WHITE THORN. 69 



surements are given as above is now one hundred and 

 thirty-two years old, having been planted in 1708. 



To attain a timber-like size, the Hawthorn requires to be 

 planted in a dry loam, and if a little gravelly it seems the 

 more congenial to its growth. But soil and situation are 

 not the only requisites to be attended to in the culture 

 of the Thorn as a tree ; much depends upon the nature and 

 habit of the plant selected, for as they are wont to vary 

 from each other, when produced from seed, some exhibiting 

 a strong, free, and upright growth, with large leaves and 

 few spines, others a close, branching, fastigiate growth, 

 with numerous spines, and others, again, with slender 

 twigs and drooping branches, dwarfish in aspect, and with 

 small, deeply-cut leaves, it is evident that, unless plants 

 of the nature of the first variety, or those of a free, upright 

 growth are selected, little expectation of a tall, well-pro- 

 portioned tree can be entertained ; and of the great extent 

 of this variation of form and habit in seedlings of this tree 

 our readers have only to inspect a few hundred yards of 

 quickset fence to be convinced of the correctness of the 

 remark. 



In regard to its claim to picturesque beauty, we fully 

 participate in the opinion expressed by Sir T. D. Lauder, 

 in his valuable edition of Gilpin's " Forest Scenery, 1-1 that 

 due justice has not been done to its merits, and that it 

 has been too hardly dealt with by that author ; this we 

 have the less hesitation in doing, having oft enjoyed oppor- 

 tunities of seeing it, and with kindred feelings, in the very 

 situations and under circumstances similar to those so ably 

 depicted by the accomplished editor. 



In this northern district it is one of the greatest accesso- 

 ries to the beauty and scenery of our denes and deep ra- 

 vines, and few, that are at all wooded, but owe a great 



