The Lincoln County herald., 1871-01-12
Children's Department.
TIE GREAT DO TREE.
BY oRRA.

"Farmer Boyce," I asked, "what are
you thinking Off"
II was thinking" he said slowly,
"about that wood I just put in the fire.
When chopped down the tree it was a
partof, thought from its size that it
was . very old one, so I counted the
grains. They say there is one grain
added every year. Now there we're Eve
hundred grains in that pine. Only
think Of I'll Nature has worked five
handred years, just to keep my family
warm for few weeks ?"
Farmer Boyce," 1 said, "do you
know how many years it is since the old
est tree people kucw anything about wa.
planted ?"
"Well, no." he answered; "but I don
believe it is any older than that pine
was."
Now the good old farmer knows :
great deal so much, In fact, that fee
very foolish sometimes when l try to
talk with him; and yet am the school
ma'am. But l happen to know some
thing abou. this subject, for l once trav
eled great way with my father and
mother, who had been sent as missiona
ries to Hindostan and my father no
ticed, and talked about all the monstrous
trees he saw.
"Well," l said to the good farmer, 81
saw an oak tree in England, called the
Conquerer's Oak which is known to be
more than 1000 years old and there
are yew trees that were alive 1900 years
ago, near an old abbey in the same coun
try"
"How large was that oak ?" said the
gentleman.
"Oh, very large indeed" l answered
SIT must have measured thirty fee,
around"
"Aud do you call that very large
tree?" said Mr.. Grsy, young gentle.
man from California, who had been sit.
ting silent till now "bless me, if |
haven't danced on the trunk of q tree
that was forty feet across one hundred
and twenty feet around! What do you
think OF that? California beats the
world at everything, even trees"
"rhcre is picture in my geography
lisped little Nettie, "of a tree with eve,
80 many trunks"
ayes indeed! added, "that is ban.
yam tree. l saw great many Of them
in India. There is one on the Ner-bud-
dah river, called by the Hindoos Cubbeer
burr, after some saint whom they wor.
ship; and it takes 1000 feet Of rope to
stretch around all its largest trunks,
though there are only 400 of those
There have been many floods that have
swept away parts Of tho tree besides
What do you think Of California beating
tho world now?"
"Oh, we'll" answered Mr.. Gray, "tha
is really 400 trees after all; I'll warran,
in all your travels, schoolma'am, you
never saw one tree alone as large as the
one told Of"
"l'll tell you what l have seen,"
said ave seen the sacred 30 tree r
"Like enough!' said farmer Boyce
grinning; "young ladies would be sure
to see q beau-tree if there ras one to b,
seen r.
"That Bo.tree," I went on very
grayely indeed ",hat, l suppose th
greatest aud most wonderful, as well a
the oldest tree in all the world, wa
planted at city in the Island Of Ccy.ol
called Anarajapoora."
"Oh, schoolma' am sighed Ne,iie
shat word makes me feel as il had th
tuoth ache"
"Who planted it. l should like I
inown?' asked Mr. Boyce.
~ think it was a king, but l am nc
sure. 1t was planted 2SS years befor
Christ was born and so it must be abou
2,159 years old. They have kept u
account Of its age and all that tappene
to it, because some one called prophe
said when it was planted, that it, 'shoul
flourish and be green forever No OF
ever breaks of the smallest twig, b,
people watch under it long while till
leaf falls thep. they pick the leaf up an
keep it always as if it was very precious
but how does the Bo.tree look
asked dear little Net,ie. who was a gre
pet of mine, because she never came
her class with poor lesson.