92 THE. OAK TREE. IN ESSEX. 



grounds for' believing that oaks may' live upwards .of i,ooo years, and 

 that the age of many of our venerable trees may vary from 500 to a 

 1,000, years, or even more. The "Oak's Pedigree" is scarcely an 

 exaggeration : 



" In my great grandsire"^ trunk did Druids dwell ; 

 My grandsire with the Roman eagle fell ; 

 Myself a sapling when my father bore 

 The htro Edward to the Gallic shore." 



The following extract from Arthur Young's book" affords an 

 Essex illustration of the slow growth of the oak tree. 



'■'Allen Taylor, Esq. ^ of Winibish, 1792. — Young's oak at five 

 feet from the ground ; it is eight feet five inches and three-quarters 

 in girt ; and a larch only twelve years old, at the same height from 

 the ground, two feet four inches. 



" 1805. Young's oak, eight feet ten inches. The larch, five feet 

 one inch. 



"The oak in thirteen years has increased four inches and a half. 

 The larch two feet nine inches. What a difference ! 



" I hope that Mr. Taylor and those who follow him will publish 

 the future progress of these two trees." (Vol. ii., p. 151-) 



Loudon, in his list of notable oaks of Great Britain, includes 

 trees in which the boles are 30 i^o.^ and upwards in circumference. 

 The five trees with the largest boles in Great Britain are stated as 



follows : — 



" Salsey Oak," Northampton, 46 feet. 

 " Grimstone Oak," Surrey, 48 feet. 

 " Hempstead' Oak," Essex, 53 feet. 

 " Merton Oak," Norfolk, d^ feet. 

 " Cowthorpe Oak," Yorkshire, 78 feet. 

 Amongst trees having the widest stretch of boughs, the 

 following are mentioned : — 



"Worksop Oak," t8o feet. 

 "Oakley Oak," iio feet. 



The above figures will give rough data for the comparison of our 

 Essex trees with oaks in other counties. It is to be remembered 

 that the accurate measurement of an oak is often found to be 

 impossible owing to the ruggedne;S of its trunk. 



In a county which a few centuries ago was half forest, and in 

 which the soil and climate are admirably suited to the growth of the 

 oak tree, we might expect some fine specimens, and indeed, the 

 inquiry I have made would show that Essex is by no means 

 deficient in this respect. 



3 " General view of the Agriculture of the County of Essex, etc." Two. volumes. 1807. 



