" A FEW NOTCHES ON OLD TREES." 191 



The most magnificent beecli tree perhaps on record is at 

 Knoll Park, in Kent. Its height is 105 ft,, and at 3 ft. from 

 the ground its trunk is 24 ft. in circiimference. It is 

 curious that young beech trees retain their leaves all winter 

 until 20-25 years old. 



Chestnuts. — It is said the largest known in the world 

 is at Mount Etna, in Sicily. At first glance it looks as 

 though five large trees grew together, bat closer observa- 

 tion shows that these are branches which spring from one 

 solid stem, which measures 204 ft. round. It contains 

 wood enough to build a palace with. 



Within a few miles of Bristol, there still lives at Tort- 

 worth, the residence of Earl Ducie, one of the very finest old 

 trees in the kingdom. In the reign of Stephen, who 

 ascended the throne in 1135, it was deemed so remarkable 

 for its size that, as appears upon record, it was well known 

 as a signal boundary to the Manor of Tortworth, in 

 Gloucestershire. It seems very probable that this tree is 

 1,000 years old at least. It is still in very fair vigour, as 

 I can personally testify, and this year produced a large 

 crop of nuts, the Spanish, the Gastanea vesca. It 

 measures nearly 50 ft. in circumference, the body is short — 

 only about 10 ft. in height — and it then divides into three 

 huge limbs, one of which measures nearly 30 ft. in girth. 

 Many of the ancient houses in London were built of this 

 wood ; so is the roof of Westminster Hall. The hall was 

 erected by William Rufus in IQ99, and, I believe, is quite 

 sound to this day. 



This wood was used very largely in the enlargement of an 

 hotel at Lynton, a few years ago — the Royal Castle Hotel 

 (Baker's). The trees grew on the grounds of the place. 



Willows. — There is a very fine one, the "Abbot," at 

 Bury St. Edmunds. It measures about 75 ft. in height, and 



