328 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 26. 
perpendicular, thus showing its stability, and giving pro¬ 
mise to afford shade and shelter for many generations of 
the human race yet to come. Now, I presume that 
readers will think this is nothing more than many trees 
similarly placed give promise to, but when I tell them that 
the trunk of this tree, without presenting any of those 
uneven humps, or projections, which give a false measure¬ 
ment to their circumference, is, at the smallest part, between 
the root-claws and the breakings of the branches, no less 
than thirty-two feet ten inches, they will assuredly give it 
the credit of being an extraordinary one. True, it is no 
longer sound; in fact it is a mere shell with several open¬ 
ings, but none exceeding two feet wide, while the shell itself 
is from six or eight inches to a foot thick. There is space 
inside for a number of people, and, doubtless, many of the 
village rustics have, in their younger days, been within its 
ample enclosure. Of late years, however, the parish autho¬ 
rities have put a fence around it to protect it from the 
molestation of those who seem disposed to think that the 
pleasm’e of viewing an object is not complete without the 
possession of aportion of it; in this respect, the uninformed 
rustic is a less dangerous visitor than the learned collector 
of antiquities or curiosities. In the present instance, the 
addition of a fence certainly mars the beauty of this tine 
natural object; neither has the best description of protective 
material been adopted; the heavy wooden paling conceals 
as well as protects the object inside, whereas, an iron one 
need not have done so; however, the inquiring visitor will 
be able to see sufficient of it to form an idea of its magnitude. 
It is also proper to say, that the site of this venerable 
object is in a narrow valley, or rather on the side of the hill 
forming it, and the soil seems very congenial to forest trees 
of most kinds, as well as most fruit trees likewise. Lime¬ 
stone, called here “ Kentish Rag," exists in great quantities, 
and is dug within a very short distance for building and 
other purposes ; and, doubtless, the roots of this tree are in 
contact with this material. It is needless to say that many 
other forest trees also present a healthy appearance, but 
the custom of the neighbourhood with that of former 
periods having been more directed to the cultivation of 
coppice than timber plantations, there are no remarkable 
timber trees immediately near, that I could hear of; besides, 
the tempting prices given for home-grown timber, some 
fifty years ago, was too great to be resisted by needy pro¬ 
prietors at that time, hence the absence of extraordinary 
trees. Nevertheless, at a short distance from the Yew 
above-mentioned, and in a situation exactly similar, an ex¬ 
traordinary fine Cedar of Lebanon erected its sturdy head. 
Not having an opportunity to examine it closely at the time, 
I could only give it a hasty glance, and comparing it with 
others in my mind, I thought it the finest tree of the kind 
I had ever seen, being evidently sound, and in the best of 
health, and of proportions from which a ship carpenter 
might obtain some six-inch planks, which, as every one is 
aware of, but few Oaks can furnish. 
Continuing the subject of Yews, I may add, that in another 
Church-yard, some six miles or more from the last, there is 
another tree of the same kind, which, I was informed, was 
as large as the last, and perfectly sound. This latter quali¬ 
fication seemed so extraordinaiy, that I determined on 
paying this famed tree a visit; and though it fell short of 
what was reported of it, yet I was not disappointed, for I 
1 hardly expected to find a tree, 10 feet in diameter, perfectly 
! sound ; this one, however, differed much from the last; with 
! a less expanded top, it presented equal tokens of good 
! health, and its bole, which was not very short, was gnarly 
I and covered with those short spray twigs, or branches, 
which in a great measure hid it from view; however, a 
| string run round underneath them, and at the distance of 
i four feet from the ground, presented a circumference of 
! upwards of twenty-seven feet; and though I could not pro- 
1 nounce it as sound timber, I am satisfied there were no 
j hollow spaces of any extent. This description will probably 
make it appear as a more extraordinary tree than the first- 
1 named, but then it is to be considered, that at the place 
where the circumference was taken the girth was more 
than atone foot from the ground; in fact, the tree presented 
a sort of barrel-like swell at that height, both above and 
■ below being smaller ; nevertheless, its size, general health, 
and comparative soundness, was such as to command 
respect. I may also add, that it, too, seems to luxuriate on 
tlm Limestone range, although its site was more elevated 
and exposed, being, in fact, on one of those eminences 
which command a view of eastern parts of the “ AVeald of 
Kent;” and our young friends will find its hill on the county 
map under the name Ulcomb. 
