July 31, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
97 
particulars concerning which must be reserved for a future number 
of the Journal of Horticulture. —W. K. W. 
OAKS, BEECHES, AND ELMS, 
Fine old trees connect the present age with the many that have 
gone before it, and remain, as it were, a living chronicle of the 
many revolutions of society that have occurred during their growth. 
It is, therefore, with no ordinary interest that we ought to look on 
such trees, venerable alike in appearance and in the associations 
they call up, and we ought to regard their loss as that of old friends 
when accident or misfortune deprives us of them. Fortunately of 
late years the laudable desire to retain those emblems of the past 
has greatly increased, as well as the love of other objects of antiquity. 
There is no reason why an old work of nature should not find the 
same favour as does an old work of art—a remnant of masonry is 
certainly not more an object of just interest than an aged Oak. 
The latter doubtless bears the mark of time, and if in a state of 
decay is looked on with feelings of interest; the other is regarded 
with regret that the barbarous usage of a former generation should 
have left us so little of a pile we gaze on with admiration. But old 
trees and old buildings are not unusually associated together, and 
nothing can keep company with greater harmony than those two 
relics of former times ; not all the wealth of the present day can 
give that grandeur to a building which is often afforded by the old 
trees by which another structure of less pretension is surrouuded. 
How many of the abodes of our nobility are not less remarkable 
for the venerable appearance of the trees in their parks than for 
their dwellings. Who has not often heard of, and admired too, the 
stately Oaks, the sombre Beeches, and magnificent Elms, with 
which a park is studded ? and while the mind is admh’ing their 
beauties as the visitor approaches the abode of the owner, a feeling 
of respect is engendered for bygone generations who have left such 
legacies to the present one. 
Fine old trees also give an importance to a place which wealth 
cannot command ; for however cleverly constructed the machines 
may be which the various inventors have patented for the purpose 
of transplanting large trees, fine old ones are beyond their power, 
and if such trees were even moveable, they are not often articles 
on sale. 
With no ordinary interest, then, ought we to regard fine old 
trees. Trees of unusual size are scattered far and wide, and they 
often enough flourish unknown almost to any but to the limited 
residents of the locality. Unfortunately we are all too prone to 
pass by such things, only noticing in a vague manner that the tree 
“is a remarkably fine one.” We take a walk round it, and a look¬ 
up to its top, and then with some exclamation about its great size, 
too often bestow upon it no more thought. Candour compels me 
to say that such has been too often all the notice I have taken of 
such trees ; but I often meet with objects of remarkable growth in 
places not having the reputation of being the best adapted for such 
things, and I will adopt a different course for the future, for I 
think a little notice of such trees now and then will be of service 
to the community at large. The little that I am able to report on 
the matter is all from personal knowledge except where otherwise 
stated ; but, unfortunately, the information is but meagre ; never¬ 
theless it may be the means of inducing others to report more 
interesting objects in other localities. 
The Oak. 
Commencing with the acknowledged king of our forests, the 
Oak, I think I have seen at least four individual trees each assert¬ 
ing that dignified title. A very fine example of this tree, which to all 
appearance seemed likely to require some two or three centuries 
yet to bring it to perfection, so healthy and vigorous it seemed to 
be, was at Panshanger, the princely seat of Earl Cowper, in Herts. 
I have quite forgotten the extent of ground its umbrageous top 
hangs over, and a finer or healthier tree it would be difficult to 
find. Some very fine Oaks also adorn the noble park at Dunham 
Massey, the seat of the Earl of Stamford and Warrington, in 
Cheshire. These, however, to the best of my recollection, were 
more remarkable for the fine timber they contained than for any 
remarkable extent of top ; but there were plenty of tall, fine, bold 
trees having a circumference of 15 feet and upwards at 5 feet from 
the ground ; and a very large park was very heavily wooded with 
such trees. The soil seemed sandy, and if dry, the fall of rain in 
the neighbourhood, being greater than in most places, supplied the 
moisture, but I do not think it was deficient of that element. I 
was told there was a king of the forest here, but I had not the 
opportunity of seeing it ; still the great number of fine trees 
astonished me. Next to the Oaks the Beeches were numerous and 
good, and other kinds were not wanting. Further northwards 
there is some tolerably good timber in the best districts of the 
county of Durham ; and one at Gibside contained something like 
eleven loads of timber some years ago. This tree was growing in 
a wood and was near the bottom of a slope, the soil a sort of hazel 
loam rather plentifully mixed with stones. It was a much less 
healthy tree than the one at Panshanger, but might, perhaps, 
contain more timber, and its top was not remarkable ; in fact, some 
of its limbs had been broken off by high winds. I believe there 
are several places in Yorkshire remarkable for fine trees, but I 
have not visited them, and, therefore, leave their description to 
other hands ; and Scotland has also its monarchs of the forests. 
