24 THE OAK. 



on mast in the -woods of Gaul. This mast is supposed to 

 nave included the acorns of the Common and Turkey Oaks, 

 and of the Ilex ; as well as the nuts of the Beech and 

 Chestnut. So important were acorns formerly considered, 

 that by the laws of the Twelve Tables the owner of a tree 

 might gather up his acorns though they should have fallen 

 on another man's ground. 



It appears from Domesday Book, that in England, in 

 the time of William the Conqueror, " Oaks were still 

 esteemed, principally for the food they afforded to swine ; 

 for the value of the woods in several counties is estimated 

 by the number of hogs they would fatten. The survey is 

 taken so accurately that in some places woods are men- 

 tioned of a single hog. The numerous herds of swine 

 which still continue one of the chief sources of wealth to 

 the rural population of Spain, are fed on the acorns of the 

 Evergreen Oak, which abound in almost every part of the 

 country. They are also a grateful food to deer both when 

 wandering at large in the forests and when confined in 

 parks ; and are greedily eaten by pheasants and partridges. 

 Evelyn, recommending the extensive planting of Oaks, 

 says : "In this poor territory (Westphalia) every farmer 

 does by antient custom plant so many Oaks about his 

 farm as may suffice to feed his swine. To effect this, 

 they have been so careful, that when of late years, the 

 armies infested the poor country (both Imperialists and 

 Protestants), the single Bishoprick of Munster was able to 

 pay one hundred thousand crowns per mensem (which 

 amounts to about twenty-five thousand pounds sterling of 

 our money), besides the ordinary entertainments of their 

 own princes and private families. This being incredible 

 to be practised in a country so extremely barren, I thought 

 fit to mention, either to encourage or reproach us." The 

 same author says, that ' ' a peck of acorns a day, with a 

 little bran, will make a hog, 'tis said, increase a pound 

 weight per diem for two months together." 



" The Rev. Mr. Robinson, in his ' Natural History of 



