FOREST TREES, 



THE CHBSNUT. (Spanish Oiesnut.) 



This noble tree is found to thrive in many dif, 

 ferent kinds of foils ; but, like the beech, it luxu- 

 riates mofl in deep fandy loams. It does not 

 thrive in wet, or over ftiif land ; though it will 

 grow freely enough in a foft clay, lying on fand- 

 ftone rock. In fandy foil, elevated but a little 

 above the furface of the water, (as on the Ifland 

 of Monteith, Perthfhire) ; in loamy foils, at the 

 bottom of a mountain, (as at Alva, Stirlingfhire) ; 

 in loam incumbent on clay, (as at Brechin-Caftle 

 in Forfarihire, and at Gargunnock, Stirlingfhire) j 

 and in gravelly or alluvial foil, near to a river, (as 

 at Finhaven, Forfarfhire) ; and, even in the cold, 

 tilly, expofed grounds of Lochgiily in Fifefhire, 

 where it keeps pace with the beech, the Chefnut 

 grows to a very great fize. * Some confider the 



chefnut 



* At Monteith, Alva, Brechin-Castle, and Gargunnock, 

 the Chesnut has arrived at an uncommon size; and very fine 

 specimens are just now to be seen at those places. At Fin- 

 haven, a vast and aged chesnut was blown down, a good 

 many years ago, being much decayed : The greatest cir- 

 cumference of its trunk was 45 feet } its head was very large 

 and spreading. In the possession of George Skene, Esq. of 

 Skene and Carristone, there is a table made of the wood of 

 the tree, having an engraved plate, on which are marked its 

 dimensions. It was long accounted the largest tree in Scot* 

 land ; and the late Dr Walker estimated its age at 500 years-o 



