[Crown Copyright Reserved. 
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW. 
BULLETIN 
OF 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
No. 8] [1920 
XL.—ABRAHAM’S OAK. 
M. Porrat. 
(With Plate.) 
With reference to the note in the Aew builetin, 1919, p. 283, on 
Abraham’s Oak, Quercus coccifera, var. palaestina, Boissier, I 
send a photograph of Abraham’s Oak taken for me in 1918 by Col. 
Robins, D.P.M., E.E.F., after the capture of Jerusalem. This 
venerable tree is, as the photograph shows, protected by an iron 
railing, and its condition might be considerably improved could it 
receive the attention of a skilled forester. 
The great rarity in Palestine of Q. calliprines* of any size is 
attributed to two causes—(1) perpetual grazing by flocks of goats 
on hillsides, (2) the scarcity of trees for fuel or building, combined 
with the methods adopted by the Turk for the raising of money. 
As one enters the pass up towards Jerusalem, one notes, climbing 
the mountain sides, numberless small plants of Q. calliprinos 
growing out of clefts in the rock, eaten close to the rock face by 
the flocks of goats, herded by small hill children. This has gone 
on for many hundreds of years, and thus the oak has never had a 
chance of developing. 
i i iven i ferred to 
* This name is used here in preference to that given in the note re 
above for reasons stated in the article (No. XLI.), which follows. ‘ 
(1076.) ‘Wt. 135. -P. 47. 1,000. 9/20, J.T. &8., Ltd. @ 14, Sch. 12. 
