Union of an Oak and a Beech^ 



Arthur Hollick 



(with plate I, FIG. 2) 



Sixteen years ago, at our meeting of May 14, 1898, it was my 

 privilege to describe, under the title Union between Dissimilar 

 Trees,^ an instance similar to that described by Mr. Wm. T. Davis, 

 the trees, however, being a white oak, Quercus alba L., and a beech, 

 Fagus americana Sweet. Unfortunately no measurements were 

 taken at that time, nor were the trees photographed. 



Recently, in order to supplement Mr. Davis' paper, the trees 

 were visited, photographed, and the following facts recorded: 



They are located on the sloping hillside fronting Richmond 

 Turnpike near the junction of Little Clove Road, within a few 

 hundred feet of the old Crystal Water Company's reservoir, and 

 could hardly fail to attract the attention of any one who might 

 search for them. The oak is a thriving, living tree. The beech, 

 however, is all but entirely dead. The two are joined together 

 for a distance of about 3 ft. 4 in. above the ground, forming a 

 single base, but with the characteristic bark of each sharply de- 

 fined, and separated by a conspicuous suture. Above the com- 

 mon base each tree is distinct. The circumference of the base, at 

 the place where the two trees separate, is 10 ft. 4 in. Immediately 

 above this place the oak is 5 ft. 3 in. in circumference and the 

 beech 6 ft. 3 in. 



It is unfortunate that measurements were not taken at the time 

 when this interesting natural feature was first called to my atten- 

 tion ; but even the present records, with the photograph, are worthy 

 of preservation, and they will have, in common with those by Mr. 



1 Presented in abstract at the meeting of the Association December 20, 

 1913. 



2 Proc. Nat. Sci. Assoc. Staten Is. 6 : 57, 58. 



