578 Further Notices respecting British Oaks. 



that of street or suburban architecture (which ought to go hand 

 in hand with it), which may be entered on so easily by persons 

 in the decline of life, and which even an invalid may partake of 

 while reclining in his open carriage. For our own part, so great is 

 the enjoyment that we derive from this study, that we think we 

 can never sufficiently recommend it. Though we have been 

 looking at trees all our life, and have known the names of all the 

 kinds in general cultivation as long as we can remember; hav- 

 ing also taken a deep interest in viewing them, and sketching 

 them, not only in plantations in Britain, but in the native forests 

 and gardens of the Continent, from Stockholm to Naples ; yet, 

 since we began to study them more minutely for the purposes of 

 the Arboretum Britannicum, we can truly say, that our enjoy- 

 ment has been doubled. We only wish we could get others to 

 participate in it with us. — Co7id. 



The above article was put in type at the same time as that of 

 Mr. Bree's (p. 533.), but was kept back for want of room. We 

 have since (on Sept. 25. and 26.) had an opportunity of examin- 

 ing the British oaks in the park at Woburn Abbey, of which 

 there are a great many, both of Q. R. pedunculata, and Q. R, 

 sessiliflora. These trees are of considerable age, of dimensions 

 varying from 60 ft. to 90 ft. in height, and wuth heads from 60 ft, 

 to 90 ft. in diameter. The highest specimen of each sort will 

 be found noticed in the succeeding article. Most of these trees 

 stand detached in the park or pleasure-ground, and are remark- 

 able for their fine developement on every side ; the magnificence 

 of their general forms, and the characteristic variety of their 

 general outlines, masses, and tufting. Some of them, from age 

 and accident, are only fragments of trees ; but even in these the 

 young shoots are of vigorous growth, and the foliage healthy. 

 These trees confirm in a striking manner the truth of Mr. Bree's 

 doctrine as to the superiority of Q. R. pedunculata in point of 

 picturesque beauty ; more particularly where the trees stand quite 

 detached, and where the entire outline can be viewed against the 

 sky. On the other hand, there is something very rich and noble 

 in the large individual leaves of Q. R. sessiliflora, which are in- 

 variably flatter, and of a paler green than those of Q. R. pe^ 

 dunculata ; and the beauty of the former kind is doubtless greatly 

 enhanced in the eyes of the botanist by its comparative rarity. 

 In order to show the full force of the truth of Mr. Bree's doc- 

 trine, we have, with the Duke of Bedford's permission, engaged 

 an eminent artist to go to Woburn, and take portraits of a tree of 

 each sort, which we shall have engraved, and published in the 

 A rhoretum Britannicum, We found at Woburn, as among the 

 specimens described above, and sent to us by Mr. Bree, a great 

 variety in the length of the footstalks, both of the acorns, and of 

 the leaves ; but we scarcely met with a case in which we could 



