THE HAWTHORN. 



207 



deepening from opposite sides tovrards the cen- 

 tre, will at last split the tree into a number 

 of separate stems, Avhich are barked roimd. In 

 other trees the seam is hardly visible^ though 

 none of them are without it. This peculiarity 

 seems confined to the Thorn, and as 1 have not 

 observed it in those which appear to have been 

 more recently planted^ it is probably the effect 

 of great age, though the trees are still flourish- 

 ing, and I knoAv of few sights more beautiful 

 tiian the fine old Thorns in Bushy Park in full 

 blossom." 



Xow, I am inclined to think that, although this 

 description of the Thorns is, no doubt, perfectly 

 correct, the supposition on which Mr. Jesse ac- 

 counts for the separate stems is not equally so. 

 The easiest and simplest proof would be to cut 

 down one of the stems, and to observe whether 

 the wood is arranged in concentric circles^ having 

 the pith for a common centre, or, v\-liether the 

 layers of wood are broken into irregular segments 

 of circles^ without any common centre. If each 

 stem be found to have a distinct central cokmm 

 of pith, with the wood deposited in layers around 

 it i which, I apprehend will turn out to be the 

 case;, it must have been a separate stem from the 

 beginning of its existence ; for there is never 

 more than one colmnn of pith in the same trunk, 

 and that one was fully formed during the first 

 year's growth, and has never since increased in 

 size. In the latter case only, therefore, can his 

 theory be well founded. Certainly, in some very 

 old trees at Xewliam and Pem^ose, near Helston, 

 Cornwall, the appearance of which closely re- 

 sembles those which he describes, the trees ori- 



