The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-09-19
Remarkable Trees.

One-third of the land surface of our
planet is covered with trees. The largest
tree in the world is situated in Mascoli,
near the foot Of Mount Ktna, and is called
.sThe Chestnut Tree of Hundred
Horses. and is believed to be the Oldest
tree in the world Its name arose from
the report that Queen Jane, Of Aragon,
with her principal nobility, took refuge
from violent storm under its branches.
At one time it was supposed it consisted
of clump Of trees united, but on digging
away the earth the root was found entire
and at no great depth. Five enormous
branches rise from one trunk, which is 212
feet in circumference. A part of the
trunk has been broken away and its in
terror is hollow, and large enough to con-
tain flock Of sheep, or to admit two
carriages driving abreast through it. 1t
still bears abundance Of fruit, and its col
lectors have built hut within Its trunk,
the better to promote their proceedings.
At Tortworth, England, there exists
chestnut tree measuring, at four feet from
the ground, sixty feet in circumference,
although at the present time it is nearly
sylvan ruin. A fig tree stands on the
northerly bank of the river Johnstone, In
East Australia, in latitude 81 degrees, lon
gitude 151 degrees, near Brisbane, meas
uring three feet from the ground $50 feet,
and at ffty-fye feet, where it sends off
great branches, eighty feet in circum-
ference There lies upon Mount Bawbaw,
Gippsland, southeast Australia, gum tree
measuring 480 feet as it lies where it was
broken off at the top, and it is calculated
to have stood 500 feet high; it measures 60
feet in circumference. In Bougouderch,
near Constantinople, is plane tree meas
uring 40 feet in circumference. At Ba-
lax Bournarbashi, Asia Minor, is pond
overshadowed by three gigantic plane trees,
the trunk of one of which, one foot from
the ground, measures 43 feet in circum-
ference.
The largest tree in the United States
stands near Bear Greek, on the north side
of the Tule river, California. 1t measures
40 feet in circumference In Toulumne
grove Nevada, stands eThe Dead Giant
Redwood Tree measuring 119 feet in
circumference, which has been so entirely
followed by long use as chimney that
the road-makers could not resist the temp
tation of completing the work of camp
fires, so they have cut great archway
right through the heart of the poor dead
stump, and led the road through it, so that
now the high crowded coach daily passes
through the heart Of the great tree which
may have been young in the days of Julius
Caesar. There are thirteen other trees
standing near it measuring from seventy
two to ninety-six feet in circumference
The Grizzly Giant, the monarch of the
Mariposa grove, measures ninety-two feet
In circumference The Tulara- Fresno for
est, so called from being situated in those
counties California, extending seventy
miles in length, with width in some
places of ten miles, consists mainly of big
trees, with a multitude of smaller ones,
measuring from six to 120 feet in circum-
ference.
Near Santes, in France, stands an oak
tree measuring ninety-one feet in clrcum-
ference. At HOLLYWOOD, near Bromley
England, stands an oak tree with root
projecting on one side into the shape Of a
settee. Seated upon that root William
Pitt and William Wherefore held together
a conversation, as a result of which the
latter, May II, 1889, brought the question
of the abolition of the slave trade before
the House of Commons The tree is still
known as the Wilberforce oak Pliny "a.
D.23) tells us of a plane tree, growing in his
time, which was in itself a forest. The
The governor of Lucia gave an entertain
ment to his friends in the hollow trunk,
which is eighty feet in circumference.
John Dowd discovered in Calaveras county,
California, a grove Of 1913 trees, covering a
space of fifty acres, measuring from seventy
to ninety-six feet in circumference.
Throughout all England there are oak trees
Of remarkable size The "Cowthorp oak, p"
ON the banks of the MIDI, in Yorkshire,
measures at the ground seventy-eight feet
in circumference The famous tree called
the "Charter Oak" near Hartford, Con
necticut, which fell August q, 1856, was
thirty-three feet in circumference at the
ground. 1t fell SO as to leave eight feet Of
stump on one side and six feet on the
other. A double trunked oak tree is
standing in South Beaver, Pennsylvania,
which begins at the root with a single
trunk. This divides into two about one
foot from the ground, continues thus for
ten feet, and then becomes united again.
Each of the twin trunks, at the point of
division, measures three feet in circumfer-
ence.
At Eny, in Cornwall, is a Wych-elm,
which was planted originally on the left
side of a stream, but having from some
unknown cause been laid PROSTATE the
trunk fell on the opposite side Of the
stream, where it took root and rising again,
has acquired such dimensions that it covers
an area of one-sixth Of an acre. The main
stem, which now forms natural bridge
across the stream, is ten feet in circumfer-
ence. and the three trunks which rise from
the right bank of the stream measure eight
and a half, SIX feet, and five feet eight
inches in circumference. An engraving of
it may be seen in "John's Forest Trees of
Great Britain" page 232 There is an
elm tree in the south of England which
measures sixty-one feet in circumference.
On the Hubbard farm, in North Andover,
Mass, stands a magnificent elm tree meas
uring twenty-seven feet in circumference.
A barberry bush has taken root in a notch
twenty feet from the ground, which can be
remembered by some Of the Oldest residents
during their boyhood. At Bingham Mass,
near the former site of the Old Colony
house, is an elm tree measuring twenty-five
feet in circumference The "WashingtOn
elm, in Cambridge, which has completed
two centuries of existence, measures four
teen feet in circumference. Never was
tree cherished with greater care, but its
days are numbered a few years, more or
less, and like PENIS "Treaty Elm, and
the famous "Charter Oak, it will be re-
membered with the things that were. One
of its stout limbs has been recently sawed
off to prevent danger to travellers, and it
will probably close its existence with the
present century.
There is a fir tree growing near the baths
of Alliaz, Switzerland, surrounded by a
forest which it overtops more than thirty
feet The trunk is thirty feet in circum-
ference at the base At about yard from