72 



JOUENAL OT HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ July 28, 1863. 



I'esidents of the locality. Unfortunately we are all too prone 

 to pass by such things, only noticing in a vague manner 

 that the tree " is a remarkably fine one." We take a walk 

 round it, and a look-up to its toj), and then with some ex- 

 clamation about its great size, too often bestow upon it no 

 more thought. Candovu' compels me to say that siich has 

 been too often aU the notice I have taken of such trees ; 

 but I often meet with objects of remai-kaWe growth in 

 places not having the reputation of being the best adapted 

 for such things, and I will adojjt a difi'erent coui-se for the 

 futiu'e, for I think a little notice of such trees now and then 

 will be of sei-viee to the community at large. The little that 

 I am able to report on the matter is all from personal know- 

 ledge except where othen\ise stated; but, unfortunately, 

 the information is but meagre, nevertheless it may be the 

 means of inducing others to report more interesting objects 

 in other loCiUities. 



Commencing -ivith the acknowledged king of ovir forests. 

 The Oak, I think I have seen at least four individual trees 

 each asserting that dignified title. A very fine tree of this 

 kind, which to all appeai-ance seemed likely to require some 

 two or thi'ee centimes yet to bring it to perfection, so healthy 

 and vigorous it seemed to be, was at Panshanger, the 

 piincely seat of Earl Cowjier, in Herts. I have quite forgotten 

 the extent of ground its umbrageous top hangs over, and 

 a finer or healthier tree it would be difficult to find. Some 

 very fine Oaks also adorn the noble pai-k at Dunliam Massey, 

 the seat of the Earl of Stamford and Wai-rington, in Cheshii-e. [ 

 These, however, to the best of my recollection, were more i 

 remarkable for the fine timber they contained than for any ' 

 remai-kable extent of top ; but there were plenty of tall, : 

 fine, bold trees having a ch-cmnference of 15 feet and up- | 

 wai-ds at 5 feet from the gi'oimd ; and a vei-y large park was 

 very heavily wooded with such trees. The soil seemed sandy ; I 

 and if cU-y, the fall of rain in the neighboui-hood, being 

 gi'eater than in most places, supplied the moisture, but I 

 do not think it was deficient of that element. I was told 

 there was a king of the forest here, but I had not the oppor- ' 

 tunity of seeing it ; still the great number of fine trees as- } 

 tonished me. Next to the Oaks the Beeches were numerous 

 and good, and other kinds were not wanting. Fm-ther 

 northwards there is some tolerably good Oak timber in the 

 best districts of the county of Durham ; and one at Gibaide, 

 on the property of the late Eaa-l of Strathmore, but I believe 

 now Mr. Bowes', contained sometliing like eleven loads of 

 timber some thirty years ago. This tree was growing in a 

 wood and was near the bottom of a slope, the soil a sort of 

 hazel loam ratlier plentifully mixed with stones. It was a 

 much less healthy tree than the one at Panshanger, but 

 might, perhaps, contain more timber, and its top was not 

 remaa-kable ; ia fact, some of its limbs had been broken off 

 by liigh winds. I believe there are several places in York- 

 shire remarkable for fine trees, but I have not visited them, 

 and, therefore, leave their description to other hands ; and 

 Scotland has also its monarchs of the forests. An Oak at 

 Netherwitton, in Northumberland, was once pointed out to 

 me as good, and certainly it seemed of great size, but I 

 forgot the particulars ; and many districts, doubtless, wwild 

 have had theii' fine trees at the present day had not the 

 temptation to cut them in time gone by been so great as to 

 tell seriously against their preservation. Even parks of 

 established antiquity have at some period or other of their 

 history been denuded of then- ornaments by some needy or 

 avaricious proprietor ; but remarkable Oaks lU-e of fi-equent 

 occurrence, less perhaps so than Beech : the latter being a 

 less valuable commodity in the market there was not that 

 inducement to cut for sale. Some fine Oak trees adorn the 

 park of Knowle, Kent, but those of Cobham in the same 

 county are evidently of a more recent date. Every one 

 has heard of the fine Oaks of Windsor Park, and many 

 other places may be cited as containing good specimens. 



