1812

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART HI.

other trees, which Professor Burnet thinks may be owing to the imperfectlyconducting power of the dense mass which composes the head of this tree ;for, though pines and firs grow higher, yet they are of lighter forms, and theirinferior conductibility, from the resinous nature of their wood, may in somemeasure protect them. Some very remarkable instances of oaks being struckby lightning are recorded in the Philosophical Transactions by Sir John Clark,who thus writes: — “ Being lately in Cumberland, I there observed two curi-osities in Winfield Park, belonging to the Earl of Thanet. The first was ahuge oak, at least 60 ft. high, and 4 ft. in diameter, on which the last greatthunder had made a very odd impression ; for a piece was cut out of the tree,about 3 in. broad and 2 in. thick, in a straight line from top to bottom ; andthe second was, that, in another tree of the same height, the thunder had cutout a piece of the same breadth and thickness from top to bottom, in a spiralline; making three turns about the tree, and entering into the ground about6 ft. deep.” Professor Burnet saw, in July, 1828, the ruins of a very fineoak at Pinner, Middlesex, which had the whole of its arms severed fromthe trunk at their junction with it, and scattered on the ground. Thetrunk, which was about 10 ft. in girt, w'as completely stripped of its bark,and shivered from the summit to the root. Perpendicular clefts passedinto the heart wood, and rent through the trunk in many places, so thatsplinters of 6 ft., 8 ft., or 10 ft. long, and 3 in. or 4 in. thick, might be pulledout; “ one of which,” adds the Professor, “ I have.” (Amten. Qaer., fol. 9.)The same year, and in the same month, we observed, close by St. Albans,an oak tree by the road side, which had been struck by lightning the nightbefore, and from the trunk of which a narrow strip of bark had been tornfrom the summit to the root; the trunk being not otherwise injured, thoughseveral branches were broken off. An oak in the New Forest “had nearlyone quarter of the tree forced away from the body, and several of the massivelimbs of the upper part driven from their sockets a distance of several feet.”(Brand’s Journal.) “ It is not improbable,” says Professor Burnet, “ thatthe liability of the oak to be struck by lightning may have led to the dedica-tion of that tree to the god of thunder.”

Fig. 1643. represents an oak, growing in the parish of Weston, in Nor-folk, which was struck by lightning on the 26th of September, 1828. Thedrawing was taken immediately after the accident, and represents correctlythe damage sustained, as it appeared at that time : but since then thestanding bough has fallen, and the tree is otherwise fast going to decay.Not the slightest portion of bark was left upon the trunk, although not asingle hough was stripped, nor were the leaves torn off. The fissuresreached from the top to the ground, but not in connexion ; graduallydecreasing downwards, except the lowest, which decreased upwards. Piecesof bark were thrown to the distance of 90 yards. This was one of six treesstanding in a line, and not the tallest. In the summer of 1822, a fine oakwas struck by lightning, which was growing on Scottow Common, in the samecounty; but which, so far from being killed, continued to grow and flourishtill 1828, when it was felled, and proved to be a sound and good tree in mostparts. This tree was large and wide-spreading, affording shade in summer,and shelter in the winter, to the stock turned out to pasture on the common;and, before it was injured by the lightning, often attracted attention from thenumber of animals which were collected under it, and which it covered. Fromthe time of its being struck, however, not a head of cattle was ever seen nearit; the animals not only refusing to avail themselves of its shade, but obviouslyavoiding the tree, as if it were disagreeable to them. The above facts werefirst communicated to the Magazine of Natural History (vol. ii.), by the Rev.T. W. Salmon of Weston Rectory, and have been since sent to us, for thiswork, by Mr. Girling of Hovingham, Norfolk.

The roots of the oak not being so liable to rot in the ground as those of theelm, the beech, and other trees, full-grown oaks are, consequently, not so liableto be blown down by high winds as the elm. The height of the oak being less