1790 



AN EAKLY PLANTER 221 



of the Holt Forest, you will pay a compliment justly due, to 

 the Oak by Ld Stawel's Lodge: as I suppose it the largest 

 in this Island. I went from London on purpose to see it in 

 1759, and again occasionally in 1778. 'Tis at 7 feet full 

 34 feet in circumference, and had not gained half an inch in 

 19 years, yet I could not see it was hollow. If I measure 

 right, I make 14 feet length of the Holt Oak, to contain 

 above 1,000 feet, viz. above 320 feet more than the Cowthorp 

 Oak, which D"* Hunter in his Edition of Evelyn's 'Silva,' 

 calls the largest in England. I early began planting, and an 

 Oake which I planted in 1720, is at one foot from the earth 

 12 feet 6 inches round; and at 14 feet (the half of the 

 timber length) is 8.2.0. So measuring the bark as timber, 

 gives 116F. J buyers measure. Perhaps you never heard 

 of a larger Oak and the planter living. I flatter myself, 

 that I increased the growth by washing the stem, and 

 digging a circle as far as I supposed the roots to extend, 

 and spreading saw-dust &c., as related in the Phil. Trans. 

 — I wish I had begun planting with Beeches (my favourite 

 Trees as well as your's) and I might have seen large trees of 

 my own raising. But I did not begin Beeches 'till 1741, 

 and then by seed; and my largest is now, at 5 feet, 6.3.0 

 round, and spreads a circle of + 20 yards diameter. But 

 this has been digged round and washed, &c. — The last 

 Winter was so very mild with us, that the leaves of many 

 of my very young Oaks preserved their green into April, 

 and a large Hawthorn (headed the preceding year) has its 

 old leaves now; which I never observed before, in any 

 deciduous trees: tho' I once had a second leafing of a 

 Hawthorn about Xmass. But those leaves faded before 

 Spring, I sent the account to Sir J. Pringle when P.R.S. 

 but he thought it not strange. Sir, if you do not take the 

 Ph. Trans, if you please I will send you a copy of my 

 * Indications of Spring,' as it may be an amusement to you, 



