Timber Trees at Heath House, Stqffbrdshire. 1S3 



Art. V. Notices of the more rapid-grotuing Timber Trees in the 

 Plantations at Heath House, Staffordshire. By Mr. John Howden. 



Of our trees, twenty years from the nursery, the common 

 oaks average from'20 ft. to 25 ft. high. The Turkey oaks average 

 from 25 ft. to 30 ft. high, and are rather thicker m proportion 

 than the common oak. The scarlet oak is only from 1 2 ft. to 

 15 ft. high, and thin in proportion. The sv^^eet chestnuts rival 

 the Turkey oaks in height, and surpass them in thickness. The 

 Canadian elms [f/'lmus americana Ph.^ the white American elm 

 of the nurseries] excel the whole in height ; being from 30 ft. to 

 40 ft. high. These elms are not so thick in proportion as the 

 sweet chestnut ; yet they are so beautiful, so straight, and their 

 branches so finely spread out, that they are quite the favourites 

 of the forest. 



The cedars of Lebanon are about 15 ft. high, but very thick 

 in proportion. The yews and hollies, of the same age, and in 

 the same soil, are only from 8 ft. to 10 ft. high, with stems but 

 little thicker than a thresher's flail. The purple beeches grow 

 slower than the common beeches ; and so do all the varieties of 

 the ash and sycamore. All the variegated hollies grow slower 

 than the common green holly. The tulip tree and platanus, 

 with all the varieties of the walnut tree which we have, grow 

 very slowly. Some walnuts from abroad, which were sent here 

 for the dessert, of very peculiar shapes, were reared in pots for 

 five years ; they have been planted out for ten years ; but none 

 of them are as yet 5 ft. high. I do not know their specific 

 names. Most of the maple family grow very slowly. 



The beech and sycamore I would exterminate from our 

 woods altogether, since wooden spoons, bowls, and trenchers 

 are got out of fashion; and cast-metal wheels have no need of 

 wooden cogs. [Wooden cogs are generally supposed to work 

 more kindly into iron cogs than other iron ones.] The beech is 

 very ornamental as a single tree ; so is the lime tree, with those 

 who fancy it ; but I cannot make so much of the timber as I 

 can of the despised Scotch pine. The beech, sycamore, and 

 lime occupy too much land in most woods; and, though the 

 beech makes good hedges, the hornbeam does as well, and is 

 better timber. The crab tree makes excellent timber; but it 

 has been shamefully neglected in this country: if it were pruned 

 up in its youth to 10 ft. or 12 ft. high before grafting, it would 

 produce timber as well as apples; and furniture made of its 

 wood is truly beautiful. What, also, can be more beautiful than 

 the timber of the common wild cherry ? 



Heath House, Jan. 1. 1835. 



L 3 



