113 



"The Harewood oak" in its mode of gi'owth, supports the theory brought 

 forward so ably by our Vice-President, Mr. Key, as to the true type of the 

 Quercus pedunculata. The bole separates at one point into its numerous 

 branches, — that is, it has the pollard form of growth — as distinguished from 

 the form in which the stem is prolonged upwards, and the several boughs 

 are givt n off at different places, fonning a central axis as it were, which Mr. Key 

 maintains is the true type of the Quercus sessilijlora. The oaks at Harewood, 

 however, do not generally support this theory. Two pedunculate varieties on 

 the rise of the bank, measuring 15.5 and 14.2 respectively, are certainly not 

 pollards. In the young " Home oak," as has been seen, the stem is prolonged 

 upwards ; and in the neighbouring beech grove there is a curious tall stripling of 

 Quercus pedunculata — measuring only 6 feet 4 inches in girth — which realizes 

 well the adage, "Tell me your companions and I will tell you what y oil are." 

 In rivab-y with the beech trees it towers to the height of above £0 feet, with 

 short branches on the side towards the light and a tapeiing bole, as tall and 

 straight as a fir tree. Then again on the other hand, the specimens of the 

 trae Quercus sessiflora, measuring 11.8; 8.2; with many smaller ones, are all, 

 with one single poor exception, themselves perfect examples of the poUard 

 form of growth. 



The middle of the park is thickly scattered over with single tree.i, and 

 chiefly oaks and sweet chestnuts, to an extent that would be monotonous were 

 it not that their symmetrical outlines, repeated again and again, are relieved 

 here and there by the yews, and thorns, and ash, and other trees, planted 

 together to conceal, here, an old stone quarry, or there, a pond or a worn out 

 gravel pit, thus producing the deep shade that imagination revels in. 



It is never wise to leave too many trees standing singly. Trees are like 

 men — if left to have their own way in everything, they are rarely, very rarely, 

 objects of pleasure to others. The trees may perhajjs do their duty fully, 

 strike out roots on every side, and grow vigorously in all directions, but such 

 uniform growth is not picturesque, and never can be, until size has added a 

 grandeur that but few attain, until age has given respect, or a partial death has 

 created sympathy. The history of a people, for the most part, is but the detail 

 of the trials and calamities that have occurred to them, and is only the more 

 or less interesting from the brave spirit and success with which they have been 

 encountered : so the picturesque in trees chiefly results from the struggle of 

 their vitality against adverse ciicumstances ; from the effo.ts they make in the 

 battle of life, by curious forms of growth, to obtain air, and light, or root space, 

 to overcome injuries from stoi-ms, or to resist attacks from insects. "Happy 

 is the nation," it has been said, " that has no histoiy," and in this sense it is well 

 said ; but the proverb can never apjjly to the picturesque in trees. There 

 is no moral drawback here, and thus the conclusion becomes definite, "Too 

 many trees shuuld never be planted singly where you wisli to produce a 

 picturesque effect." 



