NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



mention to show to what a bulk planted elms may attain ; as this 

 tree must certainly have been such from its situation.* 



In the centre of the village, and near the church, is a square 

 piece of ground surrounded by houses, and vulgarly called " The 

 Plestor."t In the midst of this spot stood, in old times, a vast oak, 

 with a short squat body, and huge horizontal arms extending almost 

 to the extremity of the area. This venerable tree, surrounded with 

 stone steps, and seats above them, was the delight of old and 

 young, and a place of much resort in summer evenings ; where the 

 former sat in grave debate, while the latter frolicked and danced 

 before them. Long might it have stood, had not the amazing 

 tempest in 1703 overturned it at once, to the infinite regret of the 

 inhabitants, and the vicar, who bestowed several pounds in setting 

 it in its place again : but all his care could not avail ; the tree 

 sprouted for a time, then withered and died. This oak I mention 

 to show to what a bulk planted oaks also may arrive : and planted 

 this tree must certainly have been, as will appear from what will be 

 said farther concerning this area, when we enter on the antiquities 

 of Selborne. 



On the Blackmoor estate there is a small wood called Loser's, of 

 a few acres, that was lately furnished with a set of oaks of a peculiar 

 growth and great value ; they were tall and taper like firs, but 



* Mr. White seems to have adopted no plan or rule in arranging the subjects of these 

 letters. They are taken up as they occur or have been observed. This may have its 

 advantages, as recording the observations when freshly made, or before the memory had 

 failed, but a correspondence or journal kept in this way would almost require for the sake 

 of convenience to have the subjects brought more together. Thus there are frequent 

 observations afterwards upon the forestry of Selborne, while here we have now only some 

 of the more remarkable trees noted. 



The wych elm, the first tree alluded to, has been a subject always annotated upon, this 

 species being far less commonly grown in England than in Scotland. In the former 

 country it is supplanted almost entirely by the small-leaved or English elm, as it is 

 commonly named, a tree which reaches a large size, and of which there are magnificent 

 specimens in our public parks or promenades ; but it produces a wood of inferior quality, 

 and as it is now planted in the hedgerows of the small enclosures of the south, it must 

 very materially injure the crops by its spreading roots, which shoot up and would soon 

 cover the ground. The tree mentioned in this letter is the ulmus canipestris, Linn. ; it 

 yields a timber valuable for various agricultural purposes, and is esteemed for making 

 naves for cart-wheels ; it is of a more spreading character than the others, and often 

 attains to a large size. The Selborne elm, though of less size than some others, the 

 measurements of which have been recorded, must have been a large and very fine tree. 



The oak trees mentioned in the latter part of this letter gained their peculiar character 

 by being very thickly planted, and as it might be called " neglected." According to pur 

 notion of timber management thinning is indispensable, but to obtain trees of the kind 

 alluded to, the thicker they can be grown, the better. Beech trees with a clean stem of 

 from fifty to seventy feet are very valuable for keel pieces, but the practice of growing 

 wood of any kind in this way has scarcely been practised. Larch planted for hop-poles, 

 or sweet chesnut grown for the same purpose, are treated in this manner ; and what in 

 commerce is called Norway poles, are I believe the first thinnings of the Baltic forests, 

 which have been spindled up by the more vigorous trees to great length and uniformity 

 of thickness, and which in all probability would have been ultimately killed. 



t Vide the plate in the antiquities. 



