CHAP. CV.

CORYLa'cEAi. QUE'RCUS.

1773

neglected and ill pruned, the size has been for many years diminishing, thoughthe marquess is now having every possible care taken to keep the tree alive.The circumference of this tree, at 2 ft. from the ground (for it is all root underthat height), is 24 ft. 6 in.; and the whole height is 56 ft.: the space thebranches overhang is above 92 ft. in diameter. This last tree is said to havebeen the place where the border clans met in olden times; and hence thename of Capon, from the Scotch word kep, to meet. It stands in a haugh(meadow) close by the side of Jedwater; and the King of the Woods on thetop of a hank, about 300 or 400 yards south of it, and both near the old Castleof Ferniherst, and about a mile and a half above the burgh of Jedburgh.”We are indebted for the above account to Mr. Grainger of Harestanes, throughthe kindness of the Marquess of Lothian, to whom he is agent.

Stirlingshire. Wallace’s Oak, in Tor Wood, the dimensions of which aregiven by Dr. Walker, is said by some to have been the tree under the branchesof which Wallace and 300 of his men concealed themselves, instead of theoak at Ellerslie ; while others assert that Wallace concealed himself, after alost battle, among its boughs. Even in 1771, when Dr. Walker saw it, thistree was in a state of great decay. It had separated in the middle, and onehalf had mouldered entirely away. “ The other half,” continues Dr. Walker,“ remains, and is in one place about 20 ft. high.” The whole of this remnant,Dr. Walker adds, was red wood, from the heart to the very bark, and was“ so hard, even in its putrid state, as to admit of a polish. In this ancientTor Wood it stands, in a manner, alone.” Compared to it, even the oldesttree near it “ is but of very modern date. The memory of its having savedWallace has, probably, been the means of its preservation, when all the rest ofthe wood, at different times, has been destroyed.” Dr. Walker concludes bystating his opinion, from the remains that existed in 1771, that the WallaceOak had once been about 22 ft. in circumference at 4 ft. from the ground.“ Its trunk has never been tall; for at about 10 ft. from the ground it hasdivided into several large arms. The tree stands in coarse land, in a deepwet clay soil.” ( Essays , &c., p. 9.)

Ireland. There are no very old trees in this country, though there aresome very large ones in a state of vigorous growth, as will be seen by ourStatistics. On the subject of the old or celebrated trees of Ireland, we havereceived the following communication: — “ Generally speaking, no timber issuffered to attain any tolerable age now in Ireland; which is much to be re-gretted, as, judging from the remains found in great abundance in the bogs,which now occupy the place of the ancient forests, the oak and Scotch pineformerly grew to an enormous size here. I have been assured, by a person ofcredit, that he has repeatedly found them 8 ft. in diameter, and hopes soonto obtain a specimen of that size.”

Celebrated Oaks in France. The Chapel Oakof Allonville {Jig. 1622.) measures, just above theroots, 35 ft. in circumference; and at 5 ft. or 6 ft.,

26 ft. A little higher up, it extends to a greatersize; and at 8 ft. it throws out enormous branches,which cover a great extent of ground with their shade. 1The trunk is low, and quite hollow; but the branchesproduce abundance of leaves and acorns. The lowerpart of the trunk has been, many years since, trans- 1622

formed into a chapel, carefully paved and wainscoted, and closed withan iron gate. Above is a small chamber, containing a bed; and leading to itthere is a staircase which turns round the body of the tree. At certainseasons of the year, divine service is performed in this chapel. The summitof the tree has been broken off many years; and over the cavity is a pointedroof, covered with slates, in the form of a steeple, which is surmounted by aniron cross. The cracks which occur in various parts of the tree are alsocovered with slates. Over the entrance to the chapel there is an inscription,stating that it was formed by the Abbe du Detroit, curate of Allonville, in the