The Forest Trees of Wiltshire. 



139 



another set spring out at opposite angles to the first row, taking a 

 somewhat similar form of growth to them. High up above these 

 are many smaller ones forming a fine head, towering up into an 

 imposing mass of foliage. It is a noble and grand-looking tree, 

 and barring the vacuum caused by the loss of that great limb, it is, 

 for its age, very symmetrical. It is difficult to get at the spread 

 of the branches, a difficulty enhanced by the loss of this great 

 limb ; but as, on the opposite side it is fully sixty feet from the 

 foot of the tree to the drip from the outer twigs, it may be fairly 

 estimated that the circumference of the spread would, but for that 

 loss, be some four hundred feet. There are several elms in the 

 immediate neighbourhood of this great tree, of nearly equal size at 

 a few feet from the ground ; but they are not to be compared with 

 it in any other point. Favouring the indigenous, rather than the 

 non-indigenous side of the question as to the common elm, it may 

 be stated that these trees have an appearance of much greater age 

 than their majestic fellow-parishioner. 



Let it not be supposed that Holt is the only place in this county 

 where great elms are to be found. Go where you will, in valley 

 or bourne, there you find them, and, probably enough, many larger 

 and finer even than that "Anak "just described. In Spye Park fine 

 specimens of the common elm may be found, from eighty to a 

 hundred feet high, with a circumference of fourteen or fifteen feet, 

 at three or four feet from the ground, and with branches extending 

 forty or fifty feet from the trunk : — clear, straight, sound, hand- 

 some trees. Also some remarkable old Wych Elms : one which 

 stood near the stables, — for years a mere wreck, and now with 

 scarcely more than a stump remaining — had a trunk of great cir- 

 cumference, probably forty feet or more. Another fine old tree is 

 remarkable for having, among others, one particularly long branch 

 which sweeps down to the ground where it has taken root in several 

 places, and rising up again, has attained a length of twenty one yards 

 from the stem. Then there is a very old tree, quite hollow, with 

 an opening on one side large enough to admit a cow ; a circumstance 

 which did actually occur some years ago ; the beast having walked 

 in, turned partly round, stuck fast, and failing_in her attempts to 



