12 



LETTERS ON TREES. 



what I stated in my former letter, you can scarcely 

 fail to see what the general conclusion is to which I 

 intend to lead you. Let us endeavour, however, to 

 follow out this inquiry fairly and without prejudice, 

 and (as I once did) without any such anticipation as to 

 the issue. 



2. Viewing, then, every individual tree as an indi- 

 vidual plant, let us inquire what is known or believed 

 in regard to those particulars in the history of trees 

 which have been already specified. How long does 

 the Oak," for example, naturally live " To what 

 size does it naturally grow ? " 



3. The popular notion seems to be nearly limited to 

 this, that, as compared with any known animals, the 

 greater number at least of trees are very long-lived, 

 and capable of attaining to a very great size. It is 

 believed, indeed, that, in common with all other living 

 beings, they are subject to the law of mortality, and 

 grow only to a certain size, and perhaps that the 

 appointed term of life and measure of growth vary in 

 each species of tree ; but beyond the general fact just 

 stated little appears to be known ; nay, there seems to 

 be a general persuasion that nothing definite has yet 

 been ascertained on the subject. If you ask, as I have 

 often asked, an intelligent old forester, who has passed 

 all his days among trees, what he knows of the matter, 

 he will probably tell you that he knows nothing. He 

 may remark of the Larch, for instance, that, growing 



