*' A FEW NOTCHES ON OLD TREES." 193 



this century a tree which was celebrated in the year 1424, 

 and which, when last measured, was 51 ft. in circumference. 



We have, so far, spoken of trees belonging nearly all to 

 our country, and we are proud of them, and justly. We 

 have called many of them " Patriarchs of the Forest," and 

 they are so ; but there are giant patriarchs which we have 

 not considered, and for these we must go to Africa, America, 

 and our Australian colonies, and Japan. 



On the way we may allude to a celebrated " Soma 

 Cypress " (so named) in Lombardy. It is said to be the 

 oldest living tree in the world, but, as I stated earlier, 

 tradition asserts this of so many trees. This cypress is 

 said to have been a tree in 40 B.C. It is 120 ft. high, and its 

 stem is 23 ft. round. Francis I. drove his sword into it, in 

 despair, after the battle of Pavia, and Napoleon deflected 

 the continuation of his road over the Simplon so as not to 

 injure the tree. 



Then the Japanese assert their title to the oldest tree of 

 which the date can be authenticated. The " Mppon Dai 

 Matsu," or Giant Pine of Japan, grows on the western shores 

 of Lake Briva, at the foot of Mount Hizesan, three miles from 

 Otsu. The tree is referred to in the archives of the famous 

 monastery of Miidera, more than 800 years ago, and the 

 priests assert that it was planted in a.d. 675. It is included 

 in the " Omi Itak Kei " or Bight Beauties of Japan, and is 

 yearly visited by thousands of pilgrims, who hope, by 

 walking round the tree 105 times, to make sure of liv- 

 ing another year. Formerly four houses were built in its 

 branches, but two were blown down by the typhoon of 1870. 

 The others are much patronized by dinner parties on 

 summer evenings, and in wet weather the drops of rain fall- 

 ing from the tree have a very soothing effect. The diameter 

 of the trunk 2 ft. from the ground is 15 ft. 9 in. ; height 