Next in importance to the Oak as a park tree is The 

 Beech, and in habit of growth it is scarcely less beautiful — 

 in fact, it is not unlikely that if we coiUd divest oui'selves of 

 the poetic feeling attached to the Oak as being connected 

 with our national gi-eatness, it is not unlikely but the Beech 

 would be regarded as the more noble in it's growth. The 

 habits of the trees are not so much unlike : a wide ex- 

 panded top, with a bole more or less branched as the position 

 of the tree may have detei'mined. But my purpose is not 



to make the comparison, but to describe some remarkable 

 trees, asking at the same time for other contributors to record 

 their observations as well. In the fii'st place, I may say 

 that I regret very much not availing myself of the chance I 

 once had of seeing the BuriJiam Beeches in Buckingham- 

 shii-e, wliich are reported to be such fine specimens of the 

 ancient Beech. There are, however, some fine trees in other 

 counties. The fine park of Knowle, above alluded to, contains 

 some fine avenues of Beech, as well as gi'oups, and single 

 trees iunumerable ; some are of remiulcable size, but the bulk 

 are still in what may be called excellent timber-condition. 

 Several stages beyond this state, however, have the Beeches 

 advanced in the park of Sir Percival Dyke at LuUingstoue 

 in the same county ; some that I measm-ed being little short 

 of 30 feet in cii-cumference at 4 feet from the ground ; and 

 by their appearance they looked as if they woiUd outUve 

 several generations yet of the human race. A dry hiUy 

 sitviation with chalk underneath was their abode. Beeches 

 are also common in many places, not the least remarkable 

 being some places in Bedfordshire and the adjoining counties. 

 The Elm is a greater favomite with the farmer than with 

 the poet, not that the fanner likes its presence any foi'ther 

 than that the disti'ict where it gi'ows spontaneously indicates 

 good land. I believe the vale of the Thames contains some 

 of the best Elm trees in the kingdom, and I have seen very 

 good specimens in Oxfordshh-e. A good, rich, and deep soU 

 Sluts this tree best, and on such a soU its growth is, per- 

 haps, quicker than that of any tree we have, unless it be 

 the Horse Chestnut. Ebns are, however, not so long-lived 

 trees as the Oak, Yew, Beech, and others ; for when decay 

 sets in they much sooner succumb to it. We seldom see 

 a hollow Elm, for the decay at the bottom eventually in- 

 creases so as to weaken the collar, which gives way before 

 a high wind, and down the tree comes. Unlike those trees 

 mentioned, it does not appear that the root makes any 

 effort to sustain the declining condition of the trunk by sur- 

 rounding the remaining sound wood with bark, and a fresh 

 accession of layers. Instead of tliis the Ebn root often decays 

 also, or if left to a state of natiu'e some rising suckers ab- 

 stract aD the nourishment. Elms fiu-nish more suckers than 

 most other trees, and to this, doubtless, may be attributed 

 the shorter period of their existence as compared with 

 these. Ehus make an excellent avenue, and even as in- 

 dividual trees they look well ; the expanded top and large 

 sturdy Umbs, striking boldly out in all dii-ections, give the 

 tree a noble appearance in autumn and winter. Its roots 

 travel a long way for food, and quickly appropriate to them- 

 selves a heap of compost, mould, a flower-bed, or anything 

 tempting that comes in tlieu' way, m which case they rob 

 theii' neighbours. A corn field is not unlikely to suffer 

 from this cause. But the noble proportions of the tree 

 entitle it to respect ; for I should think that no other forest 

 tree we have an-ives at the size the Ehu wiU do in a suitable 

 soU. One in the grounds here (Linton), which seems per- 

 fectly sound, and likely to increase in size for many years to 

 come, is upwards of 16 feet in cii'cumference at 5 feet from 

 the ground, and apparently loses very little in tliickness at 

 20 feet up. There are several others of about the same 

 dimensions. A good rich soil, not too shallow, suits the 

 Ebn ; and its presence, like that of Nettles, often indicates a 

 generous soU. J. Eobson. 



(To be continued.) 



FLOEA OP THE EOMAN CLASSICS. 



(ConUnuecl from Vol. III., page 703.) 

 THE ESCULUS or .SSCULUS. 



There is much uncertainty among modern authors as to 

 the tree mentioned under this name by the Eoman wiiters. 

 After gathering together what these have stated concerning 

 it, we shall be better able to decide what tree known to us 

 agrees with the characteristics they ascribe to the Esciilus. 



PaUadius says, " The Esculus is siutable for building and 

 for Vine-props. Quercus timber shoidd not be mixed with 

 that of Esculiis, for that of the Quercus if wetted wiD warp 

 when it begins to diy, causing chinks in the floor, but that 

 of the Esculus continues without such a blemish." — (De Re 

 Rusiica, i., 9, and xii., 15.) 



Virgil says, " Some trees are produced fi-om sown seed, 