An Oak at Netherwitton, in Northumberland, was once pointed 
out to me as good, and certainly it seemed of great size, but I 
forgot the particulars ; and many districts doubtless would have 
had their fine trees at the present day had not the temptation to 
cut them in times gone by been so great as to tell seriously against 
their preservation. Even parks of established antiquity have at 
some period or other of their history been denuded of their orna¬ 
ments by some needy or avaricious proprietor ; but remarkable 
Oaks are of frequent occurrence, less perhaps so than Beech : the 
latter being a less valuable commodity in the market, there was not 
that inducement to cut for sale. Some fine Oak trees adorn the 
park of Knole, Kent, but those of Cobham in the same county 
are evidently of a more recent date. Everyone has heard of the 
fine Oaks of Windsor Park, and many other places may be cited 
as containing good specimens. 
The Beech. 
Next in importance to the Oak as a park tree is the Beech, and 
in habit of growth it is scarcely less beautiful ; in fact, it is not 
unlikely that if we could divest ourselves of the poetic feeling 
attached to the Oak as being connected with our national greatness, 
it is not unlikely but the Beech would be regarded as the more 
noble in its growth. The habits of the trees are not so much 
unlike : a wide expanded top, with a bole more or less branched as 
as the position of the tree may have determined. There are, how¬ 
ever, some fine trees in other counties. The park of Knowle 
contains some fine avenues of Beech, as well as groups, and single 
trees innumerable ; some are of remarkable size, hut the bulk are 
still in what may be called excellent timber condition. Several 
stages beyond this state, however, have the Beeches advanced at 
Lullingstone, in the same county. Some measured little short of 
30 feet in circumference at 4 feet from the ground, and by their 
appearance they looked as if they would outlive several genera¬ 
tions yet of the human race. A dry hilly situation with chalk 
underneath was their abode. Beeches are also common in many 
places, not the least remarkable being some places m Bedfordshire 
and the adjoining counties. 
The Elm. 
The Elm is a greater favourite with the farmer than with the 
poet, not that the farmer likes its presence any further than that 
the district where it grows spontaneously indicates good land. I 
believe the vale of the Thames contains some of the best Elm trees 
in the kingdom, and I have seen very good specimens in Oxford¬ 
shire. A good rich and deep soil suits this tree best, and on such a 
soil its growth is, perhaps, quicker than that of any tree we have, 
unless it be the Horse Chestnut. Elms are, however, not so long- 
lived trees as the Oak, Yew, Beech and others, for when decay sets 
in they much sooner succumb to it. We seldom see a hollow Elm, 
for the decay at the bottom eventually increases so as to weaken 
the collar, which gives way before a high wind, and down the tree 
comes. Unlike those trees mentioned, it does not appear that the 
root makes any effort to sustain the declining condition of the 
trunk by surrounding the remaining sound wood with bark and a 
fresh accession of layers. Instead of this the Elm root often 
decays also, or if left to a state of nature some rising suckers 
abstract all the nourishment. Elms furnish more suckers than 
most other trees, and to this, doubtless, may be attributed the 
shorter period of their existence as compared with these. Elms 
make an excellent avenue, and even as individual trees they look 
well ; the expanded top and large sturdy limb3, striking boldly out 
in all directions, give the tree a noble appearance in autumn and 
winter. Its roots travel a long way for food, and quickly appro¬ 
priate to themselves a heap of compost, mould, a flower bed, or 
anything tempting that comes in their way, in which case they rob 
their neighbours. A corn field is not unlikely to suffer from this 
cause. But the noble proportions of the tree entitle it to respect ; 
for I should think that no other forest tree we have arrives at the 
size the Elm will do in a suitable soil. One which I know seems 
perfectly sound, and likely to increase in size for many years to 
come, is upwards of 16 feet in circumference at 5 feet from the 
ground, and apparently loses very little in thickness at 20 feet up . 
