"a few notches on old trees." 183 



kino:s of trees. Five times lias York Minster — man's work 

 — fallen in half the period of this tree's supposed exist- 

 ence ! The circumference of its trunk close to the ground 

 is 78 feet, and at three feet higher, 48 feet. Its trunk 

 is now hollowed, and is capacious enough to contain seventy 

 people (many being children amongst them). Its main 

 lateral branches once reached one hundred yards from 

 its trunk, and covered about half an acre of ground. A 

 leading branch fell down during a very severe storm in 

 1718, and it weighed 5 tons 110 lbs. ! A few years ago the 

 vicar of St. James', Wetherby, and the churchwardens and 

 school children, to the number of ninety-five, got inside the 

 tree, and while the vicar raised the Union Jack, the children 

 sang the " Old Hundredth " and the " National Anthem." 



A lover of the gentle craft one day plying his tempting 

 bait in the river close by, went, by way of a change, to eat 

 his lunch under the shade of the old oak. Hearing strains 

 of music proceeding from apparently the inside of the tree, 

 he was surprised to find an Italian organ man within, grind- 

 ing from his instrument that well-known tune, " Home, sweet 

 home." Being accosted by the lover of the gentle craft, he 

 delivered himself thus : " Me travelled in Germany, France, 

 Italy, and Spain, likewise England, but never before saw 

 anything before like this, so me thought me would like to 

 play de olde tune in de olde tree." I am able to state that 

 the tree is still in very fair vigour, as Dr. Gibson of Wether- 

 by very kindly sent me six acorns gathered this year, and 

 also took great pains to f arnish me with the latest informa- 

 tion and photos. 



Other renowned trees to be "notched" are the "Greendale" 

 Oak in Welbeck Park, one of the most famous residences of 

 the Duke of Portland, and the "Major" Oak, on the other 

 side of the road, in an adjoining property. 



