CLIMATE AXD TREE GHOWTH 99 



In this table exceptionally tall trees only are men- 

 tioned, such as may occur in one or two places only 

 throusrhout the United Kinsjdom. The soils and situa- 

 tions in which they were grown could not always be 

 ascertained, but all the British records were probably 

 obtained within 500 or 600 feet of sea-level, and certainly 

 in favourable localities. So far as they go, they indicate 

 no inferiority of soil or climate in Britain at low levels, 

 but the development of trees at high altitudes on the 

 Continent has no parallel in Great Britain. 



In Austria, for instance, only 3 per cent, of the State 

 and ' endowment ' forests are below 1000 feet elevation; 

 15 per cent, between 1000 and 2000 ; 25 per cent, between 

 2000 and 3300 ; 41 per cent, between 3300 and 5300, and 

 14 per cent, over 5300 feet respectively. In France 47 

 per cent, of the State forests are betAveen 1000 and 2000, 

 35 per cent, above 2000 feet.^ 



Individual trees of silver fir in France (Vosges) are 

 recorded up to 163, 158, and 144 feet in height at an 

 elevation of 3000 feet. Oak in the Spessart reaches a 

 height of 150 feet at 1000 to 2000 feet above sea-level, 

 and spruce throughout Central Europe generally attains 

 its greatest dimensions at elevations well above the limit 

 of tree or even shrub growth in Britain. 



The girth or diameter growth of trees is probably more 

 the effect of soil and age than climate, although the latter 

 necessarily comes into play in the case of all growth. 

 Mere girth, unaccompanied b}' height^ however, cannot be 

 regarded as a satisfactory index of climate. The greatest 

 girths are usually seen in short-boled and large-crowned 

 trees, or in pollards which have been repeatedly cut back, 

 and compelled to put on wood over a limited stem area. 

 Trees which have forked near the ground also show a 

 large girth in most cases, and these have little or nothing 

 to .do with the climate as a distinct factor of growth. 



1 Forst-Politik: 



