1780 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART Il. 
1625 
traced back to the time of the Romans, who observed a similar custom at 
the annual festivals called Terminalia, held in honour of the god Terminus ‘ 
who was considered as the guardian of fields and landmarks, and the promoter 
of friendship and peace among men. It was introduced among Christians 
about the year 800, by the pious Avitus, bishop of Vienna, in a season of 
dearth and calamity, and has been continued since his time by the different 
clergy; the minister of each parish, accompanied by his churchwardens 
and parishioners, going round the bounds and limits of his parish in Rogation 
Week, or on one of the three days before Holy Thursday (the feast of our 
Lord’s Ascension), and stopping at remarkable spots and trees to recite 
passages from the Gospels, and implore the blessing of the Almighty on the 
fruits of the earth, and for the preservation of the rights and properties of the 
parish.” (Mag. Nat. Hist., iii. 558.) The Plestor Oak, described in White’s 
Selborne, was also a boundary tree, used to mark the extent of the Pleystow, 
or play-place for the children of the village. This oak is described by White 
as having “a short squat body, and huge horizontal arms extending almost to 
the extremity of the area; surrounded with stone steps, and seats above them, 
the delight of old and young, and a place of much 1627 
resort in summer evenings ; where 
the former sate in grave debate, 
while the latter frolicked and 
danced before them.” 
Oak Trees with conjoined Trunks. 
The following instances of this 
singular conformation are from 
trees growing in Ryton Wood, 
Warwickshire, the property of W. 
=~— Dilke, Esq. ; and we are indebted " 
for them to the Rev. W. T. Bree. “7 ~®&. 
Figs. 1626. and 1627. are illustrative of only four trees; aa 
1626 
A! 
aa . 
nd aa being two 
