MR WITHERS. 



199 



rendering the British oak of such exceedingly rapid 

 growth as to be soft and perishable as mushrooms. 

 Withers completely demolishes his literary and scien- 

 tific adversaries, but is, withal, so very imperfectly 

 acquainted with the subject— himself and also his 

 junto of experienced correspondents, that we shall 

 attempt a few lines in elucidation. 



We shall first state our facts, accompanied with 

 explanatory remarks. 



No. 1. An ash tree of about 18 inches diameter, 

 and 65 years of age. The first 35 years, the annual 

 growths were of middle size, and the timber weighty 

 and tough; the following 15 years, very small, light, 

 porous, and free; the latter 15 of middle size, and 

 of fair quality. This tree had been growing till 

 about 49 years of age in a grassy avenue, of dry 

 clay soil, and close by a deep ditch. About sixteen 

 years back, the ditch had been filled up, and the 

 ground ploughed and manured regularly till the 

 tree was cut down. After 35 years' growth, the 

 scorching roots of the ash had rendered the soil so 

 dry, that the tree had run entirely to reproduction : 

 Nearly all the nourishment from the ground as- 

 similated in the leaves being expended in forming 

 seedy no extension of the top had taken place, and 



