AEBOR DAY. 



801 



There are noble examples of ancient Oaks with celebrated histories, 

 notably the Cawthorpe Oak near Wetherby, supposed to be the oldest in 

 the land. Wm. Burgh's drawing of it is published in Dr. Hunter's 1776 

 edition of Evelyn's " Silva." Its trunk then was 26 yards in circum- 

 ference at the base, and 16 yards 3 feet from ground. Its limbs stood 

 outwards 50 feet all round ; 500 cattle could shelter under its branches, 

 although it was then decaying ! It is still alive but prostrate, fenced 

 round and supported with commendable care. This ancient Oak might 

 have been cradled in the acorn when Caesar invaded our island. 



There are also topiary examples of ancient form. John Evelyn, on 

 March 25, 1664, wrote in his "Diary" of pretty hedges of Alaternus, having 

 a " skreene of exceeding height accurately cutt on topiary worke." But 

 " topiary " is not suited to all tastes ; some gardeners inveigh against it ; 

 but, like Madame Guyon, we should learn "to die to our aversions" ! 

 Topiary has its place, but ought to be kept within bounds. Mazes were 

 an old-world conceit. There is a very promising example in Yew, per- 

 haps twelve years old, at Shoreham Place, Sevenoaks, indentical in plan 

 with the well-known labyrinth at Hampton Court. It is doubtful whether 

 the " mazes " mentioned by Shakespeare were arboreal examples. 



But the Arbor question is a wide subject and expands as one advances, I 

 shall conclude by reminding Fellow^s that a pathetic instance of memorial 

 planting associates our late beloved Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort 

 with our Society. Near the Mausoleum at Frogmore are two handsome 

 Wellingtonias, originally planted in what w^ere formerly the Society's 

 Gardens at South Kensington— one by the Prince Consort, President of 

 the Society, on June 5, and the other by Queen Victoria on June 24, 1861, 

 the year of the Prince's death. They were removed to Frogmore on 

 December 15, 1869, and on the 17th were replanted by Her Majesty 

 near the Prince's Mausoleum. One of the trees died in August 1870, 

 and another was planted in its place by the Queen in December of the 

 same year. 



Throughout her whole life our beloved Sovereign w^as a persistent 

 tree-planter, and there is no more fitting way of keeping her endearing 

 memory green than by her people following her Royal example, and for 

 ever commemorating the close of her loving reign by an Arbor Day on 

 January 22 — the day on which she entered into rest. Shall we not 

 term it rather the day of her Accession ; and say with good George 

 Herbert : — 



" Onely a sweet and vertuous soul, 

 Like season'd timber, never gives ; 

 But though the whole w^orld turn to coal. 



Then chiefly lives " ? 



