86 GlIiPIN's FORBST SCKNERT. 



reason it has been less sought after and encou- 

 raged. How far this may be true I know not. I 

 rather suspect its truth.* Some years ago Mr. 

 Daines Barrington read a paper to the Royal 

 Society, in which he endeavoured to prove that 

 the Chestnut was not indigenous to this country. 

 Dr. Ducarel answered him, and alleged from 

 ancient records, and other evidences, that Chestnut 

 formerly abounded in many woody scenes in 

 England, and was certainly a native of this island. 

 Among the ancient records to which he appeals, 

 one is dated in the time of Henry II. It is a deed 

 of gift from Roger, Earl of Plereford, to Flexley 

 Abbey, of the tithe of all his Chestnuts in the Forest 

 of Dean.f 



Many persons have shared thfe belief of Gilpin that the 

 wood found in a number of the most ancient buildings in 

 this country was that of the Chestnut j and this belief gave 

 rise to the opinion that Gastanea vesca must be indigenous. 

 But Buffon suggested that the timber in old buildings, 



* In the, tenth volume of the Transactions of the Society for 

 the Encouragement of Arts, &c., some instances are given of its 

 being a very useful timber tree. 



t See Four Letters on Chestnut trees, read before the Eoyal 

 Society, 1771. 



