1842

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART III

what is probably the largest oak in Ireland ; since it measures 28 ft in circumference atG ft. from theground. It is much decayed, and has lost much of its height and many branches. At Shane’sCastle, the seat of Earl O’Neill, 0. pedunculbta is 65 ft. high, with a trunk 15 ft. in girt at 4 ft. fromthe ground, and a head 84 ft. in diameter; and Q. sessiliflora is 68 ft. high, 16 ft. 6 in. in girt, andthe head 91)ft. in diameter. Both are young trees in a healthy growing state; and Q. sessiliflbra,in particular, in the years 1835 and 1836, made a general growth throughout its branches of frompin. to 1 ft. 8in. In the county of Down, at Hillsborough Castle, it is 70ft.high, with a trunknearly 22 ft. in circumference, and clear of branches to the height of 25 ft.; at Moira, it is 60 ft. high,with a trunk about 16 ft. in circumference, and a head 68 ft. in diameter. In Fermanagh, atFlorence Court, it is 70 ft. high; girt of the trunk 15 ft. and diameter of the head 80 ft. : atCastle Coote, a young oak is 75 ft high, with a trunk 12 ft. 8 in. in girt, it is a thriving tree;another, much shattered bv lightning, is 90 ft. high, with a trunk 10 ft. 6 in. in circumference. InLouth, at Dundalk, is an oak 60 ft. high ; circumference of the trunk, at 1 ft. from the ground, 15 ft. jat 19ft., 10 ft; diameter of the head 84 ft. In the county of Sligo the oaks are small, but remark-able for the closeness and fineness of the grain of their timber. One at Mackree Castle is 30 ft. high,with a trunk about 7 ft. in circumference, and a head 75 ft. in diameter. In Westmeath, at Paken-ham Hall, the seat of the Earl of Longford, (I pedunculfcta is 80ft. high, with a trunk perfectlyclear from knots or branches for 31ft.; girting 12 ft. at 1ft. from the ground, and 6 ft. at 31 ft.,just below the swelling of the branches. The trunk is perfectly straight, and the tree, which is ina healthy and growing state, is about 96 years old.

The British Oak in Foreign Countries. In France, at Toulon, in the Botanic Garden, 48 year!planted, it is 60 ft high ; the girt of the trunk 12 ft. In Brittany, at Barres, on the estate of M.Vilmorin, 9 years planted, it is 15 ft. high. In the Botanic Garden at Avranches, Q. sessilifblia,40 years planted, is 39 ft. high; the circumference of the trunk 8ft., ami the diameter of thehead 28 ft. In Saxony, at Worlitz, Q. sessilifblia, 330 years old, is 70 ft high, with a trunk 27 ft. incircumference. In the Grand-Duchy of Nassau,

life.

near Weisbadcn, is a very remarkable weep-ing oak, of which we have been furnished witha sketch (from which our Jig. 1695. is reduced),by the Honourable Mrs. Wrightson, of Warns-worth Hall, near Doncaster, daughter of LordWalsingham : — “ It is a large handsome tree,the great peculiarity of which is, that all the lowerbranches are very long, slender, and pendulous,more like those of a weeping birch than of oaks ingeneral. It is a solitary tree, with no other oaksnear it; and it stands on grass by the side of theroad. There is a legend attached to the tree, thattwo lovers, while taking shelter under it, werestruck by lightning, and that the tree has wepteversince.” In Bavaria, at Munich, in the English /XGarden, 200 years old, it is 40ft. high, circum- rference of the trunk 7 ft. 6 in., and diameter of thehead 40 ft.; in the Botanic Garden, another ( Q.pedunculbta), 84 years old, is 20 ft. high, andthe girt of the trunk 24 in.; and O. sessiliflbra,also 84 years old, is 18 ft. high, and the circumference of the trunk 1ft. 6 in. In Austria, nearVienna, at Briick on the Leytha, 180 years old, it is 84 ft. high, with a trunk 15 ft. in circumference,and a head 80 ft. in diameter. In Prussia, at Berlin, in the Pfauen tnsel, 100 years old, it is 80 ft.high, with a trunk 12 ft. in circumference, and a head 36 ft. in diameter. In Sweden, at Lund, inthe Botanic Garden, it is 56 ft. high ; ;the circumference of the trunk 4 ft. 6in., and the diameter ofthe head 36 ft. In Russia, in the Government Garden at Odessa, 12 years planted, (i . sessiliflora is16 ft high, and the girt of the trunk 15 in.; and Q. peduneul&ta is 17 ft. high, girt of the trunk12 in. In Italy, in Lombardy, at Monza, 50 years old, Q. sessiliflbra is 65 ft. high, the circumferenceof the trunk 7 ft., and the diameter of the head 44 ft.; and Q. peduncu&ta is 60 ft. high, girt of thetrunk 7 ft., and diameter of the head 40 ft.

Commercial Statistics. Acorns, in London, are from 2s. Cut. to 3s. 6 d. perbushel. Plants (two-years-old seedlings), 10s. per thousand; transplanted,and from 2 ft. to 3 ft. high, 40s. per thousand. At Bollwyller, acorns of thespecies are from 2 to 3 francs per bushel; and plants of the varieties are from1 franc to 3 francs each. At New York plants are 50 cents each.

¥ 3. <2. pyrena'ica Willd. The Pyrenean Oak.

Identification. Willd., No. 67.; N. Du Ham., 7. p. 179.; Rees’s Cycl., No. 75.

Synonymes. Q. Tauzin Pers. Syn., 2. p. 571.; u. nigra Thore Chlor. Lund., 381.; Q. Tbsa BoseJourn. Hist. Nat., 2. p. 155.; Q. stolonifera Lapcyr. PI. Pyr ., 582. ; Chene noir Secondat.

Etigravings. Secondat M£ni. du Chene, t. 2. and t. 5.; N. Du Ham., 7. t. 56.; Bose Journ. Hist.Nat., 2. t. 32, f. 3.; and our fig. 1696.

Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves oblong, pinnatifid, stalked; downy beneath ; some-what heart-shaped and unequal at the base; lobes obtuse, slightly toothed.Fruit stalked. ( Willd.) A low tree, a native of the Pyrenees. Introducedin 1822. This species forms a smaller tree than Q. pedunculata or Q.sessiliflora; from both of which it is distinguished by its roots, which runchiefly near the surface, and throw up suckers. The trunk seldom attainsa greater circumference than from 6 ft. to 9 ft. The bark is dark-colouredand chapped. The leaves are petiolated ; and the acorns are borne onshort peduncles, generally two together. The tree is readily known, fromits infancy upwards, from every other oak, in spring, by the dense covering