ANTWERP. 107 



Eighteen inches higher up, the stem is 7 feet 9 inches in 

 circumference. From the surface of the earth to the set- 

 ting off of the branches, the bole of the tree is about 13 

 feet in height. The top branches are between 50 and 60 

 feet high, and the lower ones cover a space 45 feet in dia- 

 meter. It was planted in 1752, when this country-seat 

 was originally formed. The tree is altogether of a hand- 

 some shape, well balanced, and copiously furnished with 

 branches. To a spectator standing directly under it, the 

 leaves appear nearly of the usual green colour ; and they 

 are but slightly tinged with purple, as far as they are ex- 

 cluded from the sun : as they approach outwards, they get 

 a stronger purplish hue ; and on the very exterior, they are 

 of a deep purple, insomuch that the tree, seen from a dis- 

 tance, appears almost as if clothed in black. The purple 

 colour of this variety of beech is generally regarded as analo- 

 gous to the variegation of other trees ; but this specimen in 

 its capacious growth and exuberant foliage, certainly exhibits 

 no symptom of debility or disease : it is to be added, that it 

 produces yearly both flowers and seed, and that numerous 

 seedlings arise from the mast shed around. What is further 

 worthy of remark, is, that the greater part of these are pur- 

 ple ; Mr Donkelaar even suggested, that the few green-leaved 

 plants which appeared, might result from the mast of com- 

 mon beeches in the neighbourhood, scattered by the winds 

 or by birds. But this supposition is unnecessary ; for 

 though a few green plants may appear, the evident ten- 

 dency of the progeny is to assume the purple foliage. It 

 seems probable, that in many cases this tendency only gra- 

 dually developes itself; for in a young hedge formed of 

 these seedling plants, we observed every variety of hue, 

 from green to purple ; yet no individual was completely 

 green, and none completely purple. 



