Castanea 847 



a quantity per acre and of better quality, than the grove at Bicton. But, however 

 attractive such plantations may be from an ornamental point of view, there is no 

 doubt that the timber is worth much more if cut young ; and, as a matter of fact, 

 most of the old chestnut trees in the south of England are ^o shaky that a great 

 part of their timber is only fit for firewood or fencing. 



The chestnut is a good avenue tree in those parts of England where the soil 

 and climate suit it, and there are fine avenues at several places. One of the best 

 known to me is at Cowdray Park where there is an avenue about a mile long, 

 commencing at the bottom of the hill, where the trees are very large, and 

 running up to an elevation of 500 feet or more. According to Loudon this avenue 

 contained 300 trees. Another very fine one at Thoresby is supposed to have been 

 planted by Evelyn, many of the trees in which are about 20 feet in girth. I noticed 

 here that the spiral twist in the trunk of the chestnut is variable in direction. Of 

 three trees standing together in this avenue, one was twisted from left to right, one 

 from right to left, and one had no twist at all ; but this twisting of the trunk is com- 

 monest on light sandy soil and usually indicates shaky timber. 



Another fine avenue of chestnuts is at Newhouse Park, on the property of Sir 

 Robert Newman, near Mamhead, Exeter. This is 24 yards wide, with the trees 12 

 yards apart, which seems to be the correct distance for this tree in an avenue, as it 

 requires more room than the lime or elm. These trees average about 1 5 feet in girth 

 and are 70 to 80 feet high. The largest that I measured was 18 feet 8 inches in girth. 



Remarkable Trees 



The number of large chestnut trees is so great that it is quite possible we 

 may omit some of them, but there is no doubt that the most celebrated, and 

 perhaps the oldest planted tree in England, is the Tortworth chestnut, which has 

 been frequently described, and is figured by Strutt, plate xxix., and by Loudon, 

 p. 1988, Strutt says that in 1766 it measured 50 feet in circumference at 5 feet 

 from the ground, had a stem 10 feet high to the fork, and had three limbs, one of 

 which was at that time 28|- feet in girth. It was said by Sir R. Atkyns, in his 

 History of Gloucestershire, p. 413, to have been growing in King John's reign, and 

 to have been " 197 yards in compass." It has since been mentioned and described 

 by almost every writer on trees, but I am informed by Lord Ducie that a good deal of 

 its history is more or less mythical. At present it is by no means a beautiful tree, 

 and so much of its original trunk is decayed, that no measurement is of much value. 

 I think that no one would recognise the existing tree as having formed the subject 

 of Strutt's plate; but notwithstanding its age it still produces nuts, from which 

 several trees have been raised and planted. 



Another very large and celebrated chestnut, also figured by Strutt, plate xiii., and 

 by Loudon, p. 1989, grew at Cobham Hall,^ Kent, and must have been a finer tree 

 than the one at Tortworth. It measured in 1822, according to Strutt, 29 feet in 



' The finest chestnut now existing in this park grows at Ashenbank, and measured, in 1906, 93 feet in height and 

 13 feet 10 inches in girth, with a good bole 40 feet in length. 



