THE ROMANCE OF OUR TREES 



In England no other exotic tree, perhaps, has been 

 more generally planted for ornamental purposes 

 during the past two and three quarter centuries. 

 Thousands of noble, wide-spreading old specimens 

 are scattered from one end of the country to the 

 other, and they are among the most impressive ob- 

 jects in many stately parks and pleasure grounds. 

 Visitors from this and other lands are familiar with 

 the majestic Cedars on many estates in England. 

 Many specimens have been written about, measured, 

 and photographed, knd we can do no more than in- 

 cidentally mention one or two. Just when the 

 Lebanon Cedar was introduced into England is not 

 clearly known and probably never will be. The 

 evidence available points to that at Childrey Rectory, 

 near Wantage, as the oldest in England. It is 

 claimed that it was planted by Dr. Edward Pocock, 

 who was chaplain to the Turkey Company at Aleppo 

 in 1629 and afterward to the Embassy at Constan- 

 tinople. Returning home in 1641, Pocock was ap- 

 pointed to the living of Childrey in 1642. In 1903 

 his Cedar was a handsome tree still growing vigor-, 

 ously, and measured 25 feet in girth five feet from the 

 ground and its spread of branches covered an area of 

 1,600 square yards. 



Wilton House near Salisbury is famed for its 

 Cedars. In 1874 a specimen 36 feet in girth was cut 



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