98 THE CHESTNUT. 
some comparison, the color and grain being much the 
same; the oak is, however, tougher and heavier, 
while the chestnut, in consequence of the evenness 
and regularity of the fibre, possesses the peculiar 
property of being easily split into long straight pieces. 
Hence its great utility to the farmer for fencing. 
A close connection is also observable in many 
of their habits. The chestnut delights in a high and 
hilly soil, and grows freely in the same positions where 
the chestnut-oak abounds. If a large tree of each be 
cut down, strong scions will soon spring up in all 
directions from the roots, forming bushy clumps, 
which resemble each other so closely as to be readily 
taken for the same tree. 
The chestnut also lives to a great age, and in some 
situations grows to an enormous size. The famous 
chestnut tree, which grew upon Mount Etna, was pro- 
bably one of the largest and oldest trees in the world. 
In 1770, this tree is said to have measured 204 feet 
in circumference; its trunk was quite hollow, and a 
house had been built in the interior, which was in- 
habited by some country people. The age of this tree 
of course cannot be estimated with any certainty. 
The old chestnut tree at Tortworth, in England, 
was probably planted by the Romans, as the tree is 
not a native of that country. It was evidently old at 
the time of the Norman Conquest, as history speaks 
of it as a famous tree in the time of King John. It 
measured 57 feet in circumference. 
The Beech, in some respects, resembles both the 
Oak and the Chestnut, and was originally classed with 
