THE SYCAMORE. 



139 



of it as a rare exotic in the 14th century : Gerard, 

 who wrote in 1597, says, "The great Maple is a 

 stranger in England, only it groweth in the walks 

 and places of pleasure of noblemen, where it especi- 

 ally is planted for the shad owe sake, and under the 

 name of Sycomore tree." And Parkinson, speaking 

 of the same, in 1640, says, " It is no where found 

 wilde, or naturall in our land, that I can learn, but 

 only planted in orchards or walkes, for the shadowe's 

 sake." At present, however, it is to be found in all 

 parts of the kingdom, especially in Scotland, where 

 it grows to a great size, wearing an undaunted as- 

 pect, and throwing out its bold arms, as if in defiance 

 of the utmost inclemency of the skies. 



Perhaps the largest tree in North Britain is to be 

 found at Kippenross, in Perthshire. Of its age the 

 Earl of Marr communicated the following anecdote 

 to Mr. Monteath, the intelligent author of " The 

 Forester's Guide." " Mr. John Stirling, of Keir, 

 who died in 1757, and made many inquiries of all 

 the old people from eighty to ninety years of age, 

 which takes us back to the reign of Charles II., 

 near the Restoration : they uniformly declared, that 

 they have heard their fathers say that they never 

 remember any thing about it, but that it went by 

 the name of the big tree of Kippenross." 



