OF SELBORNE, 
535 
fore add, that my tall seventy-four feet beecli measures six 
feet in the girth at two feet above the ground. Beeches 
seem to me to thrive best on stoney, or chalkey cliffs, where 
there seems to be little or no soil. Thus about a mile and 
an half from me to the S.E. in an abrupt field, stand four 
noble beech-trees on the edge of a steep, rocky ravine, or 
water-gulley, the biggest of which measures 9 ft. 5 in. at 
four feet from the ground. Their noble branching heads, 
and smooth rind show that they are in the highest vigour 
and preservation. Again the vast bloated, pollard, hollow 
beeches, mentioned before, stood on the bare, naked end of 
a chalky promontory, many of which measured from twenty 
to thirty feet in circumference ! they were the admiration 
of all strangers. How has prevailed the notion that all old 
London was built with chestnut ? It is with us now vile 
timber, porous, shakey, and fragile, and only fit for the 
meanest coopery purposes. Yet have I known it smuggled 
into Portsmouth dock as good ship building oak ! ^ 
The more I observe and take notice of the best oaks now 
remaining in this neighbourhood, the more I am astonished 
at the oak which you planted yourself. For there is a most 
noble tree of that kind near Hartely house, which I caused 
to be measured last week ; when behold, at four feet above 
the ground the girth proved to be only 14 ft., when yours 
measured 12 ft. 6 in. ! Why this fine shafted tree, with 
its majestic head, escaped the axe thirty years ago, when 
Sir Simeon Stuart felled all its contemporaries, I cannot 
pretend to say. If you ever happen to see the Hamadryad 
of your favourite oak, pray give my respects to her. She 
must be a fine venerable old lady. For a diverting story 
respecting an Hamadryad, see the " Spectator,^^ vol. 8, p. 128. 
Behind my house I have got an outlet of seven acres laid 
* In his " Observations on Vegetables " (p. 359), White has remarked, 
"The timber and bark of these trees are so very like oak, as might, 
easily deceive an indifferent observer. * * * Chestnut seUs for half the 
price of oak ; but has sometimes been sent into the King s docks, and 
passed off instead of oak." — Ed. 
