210 



THE ORIENTAL PLANE. 



It is yellowish-white, till the tree attains a con- 

 siderable size; after which it becomes brown, with 

 jasper-like veins; and, wood of this kind, being 

 rubbed with oil, and then highly-polished, resem- 

 bles the wood of the Walnut. 



It is a fast-growing tree, and prefers a good soil 

 near running water, and is propagated, either by 

 layers, cuttings, or seeds, the first method being 

 preferred. 



The largest existing Plane-tree is at the same 

 time the largest tree in the world. It stands at 

 Buyukdere, on the Bosphorus, and is described 

 by various travellers. Dr. Walsh, who measured 

 it in 1831, found the trunk one hundred and forty- 

 one feet in circumference at the base, dividing into 

 fourteen branches, some of which issue from 

 below the present surface of the soil, and some 

 do not divide till they rise seven or eight feet 

 above it. One of the largest is hollowed out by 

 fire, and affords a cabin to shelter a husbandman. 

 De Candolle computes that it must be more than 

 2000 years old. 



By the side of this monster all our English 

 specimens dwindle into insignificance ; indeed 

 the only Oriental Plane existing in this country, 

 to which any particular interest is attached, is one 

 mentioned in Evelyn's Diary : — 



September 16th, 1683.— At the elegant villa 

 and garden of Mr. Bohun at Lee. He shewed 

 me the Zinnar-tree, or Platanus, and told me that 

 since they had planted this kind of tree about the 

 city of Ispahan in Persia, the plague, which for- 

 merly much infested the place, had exceedingly 

 abated of its mortal eff'ects, and rendered it very 

 healthy." This tree is yet standing, and is ex- 



