AND ROBERT MARSHAM. 277 



at Mr. Windham's *, removing the place of a gateway, one 

 post was Oak, the other Chesnut only a foot square, & by the 

 date on it had stood 50 years. This was sound, & set down 

 again ; & the Oak was quite rotten. & some years ago, some 

 railing was done at Mr. Windham's with posts of Oak & 

 Chesnut (the same size) ; these being moved this year, all those 

 of Oak were rotten, & all of Chesnut served again. But this 

 Tree certainly splits more with frost, than Oak ; but must be 

 excellent for paling. Had Fortune given me your acquaint- 

 ance 40 years ago, i should have been a great gainer, & you but 

 little. Be assured dear Sir, that your letters are always a Feast 

 to me, & that! remain with true esteem your most humble servant 



R: MARSHAM. 



P.S. As long as i have measured Trees, by way of calcu- 

 lating their age by their size, i did not attend to the height 

 from the earth, when i took the circumference : & i find my 

 friends have been as careless as myself. Whereas an Oak 

 mostly increases one third more at one foot from the earth, 

 than it does at 5 feet. Thus, e. g. the Oak i planted in 1720, 

 is at 5 f. 9 F. 5 I. 7 10'. & at 1 f. is 13 f. & my best Oak at 

 5 f. is but 14 F. 3 L, which at 1 f. is 19 F. 3 L Now, tho' i 

 saw my Trees were larger near the earth, i never considered 

 that they must increase more yearly to make that bulk: & yet 

 i think when Willoughby was writing on the fern-Owl, he 

 should have recollected that he did not see that bird in 

 Winter. But i acknowledge he has done a great deal ; & I 

 am often obliged to him, for the trouble he has taken. 



[This letter is franked by " H. Hobart," and is endorsed 

 by White, " Mr. Marsham, Feb. 17, 1792."] 



* [William Windham of Felbrigg (born 1750, died 1810), for many 

 years M.P. for Norwich and subsequently for Iligham Ferrers, Chief 

 Secretary for Ireland (1783), Secretary at War (1794-1801), and Secre- 

 tary of State for War and the Colonies (1806-1807). The evidence 

 afforded by the next of Marsham's letters shows that he was recommended 

 to White's book by Windham, who possibly became acquainted with it 

 through Daines Barrington, like himself a member of " The Club." In 

 connexion with the text may also be mentioned London's statement 

 (op. cit. p. 1990) that one of Windhanvs ancestors was a considerable 

 planter of Chestnuts. A. N.] 



