the mind of the speaker with things which are sad and desolate. Poetry, 

 history, mythology, romance abound in references to the oak: "The unwedge- 

 able and gnarled oak ;" " the old oaken bucket ;" "Jove's own tree, that holds 

 the woods in awful sovereignty;" "a goodly oak, whose boughs were moss'd 

 with age;" "king of the woods;" "thy guardian oaks, my country, are thy 

 boast;" " the monarch oak, the patriarch of trees;" "the oak, for grandeur, 

 strength, and noble size excels all trees that in the forest grow;" "tall oaks 

 from little acorns grow;" " proud monarch of the forest;" 



"Woodman, forbear thy stroke! 



Cut not its earth-bound ties; 

 Oh, spare that aged oak, 



Now towering to the skies!" 



-"Behold yon oak, 



How stern he frowns." 



"The glory of the woods." 



These are a few of the sentences from the poets. 



"The oak from the earliest ages has been considered as one of the most im- 

 portant of forest trees. It is celebrated in story and in song, in the forest and 



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