140 



was really a matter of minor consequence, for timber might be good or bad of any 

 variety if a favoural)lc soil and aspect in wliich the oak could take its growth 

 properly was not selected. The original oak of England was Q. pcdunculata, 

 and now, as formerly, the great majority of oaks consisted of it. 



The Kev. H. C. Key said that Mr. Wells of Holme Laccy had grown the 

 two kinds sepai-ately for some years, and found them quite distinct ; but the 

 yoimg plants of pcdunculata were more robust and grew faster than those of 

 scssUlJlora. 



The Kev. George Cornew.vll said he should like to ask Mr. Lees one 

 question, viz., his opinion as to whether poor soil would jiroducc poor timber, 

 and good soil good timber? 



Mr. Lees : If the soil were adapted to the gi-owth of oak, I should say 

 that good soil would produce the best timber. 



The Kev. G. Coenewall : But in the same soil you will find the two 

 varieties growing side by side, Scssiliflora will grow faster and make a finer tree 

 than Pcdunculata — at least it is so at Moccas and Tibberton. Is it not a fact 

 witliin our experience th.at, as to gi-owing oak timber, that the jjoorer the soil 

 the better the timber is ? 



Mr. Lees thought not. 



Mr. H. Salway (vice-president) woidd nut presiime to give an opinion in a 

 scientific point of view, but lie had had some piactical experience in the growth 

 of timbei'. He thought that it was not the richness or the poorness of the soil 

 wlucli had anything to do with the quality of oak or the size of it ; and although 

 on the borders of the fcSilurian district some good oak was grown, it seemed to 

 him that the soil which was most impregnated with iron would grow the best 

 oak. He considered gravels and alluvial deposits unfavourable to oak. When 

 the soil was suitable it need not be deep, for he had known oaks of very large 

 dimensions growing in soil not more than a foot deep, sending their mighty roots 

 into the fissures of the rocks in a mcnuer that had caused his astonishment and 

 admiration. Aspect, too, had something to do with it : and from his experience 

 he should say that a cold, northerly aspect would grow better oak than a warm, 

 southerly one. As to the different kinds of oak, he really should not like to 

 express any positive opinion, but he could say from experience that they varied 

 considerably. Some iJO years ago he collected some acorns from one of the finest 

 trees in Oakley Park, a very large and beautifully grown tree, with an idea that 

 the seedlings would follow the parent tree. The result, however, had much 

 disappointed him, for, althoxigh he carefully gathered and kept the acorns 

 unmixed with those from any other tree, each seedling presented some peculiar 

 character. They were fine, healthy seedlings. Some grew shoit and some gi'ew 

 high, and they incsentid considerable variation in their leaves and bark. They 

 all gicw tolerably well, and were planted in dirfcrcnt diiections round Liullow. 

 Some went to Ashley Moor, some to the C'lce Hill, some to Kichaid's Castle, 