A third tree, scarcely less interesting than either of the 
last, exists in the churchyard at Leeds, near Maidstone, 
another rural parish but a few miles from either of the last- 
named. This tree is, however, hollow, and has also the 
singular form of being much thicker at a yard from the 
ground than at one foot from it; at the former height it is 
upwards of thirty feet in circumference, and several open¬ 
ings admit of its holding several persons, who are not in 
this case debarred by an unsightly fence ; but the tree is 
certainly not so remarkable as the one at Loose, the latter 
presenting limbs of some five or six feet diameter at the 
breaking; whereas, those at Leeds are much less; still, it 
is a remarkable tree, and bids fair to live for many genera¬ 
tions yet.. It is, however, much exposed : and the barbarous 
practice of digging graves so near a relic of former times, 
may, doubtless, tend to lessen the days of this, as well as 
of many other trees similarly placed; but as this 
is sacred ground, and calculated to arouse indignant 
feelings, I say no more than urge on the parish authorities 
the propriety of restricting innovations of this kind as 
much as possible; and though the anxious wish of some 
eminent parishioner to be buried under the Yew-tree 
may seem a duty on the part of those to whom the 
bequest was made, we are far from certain, that the next 
generation will regard the injury done to so venerable a 
relic in the same light. However, as I professed only to 
describe the trees as they are, without prescribing rules for 
their future welfare, I must leave the latter part of the 
duty to more experienced hands; and, in conclusion, will be 
glad to learn what part of the kingdom can furnish finer 
Yew-trees than those to which I refer; and hope to find 
some other correspondent informing ns where remarkable 
trees, either of this, or other kinds, may be found; for I 
believe that many such do exist, unknown save in the im¬ 
mediate neighbourhood of their site.—A Correspondent. 
THE POULTRY PENTALOGUE.* 
One of the most useful little poultry manuals, with its ; 
information, moreover, conveyed in an amusing form, that i 
have lately appeared on this now popular subject, is thus i 
entitled. 
The Five great rules, whence its appellation, are thus j 
specified :—1, Pure Breed ; 2, Fresh Blood ; 3, Varied Diet; 
4, Equable Temperature; 5, Strict Cleanliness. Poultry- 
keepers, indeed, might be at variance as to the manner in 
which these various requisites would be best provided for, 
but that these form the main requisites towards success, all 
would assent to; and wherever failures have come before 
us, to the neglect of one or other of these essentials has 
the cause been manifestly referable. 
The advice for the interior economy of the Fowl-house is j 
a fair specimen of the form in which the author’s recom¬ 
mendations are conveyed, and is so well, and yet so simply, 
put, that we will now transcribe it for our readers’ benefit. 
“Brick or stone is too cold for the flooring, which had far 
better be of lime, ash, or well-beaten earth. The former is 
best, as it can be more easily swept and kept clean. It 
should be above the level of the external soil to avoid 
damps. The whole of the interior had better be plastered, 
as the rough walls and thatch are likely to collect dirt and 
vermin. If the roof is tiled'and slated, plaster is still more 
necessary to check the extremes of heat and cold. Two 
or three coats of whitewash in the course of the summer, j 
especially, will be found very conducive to health." 
AVhen we come to directions for feeding and general | 
management equally safe guidance is briefly given. 
At page II we light on “ the mysteries of Cltic/ecndom," \ 
* ” The Poultry Pentalogue ; or Five Rules for Fancy Fowls and Fowl 
Fanciers.” By James Furnenux, Esq., President of the’Devon and Corn¬ 
wall Poultry Association.—W. S. Orr and Co., London-; published liy [ 
It. Lidstone, Plymouth. 
