THK OAK TREE IN ESSEX. 



9' 



a tall conical tree. Other authorities contend that there is no 

 difference in the " habit '' or growth of the two supposed species. 



It was suggested that I should ascertain the variety of each tree 

 which I propose to describe, but it appeared to me that while it 

 would be interesting to take a census of the oaks of our county to 

 determine which variety predominated, and was presumably most 

 suited to local circumstances, the question of the variety to which the 

 comparatively few isolated oak trees which had grown to a great age 

 should be referred, was not of sufficient importance to compensate 

 for the considerable amount of trouble it would have entailed to have 

 visited or secured branches from each tree at the time it was 

 flowering. 



One other variety, or rather sub variety, I must also mention, 

 viz., Qitercits pediinculala var. peiidula, the " A\'ee[)ing Oak." My 

 readers will probably be rather incredulous as to the existence of 

 such a form, as I was when I first heard of it ; the very term '■'■ pendiila " 

 ndicating an amount of variation from the ordinary character of the 

 ree which almost surpasses belief. Nevertheless, a large tree of this 

 variety occurs at " ^[occas Court," Herefordshire, some of its 

 tranches being thirty feet long, and no thicker than a cart-rope, and 

 noreover all trees raised from acorns of this variety after the age of 

 wenty years, if not earlier, partake of the weeping character of their 

 )arents. It is possible that our Essex specimens of " Weeping 

 Daks," which I shall describe later, are descendants of this Moccas 

 !^ourt tree. 



It is extremely difficult to decide at all accurately upon the age of 

 .n oak tree. It is not possible to ascertain the exact date when an 

 .ncient oak tree was a seedling, for, unlike a building, our tree 

 )robably was not sufficiently remarkable to attract notice until it had 

 eached a venerable age. It is stated that oak trees add one ring of 

 ^'ood to their growth each year. These rings can readily be dis- 

 inguished by reason of the wood being less compact and having 

 acre vessels in the early part of the year, when the growth is more 

 igorous, the later slower growth producing more compact wood, 

 wen this basis for calculation would only give the approximate age, 

 )ecause exceptionally long seasons, like that of 1893, do occasionally 

 nccur, in which trees will put forth fresh leaves and may even 

 )lossom a second time and form a second ring of wood as the 

 utumn advances. Moreover it would not be a wise thing to cut 

 iown our oak trees to discover their age. There are however 



