The Flora of England 



alone, we might have ample encouragement to 

 denizen other strangers amongst us." It is in no 

 way related to the Spanish chestnut, but the 

 similar appearance of the fruits gave the name, 

 while their uselessness was emphasised by the 

 prefix " horse." The walnut is not even a native 

 of Europe, though there can be little doubt that 

 it was introduced into England by the Romans, 

 and took kindly to the soil, and at once pro- 

 claimed its foreign origin by its name of walnut, 

 originally welch-nut, a name which it still keeps 

 in some parts of England. The Spanish chestnut 

 speaks for itself that it is a foreigner, and the two 

 remaining trees, the beech and the Scotch fir, are 

 especially interesting, because Caesar expressly 

 says that the beech and the Abies are the only 

 Gallic trees that were not in Britain ; but what 

 he meant by Abies is by no means certain and 

 cannot be discussed here. What is certain is that 

 we have now large beech woods, especially in the 

 chalk districts, some of which may have taken the 

 place of the older oak forests, and that in the 

 south we have large tracts entirely occupied by 

 the Scotch fir, that, if unchecked by browsing and 

 other means, would very soon overgrow all other 

 vegetation. The extreme rapidity with which 

 the Scotch fir takes possession of a country, when 

 left to itself, is very pleasantly told by Charles 

 Kingsley, in his Winter Garden {Miscellanies ', 

 vol. i.). 



" Thousands perish yearly," he says, " but the eastward 

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