22 
NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 
The former, being all in the parish of Binsted, is about two 
miles in extent from north to south, and near as much from east 
constitution of the oak. If water stagnates around, they never grow to be fine timber. Botanists 
admit but two species as indigenous to this country: the *'Quercus robur," and " Q. sessiliflora 
the former of which is the redoubtable " king of the forest." Of this tree— England's native bul- 
wark — many most gigantic examples are upon record ; the very finest of all which, known to have 
grown in the country, is beyond compare that magnificent piece of timber which was dug out of 
Hatfield bog, and which is noticed in the Philosophical Transactions, as quoted in Evelyn's 
" Sylva." It is described to have been 120 feet in length, twelve in diameter at the base, ten in 
the middle, and six at the smaller end, where broken off ; so that the butt for sixtj' feet, squared 
seven feet of solid timber, and four its entire length. The most celebrated giant oaks, however, 
of the present day, are mostly those of a form unfit for the purposes of the timber merchant, and 
which, on this account only, have been allowed to stand. The most extraordinary of these is the 
noted Cowthorpe oak, situate near Wetherby, in 
Yorkshire ^about nine miles from York, and the 
same distance from Harrowgate), upon the estate 
of the Right Hon. Lady Stourton. This vegetable 
wonder, and living monument of bj^-gone ages, cal- 
culated to be about 1800 years old, has at length 
become a vast sylvan ruin. According to a recent 
measurement, it appears to be twenty-two yards 
in circumference close to the ground, and nearly 
sixteen at the height of three feet ; its principal 
limb extanding forty-eight feet from the bole. The 
leading branch fell by a storm in 1/18, which, 
being measured with accuracy, was found to con- 
tain five tons and two hundred weight of timber. 
Before this accidental mutilation, its branches are 
said to have extended their shade over half an acre 
of ground ; thus constituting, in a single tree, al- 
most a wood of itself. Its immense arms, them- 
selves in appearance full grown trees, are now sup- 
ported by a number of strong props of timber. Dr. 
Hunter, who visited it in 1776, describes its height, 
in its then " ruinous state" to have been nearly eighty-five feet ; and adds, " that throughout the 
whole tree the foliage is extremely thin, so that the anatomy of its ancient branches may be 
distinctly seen at the height of summer. Compared with this," he continues, " all other trees 
are but as children of the forest." 
Professor Burnet very justly observes, in reference to this wonderful oak, that few persons form 
any thing like " a just estimate of the actual size of trees. Nay, figures themselves, to the ge- 
nerality of mankind, convey but very imperfect conceptions of length, and breadth, and height, 
and girt. Some more familiar representations are wanted to prove that a majestic tree, which 
is only in moderate proportion as an ornament to nature in the country, is really an enormous 
mass, and would be esteemed a great and glorious structure amongst the dwellings and palaces of 
men." The professor then proceeds to exemplify this remark by stating that, '* in Little-whi*te 
lion-street, Long-acre, the inspectors of a district visiting society found, some months ago, a 
house, the internal area of which is only twelve feet by twenty-four (not half that of the Cow- 
thorpe oak, which, according to his description of it, is twenty-six feet in diameter), containing 
nine small rooms, in which there dwelt — i. e. eat, drank, and slept, and did all that poor mor- 
tality requires — no less than eleven men, thirteen women, and sixty-nine children, making a total 
of ninety-three human beings crowded into less space than is enjoyed by a single tree." 
The same writer also remarks that " the chapel of St. Bartholomew's, in the hamlet of Kings- 
land, between London and Hackney,which, besides desks for the clergyman and clerk, altar, &c. 
has pews and seats for 120 persons, is yet nine feet less in width, and only seventeen inches 
more in length, than the ground plot of this astonishing oak." — Burnett's Amaenitates Querneae. 
Man}' other immense trees of this species might be enumerated ; yet still, however, the very 
largest of the vegetable productions of Europe — almost incredible as are the corroborated accounts 
of the oaks, yews, Spanish-chestnuts, and various other trees that are to be found in this portion 
of the globe — sink into comparative insignificance with the gigantic vegetation of tropical coun- 
Cowthorpe Oak. 
