HOW TO GROW GOOD TIMBER. 285 



variety for roof-timbering; and hence some of the 

 finest ancient timbered roofs of this country have 

 been ascertained to have been formed from its wood. 

 With respect to these the opinion long prevailed that 

 they were formed of the wood of the Spanish chest- 

 nut. This, however, is but a poor timber tree, as, long 

 before it could afford so large a scantling as would 

 be required by the roof of the Parliament House at 

 Edinburgh or of Westminster Abbey (both of which 

 were supposed to be of chestnut), the chestnut would 

 begin to decay at the heart ; in fact, just at the period 

 when the heart-wood of oak begins to harden, that of 

 the chestnut would appear to deteriorate. 



Quercus Robur intermedia, having a petiole inter- 

 mediate in length between the other two varieties 

 described, and a peduncle varying from a quarter to 

 one inch in length, may with propriety be deemed 

 a variety intermediate between " Sessiliflora" and 

 " Pedunculata," and a comparison of the three will 

 substantiate its claim to this title. 



As a tree it is impossible to make out any specific 

 character from its mode of growth, and, indeed, 

 without the fruit, it is extremely difficult even to 

 distinguish it as a variety. 



It occurs — only occasionally — in the Cotteswold 

 district, and we suppose the same elsewhere. One 

 meets with it here and there in the hedge-rows, and 

 in Oakley Park, the seat of Earl Bathurst, we can 

 point out a few specimens. 



Passing from the subject of the varieties of our 

 British oak, it now remains to mention a most for- 

 midable enemy by which it has of late years been 

 attacked, and so exclusively, that in plantations 



