Robinia 1505 



Sometimes the trunks of old trees are covered with burrs, the most remarkable 

 that I have seen being a tree at Coolhurst, Sussex, which had a short trunk 14I feet 

 round ; and another at Henley Park, Surrey, the seat of Sir J. Roberts, which was 

 65 ft. by 12J ft. 



In the north-west of England the tree rarely attains any great size; but Clark ^ 

 records one at Dovenby Hall, Cumberland, 55 ft. by 9 ft. in 1887, which was planted 

 in 1795. 



In Wales the best I have seen is at Golden Grove, which in 1906 was 

 65 ft. by 8J ft. 



In Scotland it only thrives in the drier climate of the east, the best I know of 

 being at Gordon Castle, a sound healthy tree which in 1904 was 56 ft. by 9 ft. At 

 Murthly Castle a tree, forked near the ground, was in 1906 about 50 ft. by 6 ft. 

 The largest trees measured by Mr. Renwick are two at Cordale House, Dumbarton- 

 shire, 64 ft. by 7 ft. and 53 ft. by 6 ft. 7 in., and one at Mauldslie Castle, 60 ft. by 

 6 ft. I in., all taken in 191 1. 



In Ireland, Henry has seen very few large trees, the finest being probably one 

 at Doneraile, Co. Cork, which is about 12 ft. in girth, with a Pyrus Aucuparia 

 arising from the stem at 9 ft. from the ground. At Glenomera, Co. Clare, a young 

 healthy tree in a wood measured, in 1907, 59 ft. by 5' ft. 9 in. At Woodstock, 

 Kilkenny, I saw in 1909 a tree near the Lodge, about 60 ft. by 6 ft. 9 in. 



Timber 



Such a mass of details are found in the writings of Loudon, Cobbett, and 

 Withers as to the durable properties of this timber, that I need not repeat them at 

 length ; but I can say, from personal experience that for gate- and fencing-posts it is 

 unrivalled for strength and durability by any native timber except that of the yew. 

 Mr. H. Clinton-Baker^ showed me the hanging-post of his lodge gate, which is now 

 absolutely sound at the ground level, with the date 1849 cut on it. I was told that 

 the spurs put up to support the oak posts of a fence at Pains Hill had remained 

 sound for eighty years. I have myself proved that a tree planted on fair loam will 

 in twenty-five years produce three good gate-posts, whilst oak at the same age 

 would not make one. 



On the Continent it is considered by wheelwrights to be superior to all other 

 timber for spokes, and is now used extensively for wheel spokes of motor cars. For 

 such purposes it must be cut before the wood has become old and lost its elasticity ; 

 and I believe that it is best when 9 to 1 2 inches in diameter. From one short log of 

 this size, for which I paid 5s., the spokes of a heavy timber carriage wheel were 

 made. Notwithstanding these good qualities the timber has no recognised value 

 among English timber merchants, and "Acorn," in English Timber, says that it is so 

 little known in home timber yards that there are no specific outlets for its disposal. 

 Therefore I should advise that it be kept for home use only. 



1 Trans. Eng. Arb. Soc. 1887, p. 143. 



2 Two fencing stakes made of Robinia, which had been put down in 1848 in the pinetum at Bayfordbury, were perfectly 

 sound in October 191 1, when they were presented by Mr. H. Clinton-Baker to the Cambridge Forestry Museum. 



