81 



licioLisly set on fire, burn, or cause to be burned, any 

 wood, underwood, or coppice, he is to suffer as a 

 wilful fire-raiser." 



No. XIV. 

 Great Chesnut Tree on Mount Etna. 



[[A friend having sent me a drawing of the Great Spanish Chesnut Tree 

 upon Mount Etna, with a description of it, which 1 here subjoin as a 

 treat to every lover of trees, and the more readily, as in the sequel it 

 will be seen, that I not unfrequently recommend the propagation of 

 the Spanish chesnut, both as a profitable and ornamental tree.^ 



The Spanish or sweet chesnut always, grows to an 

 immense size in every country. The largest in the 

 known world is that which grows upon Mount Etna, 

 in Sicily. " This celebrated tree exceeds the size of 

 other trees so much, that it cannot fail to excite the 

 greatest admiration. It has its name from the fol- 

 lowing circumstance: — Jean of Arragon spent some 

 time in Sicily on her way from Spain to Naples. 

 While here, she visited Mount Etna, attended by her 

 principal nobihty, and happening to be overtaken 

 by a storm, they took shelter under this tree, whose 

 branches were sufficiently extensive to cover them all. 



" A celebrated traveller reports this tree to be one 

 hundred and sixty feet in circumference, but quite 

 hollow within, which however affects not its verdure ; 

 for the chesnut tree, like the willow, depends upon 

 its bark for subsistence, and by age loses its inter- 

 nal part. As the cavity of this enormous mass is 

 very considerable, the people have built a house in 

 it, where they have an oven for drying nuts, almonds, 



