THE EUROPEAN BEECH 



which, taken as a whole, has no parallel elsewhere in 

 the British Empire. In picturesque beauty the 

 Burnham Beeches are unique, and no tree lover 

 should miss a pilgrimage when opportunity offers. 

 It is nearly a quarter of a century since I paid my 

 humble tribute to this shrine but the memory of that 

 glorious Saturday afternoon is vivid and undimmed, 

 notwithstanding that I have seen the forests' glories 

 of half the world. 



In Britain grow many famous Beech-trees, but none 

 are finer than those in Ashridge Park, Buckingham- 

 shire, where stands the majestic Queen Beech fully 

 135 feet tall with a trunk straight and branchless 

 for about 80 feet. Except for certain Elms this- is 

 the tallest deciduous-leaved tree in Great Britain. 

 Incidental mention has been made of the self- 

 layered Beech at Newbattle Abbey. This tree is 

 about 105 feet high and 2i| feet in girth of trunk at 

 five feet from the ground, and has a total circum- 

 ference of about 400 feet. In Windsor Park, the 

 Royal domain, are many magnificent Beech-trees. 

 The finest is near Cranbourne Tower and is about 

 125 feet tall with a fine, clean bole 15 feet in girth; 

 near the Ascot Gate is a venerable old pollard 30 feet 

 in girth, and is said to be 800 years old. Of "inos- 

 culated" Beeches perhaps the finest is that at Castle 

 Menzies, Perthshire, Scotland, which is 95 feet high. 



'65 . 



