24 



SYLVA BRITANNICA. 



THE SWILCAR LAWN OAK 



stands in Needwood Forest, in Staffordshire. It is 

 known, by historical documents, to be more than 

 six hundred years old ; and it is still far from being 

 in the last stage of decay. Its girth, at the height 

 of six feet from the ground, is twenty-one feet four 

 inches and a half. Fifty-four years ago it was 

 girthed in the same place, by a labouring man still 

 living, and measured at that time nineteen feet. It 

 is a magnificent tree, and has the advantage of 

 looking fully as large as it really is. " Few per- 

 sons," says Mr. Burgess, in his interesting remarks 

 on the Oak, "save those to whom habit has ren- 

 dered it familiar, form any thing like just estimates 

 of the veritable size of trees. The situations in 

 which they are commonly seen, harmonizing with 

 the illimitable expanse of heaven, and the wildest 

 extent of forest scenery, or of mountain heights, 

 lessen, ideally, their intrinsic bulk ; nor is it till sin- 

 gled from the surrounding landscape, nor even then, 

 until the theodolite and rule proclaim their sums, 

 that we become persuaded of their vast extent : 

 nay, figures themselves, to the generality of the 

 world, convey but imperfect conceptions of length 

 and breadth, and height and girth. Some more fa- 

 miliar representatives are wanted to prove that a 

 majestic tree, which is only in moderate proportion, 

 as an ornament to nature in the country, is really 



