Betula 971 



as I have seen the germination is slow and irregular, and seems to depend a good 

 deal on the maturity and age of the seed. For though birch seed is best sown the 

 first year, I have had fair results from seed which had been kept a year in a bag, 

 whilst I have sometimes obtained poor results from fresh seed sown in spring. I 

 always sow the seed of exotic birches in pots or under glass, and prick out the 

 seedlings at a year old. 



As a rule the seedlings grow fast, and must not be left long in the nursery, as 

 they do not transplant well when old, but there is much variation among the different 

 species ; and it seems that some of the American birches do not grow well or 

 live long in this country, unless grafted on the roots of the common birch. 



As a rule the birches seem to grow best in nature when unmixed with other 

 trees ; and in some of the best birch woods I have seen in Norway, Japan, and 

 America are almost pure, but if mixed with conifers or other hardwoods, and not 

 suppressed by their shade, they often attain large dimensions. 



Remarkable Trees, Common and Silver Birch 



Among the numerous birches which I have measured in England, I cannot 

 mention any tree which is equal in height to some that I have seen in 

 Norway and Russia, as the tallest do not exceed about 90 feet. Along the road 

 which passes through Savernake Forest from Marlborough to Andover there are a 

 great number of large and beautiful trees, planted as an avenue on both sides ; but 

 of their age I can obtain no record. Near the school is one of the finest (Plate 225), 

 which measured in 1 908 about 90 feet high by 8 feet in girth. Another near it was 

 covered with large witches' brooms ; and a third, from which a large branch had 

 been recently torn off by the wind, was pouring out sap in such quantity that a pool 

 of it had formed on the ground. In this park a birch, which was considered by 

 the woodman to be the largest, and which like the rest appeared to be B. pubescens, 

 measured "jj feet by 10 feet 7 inches. 



Plate 256 shows the graceful habit of a fine birch in front of Lord Walsingham's 

 house at Merton, Norfolk. Plate 257 shows a group of self-sown birches in Sherwood 

 forest, close to the Queen oak, described on page 322 of this work. 



At Dropmore there is a birch {B . pubescens) about 55 feet high, with an immense 

 bole 21 feet in girth at a foot from the ground, and dividing a little way up 

 into three main stems, 9 feet 10 inches, 8 feet 2 inches, and 6 feet 3 inches in girth 

 respectively. One large limb has rested on the ground for many years, but does 

 not seem to have rooted. 



In Windsor Park there are numerous fine birches, one of the handsomest of 

 which, growing by Prince Albert's chapel, was in 1904 71 feet by 8 feet 8 inches. 

 At Longleat there is a fine tree of which Colonel Thynne has sent me a photograph, 

 and which measured 76 feet by 9 feet 4 inches in 1906. At Barton there is a tree 

 from 80 to 85 feet high, with a clean stem about 50 feet long and 5 feet 7 inches 

 in girth, and drooping branches. This tree is still young and vigorous, and is one 

 of the finest we have seen anywhere. 



