TRA]SrSACTIO:N^S 



OF THE 



WATFOED NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



YOL. II. 



1. — Faitous Teees in Heetfoedshtre. 



By the Eev. Caxon Gee, D.D. 



[Read 18th October, 1877.] 



In preparing this paper for to-night I have considered that it 

 was to be read before a society whose primary interest was Ifature 

 herself. I reminded myself that the scope of this society took in 

 history only so far as it was "Natural Histoiy," or the history of 

 IS^ature, I have therefore thought that it would be well to tell you 

 at the outset the little I know of the nature of such trees as adorn 

 our county. I have thought that, so, I should save my paper fi-om 

 being one long list or catalogue of remarkable trees, while we should 

 be prepared to estimate aright the natural circumstances upon which 

 the fame of those selected for honourable mention ought to rest — 

 on their great size in height or gii'th, or on their extreme age. I 

 shall only allow myself to eke out my meagre knowledge of natural 

 objects, by combining some information as to the story of certain 

 trees in Hei-tfordshire, which would give interest to trees otherwise 

 unimportant. 



I shall therefore begin my paper by an attempt to say something 

 upon trees in general, and particularly upon those classes or kinds 

 of trees from which our famous instances are to be taken. For, let 

 me say before I go further, I pui-pose, if not from necessity, at least 

 for convenience sake, to exclude all those ornamental trees which 

 seem scarcely to have settled down amongst us or made themselves 

 quite at home in Hertfordshire. I shall refrain from touching upon 

 the Araucarias, Deodaras, and many varieties of the Pinus tribe, of 

 which I know there are choice specimens in this immediate neigh- 

 bourhood. I shall look for my famous trees among oaks, elms, 

 beeches, limes, chestnuts, and ashes. I am quite aware that even 

 then there are cedars, sycamores, birches, maples, and others, that 

 are left out in the cold by such an arrangement. This only shows 

 that I have greedily helped myself to too wide a subject. Eut 

 against this charge I would plead, in extenuation, that I have really 

 opened the way for closer observers to follow me. I think some 



VOL. II. — PT. I. 1 



