54 



HOME AND GARDEN 



Within a few paces a young Oak, with a trunk five 

 inches thick, is tightly girthed with close coils of 

 Honeysuckle. Some of the coils are deeply imbedded 

 in the bark. This tree has also thrown out python- 

 like swellings, which seem to close over and compress 

 and strive to choke the invading climber. In some 

 cases the grip is deadly to the Honeysuckle ; in others 

 it still lives, buried in the substance of the Oak. But 

 if here and there it is gripped to death it matters little 

 to the Woodbine, whose assault is in force of numbers, 

 for besides nine distinct coils round this young tree, there 

 are eighteen ropes and cords leaping into it from below ; 

 some of them direct from the ground, and some from 

 a young Spanish Chestnut whose root is only three feet 

 from that of the Oak. I see that the original stem of 

 the Chestnut stops short about four feet from the 

 ground, above which is eighteen inches of dead and 

 rotting snag. It looks as if the fight between tree and 

 climber had here ended in the tree's defeat, and as if 

 its top had died and fallen, bringing down the Honey- 

 suckle to share and endure the ruin it had planned 

 and brought about. 



But the Chestnut is evidently a clever and even 

 crafty little tree, for not only has it repaired its 

 disaster by throwing out a lusty young upward growth 

 to take the place of its fallen top, but at the point 

 where this springs from the short original trunk it has 

 placed a small lateral branch which leads away the 

 Honeysuckle right into the neighbouring Oak. 



