Quercus 1 249 



Remarkable Trees 



The scarlet oak was introduced very early, as a plant is said to have been 

 growing in Bishop Compton's garden in 1691. Loudon states that the largest tree 

 which he had seen and knew with certainty to be this species, was at Syon, jj ft. 

 high and 2 ft. 9 in. in diameter in 1838. This tree is no longer living. He 

 mentions a considerable number of other trees, of which he had received reports ; 

 but we believe that their identification was in many cases erroneous. The scarlet 

 oak does not appear in England to grow so large or attain as great an age as 

 Q. rubra ; and we have seen only a few trees of considerable size. 



The finest is perhaps a tree ' at Arley Castle, 78 ft. high and 6 ft. 3 in. in 

 girth in 1904. At West Dean Park, Chichester, there are four trees, 63 ft. by 3 ft. 

 8 in., 59 ft. by 3 ft. 6 in., 60 ft. by 4 ft. 8 in., and 48 ft. by 1 ft. 10 in., two of which 

 bore fruit in 1909. These are considerably smaller than two specimens of Q. rubra 

 which were probably planted at the same time, though the date is unknown. 



At Stoke Park, Stoke Pogis, Bucks, there is a tree, which was still bearing 

 foliage, scarlet in colour, on 18th November 1909, which Mr. E. H. Wilding reports 

 to be 55 ft. high by 6 ft. 9 in. in girth. At Brocklesby, a tree measured 66 ft. by 

 3 ft. 9 in. in 1909. At Kew, a tree in the oak collection, about 25 ft. high, bore 

 good fruit in 1907, but died in 1909. At Terling Place, Essex, there is a small 

 tree, turning brilliant scarlet in autumn and about 25 ft. high, which was raised 

 from acorns sent by Asa Gray in 1885. At Syon, there is a thriving young tree, 

 about 30 ft. high, which bore acorns in 1907. This was pronounced by Prof. 

 Sargent to be the best specimen which he had seen in England. At Ponfield, 

 Herts, a small tree 35 ft. by 2 ft. 4 in., planted in 1883, bore fruit in 1909. At 

 Tortworth and Westonbirt there are specimens of this species, none of which appear 

 to have ever borne fruit. At Escot there is a tree rather crowded in a shrubbery, 

 whose leaves, when I saw it on 27th October 1909, had mostly fallen, but which we 

 believe to be of this species. It measures about 70 ft. by 6 ft. 



There are probably other trees which we have not seen. But those which 

 I have raised from American acorns, as well as those which I have imported as 

 seedlings, will not grow on my soil ; and I believe that it is better to graft scions 

 selected from the best coloured trees on stocks of Q. rubra, than to plant this tree 

 on its own roots. (H. J. E.) 



1 This tree is No. 23 in Mr. Woodward's catalogue, and was probably planted about 1820. It has long borne the name 

 Q. palustris. Fruit has not been noticed on this tree. 



2 K 



