OAKS IX SCOTLAND. 215 



>patclies covered with rich natural pasture, on which the famous 

 breed of native wild white cattle browse, and form an appropriate 

 ■association with this ancient relic of Caledonian forest life. The 

 principal characteristic of all these trees is their shortness of 

 stature, combined with great girth of trunk. The dimensions of 

 ten of the largest and best specimens are given in the appended 

 returns. Most of the trees, and even the healthiest amongst 

 tliem, are fast hastening to decay. Xo planting, pruning, nor 

 felling is allowed within the forest. Tradition states that these 

 •oaks were planted about the year 1140, by David Earl of 

 Huntingdon, afterwards king of Scotland ; but this cannot be 

 •looked upon as a fact, for their appearance and habit clearly 

 point to their self-sown existence, and, moreover, in the remote 

 period assigned to them by the legend, little if any attention was 

 .paid to the planting of trees, and the clearing of the native forests 

 Avas held in far higher importance than the planting of them. 



Another interesting remnant of the old Caledonian Forest still 

 •exists in Midlothian at Dalkeith Park. This portion embraces 

 130 acres, and has been most carefully preserved for centuries, its 

 hoary and gnarled giants being still fresh and vigorous, and 

 likely to flourish for generations to come. The survival of this 

 ancient tract of woodland is all the more to be prized when it is 

 recorded that, about one hundred and fifty years ago, the then 

 owner of the ducal demesne had determined that the trees should 

 be cut down, and accordingly most of the old trees still standing- 

 were marked for the axe, but by the sudden death of their owner, 

 the intended improveyncnts were stayed, and the forest thus pro- 

 videntially escaped annihilation. The mark or " blaze " then cut 

 •on the sides of the trees in the course of years healed over, and 

 became invisible, but its position is still distinctly seen upon the 

 rugged bark of these hoary monarchs after the lapse of a century 

 and a half ; and the fijiures scribed on the " blaze " in lottins]: and 

 numbering the trees were still quite legible upon the removal of 

 'the superimposed bark, in cutting up one of the trunks recently 

 blown down. The dimensions of the " King of the Forest," the 

 largest survivor in the group, are given in the appended returns. 

 ]Many other trees closely approacli this monarch in size, — some 

 •of the specimens having straiglit clean stems, others having no 

 bole to speak of, and all with rugged, swollen, and curiously 

 knotted trunks, with fantastically twisted, gnarled, and contorted 

 gaunt-like arms and branches. The timber of these trees is 

 remarkably rich in colour, and beautifully grained, and even 

 trunks blown down — no felling being permitted — fetch high 

 prices, so eagerly sought after is their timber by cabinetmakers 

 for decorative furniture. 



Iicniains still may be traced in Selkirk and reebles-shires of 

 .the old Ettrick Forest, which formed another division of the great 



