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The Wych elm ami its varieties are not, therefore, suited generally to 

 Herefordshire. Though in some situations, as at Aymestry, in the Cusop dingles, 

 Titley, and other places they grow luxuriantly, scatter their seed freely, and have 

 become naturalised. They are to be found in all dii-ections through the county, 

 but not generally in a thriving condition. They live and grow in a stunted, 

 unkind manner that does not belong to their nature when placed in a congenial 

 soil, and they rarely attain any considerable size. Loudon does not give a single 

 reference to Herefordshire for any remarkable tree of this kind. There are, 

 however, fine specimens at Hampton Court, at Moorcom-t, Biinsop, The Mynde 

 Park, Pengethly, Lystone, Titley, The Whitehouse, Croft Castle, Brampton 

 Bryan, and isolately in many other parts of the country ; but still there are 

 scarcely any to be found of a size that could be called remarkable. 



"Weird-like superstitions attach to the Wych ekn, or "Wych hazel, as it is 

 generally called in connection with them. A spray of "Wych hazel, with its fijie 

 broad leaves, is at once a potent safeguard against witchcraft and a wand of 

 awful import in the hand of a witch. It was formerly used as a riding-switch, 

 to ensure good luck on the journey. Had Tarn O'Shanter but possessed this, he 

 cotild not possibly have lost his horse's tail ! Forked branches of the Wych 

 elm, as of hazel, were used as divining-rods, and formed the virgida divinitoria 

 of the experts. Until quite recently, if not to this very day, not a rural chum 

 was made in the midland districts without a small hole being left in it for the 

 insertion of a bit of "Wych ebn wood, in order to insure the quick coming of the 

 butter. 



[ Note. — In ths Mynde wood, at this time, a "Wych E lm grows over a 



haunted well, and has attained a high degree of respect. The belief is that 



whenever it is cut down the owner of the estate will die. It was first 



cut down by Mr. Symons' grandfather ; he died shortly afterwards. The 



boughs that grew uj) from the stool were cut down with the rest of the 



wood by tiii. Symons' father ; he died within a fortnight. And only six 



or seven years ago, when the underwood near it was cut down, it is a 



positive fact that the timber dealer who bought the fallage died in a 



few weeks ! Even so, in these enlightened days, the giant Superstition 



is but scotch'd, not slain ! ] 



The "Wych elm was used in ancient times, says Gerard, for making the 



long bow, and is thus mentioned in several old English statutes. Boys in 



Northamptonshire choose it now for this purpose, without being aware of such 



ancient authority. 



[ Note. — The Act 3 Hen: "VIII. c. 3 required every Bower "for 

 every Ewe bowe" to make "at the lest 11 bowes of Elme "Wiche or 

 other wood of mean price " under penalty of imprisonment. Ascham 

 in his ToxophUus, (p. 113) says "As for Brasell, Ebne, "Wych, and Ashe, 

 experience doth prove them to be but meane for bowes." ] 



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