GREAT TREES FAMOUS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12199, 25 July 1925, Page 11

GREAT TREES FAMOUS

IN ENGLAND AND AMERICA One of the largest oaks 'in Great Britain was dug up the other day, and .its forty-seven toot girth was carefully packed for shipment to America. From the days of the Conquest it had been standing on what is now the Duke of Buccfeugh’s estate hear Kettering. No loild outcry such as attends the sale to America of celebrated English works of art has yet been heard from English throats. But then, the importation <<f historic trees has not .net become en industry.,

■ America’s historic trees go back, as a rule, ’ only, to Revolutionary days, declares the. “New York. Times.” . 'Here and, there is one like Hendrik Hudson’® patriarch at In wood, under*, wliiqh stood personages' of earlier date than George Washington. Even Hudson . seems .. a moddrn, however, against Rohin Hoodi and Jfingland can boast of ad oah that not. unlikely sheltered Robin Hood himself. .There are oaks in the-Dukefie®.of Nottinghamshire, where he ’spOrted; .and the. Duke of Portlands park boasted Robin Hood’s Larder,, an’, dak with a name .that tells, its legend. Xiine made it only a shell, and’ iron bands' were" put around it manyyear? ago. It is situated iUSt off a magnificent ayeniio of copper :beeches, and only a short, distance from the shooting box known as the Russian hut.’'

The,same: pirt of .England has long taken a Bride; in this story of another oak, the Parliament Oak, grown from an acorn that'took, .foot ..more than a, thousand years ago, and under which it IS said that • King John opce called a hurried ■ Parliament together. This tree is now protected from vandals by an iron, fence. In its age it" split into two distinct trees.' each with a hollow trunk, each bearing leaves and fruit. ■Mbre than 700. years ago, ’according to.the,tale,- King John, was hunting :n Shefwpod JForest when a - messenger brought him word of a tVelsh revolt. The tree at this' time became a Parliament -house.* John '-summoned 'his barons, and under! the boughs, they he'd a council of war. There, it is said, then decreed' the, death of Prince Arthur,. - America makes the most of the 'age of Californians big trees, which were growing before the Christian era-be-gan. The dates , are proved by the growth rings of the . trees, themselvfej. •There are,, other trees of an agej the cypress : of; Chanultspec. Mount Etna’s chestnuts and a plane tree, near •Constantinople which is as .famous as the legendary trees of the bun and the moon. .Lombardy has the Soma cypress, also pre-Christian.

England has boasted trees as old, according. to the tree specialists. The one .transplanted across the Atlantic inav n®.o,n© ot them. Danaoroy’s oak in lX>rsetshire wap 2000 years old when .it was blown, down in 1703, while yew trees standing ip Kent have been estimated at an age of 3000 years. There is a jSqotch - yew -at Fortingal almost as old, •and. bthers. .plsewhere that stood, when DWiids gftth&red.' Some are: ih the records. - - *-■ ,

- Norfolk had had the Wirifarthing and Bartley, oaks 700 years at the time rf the Conquest. William the Conqueror’s oiak in Windsor Great Park has been given an age of 1200 years. For genera- > tibns ‘ Visitors to Shelton, near•• Shrewsbury, 1 - were taken to see Owen Glon--1 dower’s oak. named after the chieftain who from its branches witnessed -"he battle between Henry I\{. and Harry Percy in 1403. Some Of them are. large enough for a coach and four to drive through. The Major oak in the park,of Lord- Manvers, near Edmistowe, seven or eight people can stand inside' its hollow'shell, and •’it takes several people with hands joined to circumference the - tree. : " The foster of the English oaks in-’ elude the Twelve Apostles and the Four Evangelist®, and the Seven Sisters, 'the last with-a trunk of seven stems.