Account of a Walnut-tree. 



five hundred yards from the summit of a hill, which there 

 terminates the broken range of the Surrey hills, northward. 



The surface mould is of a dark colour, and from eighteen 

 to twenty inches in depth : it is what the workmen call a 

 light soil ; and immediately beneath is a fine siliceous sand, 

 about two feet thick, then a stratum of ochry flint gravel, 

 next a red clay; and, at the depth of twelve feet, good 

 water, arising from a clean white sand. The tree, which be- 

 comes the subject of this description, was the only one 

 suffered to remain upon the spot, being the most thriving of 

 the six ; the others were taken away within the year. 



The situation of this tree is within the angle formed by the 

 meeting of two gravel walks. The ground had been dug up 

 from the state of a meadow about four years preceding, and 

 had been moderately manured with stable dung. The surface 

 soil, as well as the next stratum of sand, appears to have been 

 washed down the slope of the hill : but what the vegetables 

 were which, in remote times, produced this soil, is quite un- 

 certain ; because a long continuance of culture has destroyed 

 the natural plants. The young tree has been protected from 

 the east winds by a range of high dwelling houses, and by a 

 thick row of tall Elm-trees; its north aspect is defended 

 by buildings ; so that it only feels the influence of light and 

 wind from the south-east by south, to the north-west by 

 north. 



The paling of the garden is no where grown with lichens, 

 nor are the walls with any mosses ; and hence the local at- 

 mosphere may be considered dry. In the summer of 1808, 

 this tree bore and matured ten Walnuts ; in 1809, upwards of 

 fifty, and in 1810, we counted one hundred and twelve 



