The Forest Trees of Wiltshire. 159 



But even the keeping dry is not so necessary as the rhymester 

 supposed, for, as stated above, the poplar stands wet and dry very 

 well. Neither is the Willow, little as is thought of it by many, 

 to be despised ; for when well-grown it is very handsome, and its 

 wood useful for many purposes. It has also the advantage of being 

 a quick grower. The Bedford Willow is perhaps the best of the 

 family, and often attains a great size. There is a record of one at 

 Lichfield, which in 181.0, being then probably about 60 or 70 years 

 old, measured twenty-one feet in circumference, with a spread of 

 branches of more than two hundred feet. The only other member of 

 the family that needs to be mentioned here, is the Weeping Willow. 

 Certainly it has no claim to be classed among forest trees, but its 

 beauty and graceful habit of growth make it worthy a place. Its 

 introduction into this country is said to have been quite accidental, 

 and took place probably about 130 or 140 years ago. The story 

 runs thus : — a basket of Turkey figs was presented to the poet 

 Pope. He observed one of the twigs of which the basket was 

 composed to be alive, having put forth a bud. He planted it in 

 his garden at Twickenham, and from that one plant all the weep- 

 ing willows in the kingdom are said to have sprung. There is a 

 handsome, though rather one-sided specimen at Dunkirk, near 

 Devizes. It stands at a cottage gate on the right hand side going 

 down the hill. The Walnut and the Plane are worthy of more 

 than a mere passing notice, but more cannot be accorded to them 

 now. With regard to the " occidental" variety of the latter, it is 

 strange it should not be far more common than it is. No tree 

 would flourish more in the rich Wiltshire Yales than it. 



Looking forward to the time when some person far better quali- 

 for the task shall take up the subject, and not only give a full and 

 perfect account of those trees which have been mentioned at some 

 length here, but also interesting particulars of those which have 

 been scarcely more than named, as well as of many which have 

 not even been named at all, the writer of these pages can confidently 

 assert that every facility will be offered, for their inspection, by all 

 those whose estates may afford good specimens. Depend on it 

 there is no lack of such trees in this county ; and if the suggestion 



