THE TREE THAT OWNS ITSELF 



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That Georj^ia ]jasscsscs the only tree in the world that owns itself, was men- 

 tioned in the Sej^tcmber issue of the Journal of Heredity by W. H. Lamb. 

 Professor T. H. McHatton, of the State Collej2;e of Agriculture, Athens, 

 Ga., thereupon sent in the above photograph of the tree. "It is a line, 

 healthy white oak (Quercus alba)," he writes; "It is 12 feet 2 inches in cir- 

 cumference at 5 feet from the ground and about 60 feet high. The follow- 

 ing is the inscription to be seen on a marble slab at the base of the tree: 



" 'F<>T and in consideration of the great love I bear this tree and the great desire I have for its 

 j)rotection for all time, I convey to it entire possession of itself and all land on 8 feet of 

 the tree on all sides. — William H. Jackson.' 



"Of course, in the State of Georgia a plant may not own itself; but being some- 

 thing out of the ordinary the will has been allowed to stand and should 

 this tree be molested in any way there would certainly be trouble. The 

 city takes care of it, sees that it is jjruned when it needs it ; has i)laced granite 

 l^osts about its 8 feet of estate and connected them with iron chains." (Fig. 

 1<S.) 



