The Forest Trees of Wiltshire. 159 
But even the keeping dry is not so necessary as the rhymester 
supposed, for, as stated above, the poplar stands wet and dry very 
well. Neither is the Wut1ow, little as is thought of it by many, 
to be despised; for when well-grown it is very handsome, and its 
wood useful for many purposes. It has also the advantage of being 
a quick grower. The Beprorp Wi11ow is perhaps the best of the 
family, and often attains a great size. There isa record of one at 
Lichfield, which in 1810, being then probably about 60 or 70 years 
old, measured twenty-one feet in circumference, with a spread of 
branches of more than two hundred feet. The only other member of 
the family that needs to be mentioned here, is the WEEPING WILLow. 
Certainly it has no claim to be classed among forest trees, but its 
beauty and graceful habit of growth make it worthy a place. Its 
introduction into this country is said to have been quite accidental, 
and took place probably about 1380 or 140 years ago. The story 
runs thus:—a basket of Turkey figs was presented to the poet 
Porz. He observed one of the twigs of which the basket was 
composed to be alive, having put forth a bud. He planted it in 
his garden at Twickenham, and from that one plant all the weep- 
ing willows in the kingdom are said to have sprung. There is a 
_ handsome, though rather one-sided specimen at Dunkirk, near 
Devizes. It stands at a cottage gate on the right hand side going 
down the hill. The Watnur and the Prane are worthy of more 
than a mere passing notice, but more cannot be accorded to them 
now. With regard to the “occidental” variety of the latter, it is 
strange it should not be far more common than it is. No tree 

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tart 
would flourish more in the rich Wiltshire Vales than it. 
Looking forward to the time when some person far better quali- 
for the task shall take up the subject, and not only give a full and 
perfect account of those trees which have been mentioned at some 
length here, but also interesting particulars of those which have 
been scarcely more than named, as well as of many which have 
not even been named at all, the writer of these pages can confidently 
assert that every facility will be offered, for their inspection, by all 
those whose estates may afford good specimens. Depend on it 
there is no lack of such trees in this county; and if the suggestion 
