306 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



on the Lake Road, on the west side of Chautauqua lake, about four miles 

 from Jamestown, in the town of Busti. It consisted of a beach tree with 

 two trunks, rooted about twenty feet apart, and approaching each other till 

 they united in one, at the height of twenty-five feet. Above this junction 

 the tree was smooth and straight, with a regular and handsome top about 

 eighty feet in height. Hundreds of travelers have seen this singular tree 

 and scores have cut their initials in the bark. It was blown down some 

 years ago. Another, every way similar to the above, was blown down a 

 few years ago on my own farm. 



" But a still more curious phenomenon of this kind is to be seen on the 

 farm of Mr. F. Orcott, in Erie county. Pa., two miles south of Union. Two 

 straight beech trees stood about six feet apart. One now is about ten 

 inches and the other about twelve feet in diameter. About half way up, 

 say thirty feet, they are united by a limb six inches in diameter, which is 

 smooth and free from twigs or branches, and starts from each tree in an 

 upward direction, thus forming the arc of a circle. About twenty years 

 ago, some vandal cut off the smaller one, and the stump having decayed 

 and disappeared, the body is now suspended in the air, while the other 

 tree stands firm, and yields a kind of maternal support through this umbili- 

 cal connection. The tree in the air is alive, and shows unmistakable evi- 

 dence of annual growth down to the very butt, which is three feet from the 

 ground. I noticed many branches of recent growth below the uniting 

 limb. The suspended tree is subject to quite a pendulum motion, and is 

 liable to be destroyed by wind unless the owner employs some means to 

 protect it, which he certainly should do without delay. 



" Two questions naturally suggest themselves : 



"First: How could such a union of forest trees take place without the 

 aid of man ? And, 



" Second : If it is the work of the aborigines, how were the trees kept 

 still long enough for the union to be perfected at such a height ? 



" What says the Club ? What say naturalists ? I have no theories or 

 speculations to offer, but will simply suggest a plan whereby any one who 

 has a home to improve and beautify, can solve the mystery in a very satis- 

 factory manner. Procui-e from the thicket two tall, slim beech saplings 

 with good roots. Trim them like fishing-rods, only leaving a few twigs 

 and small branches. 



" Take them to j'our best gate, or where it shou'd be, at the main entrance 

 to your premises from the public road ; entwine the upper ends carefully 

 around each other without withing or otherwise injuring them. Set them 

 so that they will form an arch over the gateway high enough to clear any- 

 thing that will be likely to pass under in a century. If properly done, a 

 few years will solve the mystery to your entire satisfaction, for you will 

 have one of the most beautiful ornamental gateways in the country. You 

 will probably put a few loads of gravel where the wagon ruts are now, 

 and your children's children will rise up and call you blessed." 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter remarked that this was like the plan of in-arching 

 fruit trees, which has been much practiced in France, where a hundred pear 

 trees are sometimes all united together by the limbs, and if the trunk of 



