1758

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART III.

The Staple Hill Oak, in the samecounty, on the property of theDuke of Somerset, is of great age,and has a trunk 37 ft. 6 in. in cir-cumference, “ At Weare Gifford,there is a curious old oak, the cir-cumference of which, at 1 ft. fromthe ground, is 27 ft. 9 in.; and thehead of which covers a space thediameter of which is 93 ft. Theheight is now between 30 ft. and40 ft.; but, as the top has been broken off by storms, this affords no criterionas to its original height. The trunk is hollow at the bottom; and the treeappears some centuries older than any other near it.” ( E .)

Dorsetshire . Not far from Blandford, Gilpin observes, there “ stood verylately a tree known by the name of Damory’s Oak. About five or six centuriesago, it was probably in a state of maturity.” It measured 68 ft. in circum-ference at the ground, and 17 ft. above it was 16 ft. in girt. As this im-mense trunk decayed, it became hollow, forming a cavity 15 ft. wide, and 17 ft.high, capable of holding 20 men. During the civil wars, and till after theRestoration, this cave was inhabited by an old man, who sold ale in it. Aviolent storm, in 1703, greatly injured this venerable oak, and destroyed manyof its noblest limbs ; however, 40 years after, it was still so stately a ruin, thatsome of its branches were 75 ft. high, and extended 72 ft. from the bole. “ In1755, when it was fit for nothing but fire-wood, it was sold for 14k” (SeeHutchins’s Account of Dorsetshire , vol. i., with a print of the tree.) In thiscounty was White Hart Forest, so called from Henry III , having here hunteda beautiful white hart, and spared its life. The forest was afterwards calledBlackmoor; and Losel’s Wood, mentioned by Gilbert White in his History ofSelborne, which, he says, was on the Blackmoor estate, probably formed partof it. Most of the oaks in this grove (Losel’s Wood) were of peculiar growth,and, for some purposes, of great value. They were tall and taper, like firs; butstanding close together, they had very small heads, only a little brush, withoutany large limbs. Many of these trees were 60 ft. long, without any bough, andonly 1 ft. in diameter at the smallest end. In the centre of this grove grewthe Raven Oak, “ which, though shapely and tall on the whole, bulged out intoa large excrescence about the middle of the stem. On this oak a pair ofravens had fixed their residence for such a series of years, that it was distin-guished by the title of the Raven Tree. Many were the attempts of theneighbouring youths to get at this eyry : the difficulty only whetted theirinclinations; and each was ambitious of surmounting the arduous task; but,when they arrived at the swelling, it jutted out so in their way, and was sofar beyond their grasp, that the most daring lads were awed, and acknow-ledged the undertaking to be too hazardous. So the ravens built on nestafter nest in perfect security, till the fatal day arrived when the tree was to befelled. It was in the month of February, when the ravens usually sit; andthe dam was upon her nest. The saw was applied to the but; wedgeswere inserted in the opening; the woods echoed to the heavy blows of thebeetle and the mallet, and the tree nodded to its fall : yet still the dam sateon. At last, when the tree gave way, the bird was Hung from her nest; and,though her maternal affection merited a better fate, she was whipped by theboughs which brought her dead to the ground.” (Brown’s edit, of WhitesSelborne , p. 6.)

The Great Oak at Stockbridge stands on part of the estate of RmjertGordon, Esq., of Leweston, within a few yards of the turnpike-road. Thisoak, though it has stood there several centuries, is in perfect health, with awell-formed head. The trunk is 22 ft. in circumference, height 52 ft., andiameter of the head 95 ft. One of the branches has been broken about 10 •from the bole, apparently many years ago; and the extremity, about 25 it. or