The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
coyNECrICUr's GREAT TREES.
The Colonial Giants Among Oaks. Films, and
Chestnuts.

The Colonial Giants Among Oaks. Films, and
Chestnuts.
HARTFoRp, Conn.,, Aug. tn. l.. Hcale OF
Jewett City has been rousinR public interest in
this States old trees. He has found that the
elms furnish the most attractive group OF trees
in point of historical interest. There il a weep-
ing elm on Mr.. Reade's lawn which, although II
has a very small trunk, is a wonder as regards
the space II covers. Its trunk is not over two
and a half feet in diameter. Its branches nearly
touch the ground, making IA shade. when the
sun Is directly overhead, of 90 feet in diameter,
or large enough for $500 men.
Some Of the oldest clms in the State are at
Stratford: Il number there are known to be over
two centuries old. The Mcclellan elms in South
Woodstock were planted on June l.. 1895. by
the grandmother OF Gen. George Is. McClel.
Ian. The fine elms of East Hartford were set
out, with one or two exceptions, by the French
troops under Rochambeau. The matchlcss elm
trees In South Windsor were planted by British
prisoners of war in revolutionary times. There
are two monster clms in front of ]. l.. Judd's
place in Litchtlcld which are shown To visitors
as the Calhoun elins. They were set out by John
{. Calhoun while he was a law student at Litrh-
field in 1903. There is another elm at the cor.
ner Of North and West streets in Lltchticld, the
finest in the village. which was the village whip.
ping post in the old days.
One OF the largest elm trees in the state stands
on the land OF Miss Mckinney Of South Wind.
sor. Its trunk IS 30 feet in circumference
Southington has the Barnes elm, which was ad.
| mired for years by Henry Ward Beecher, and he
knew something about elms, too. for he was
born among the clm.Clad streets OF litchfeld.
On the estate of Francis \. stiles in the white
oak district of Southbury there is a gigantic
weeping elm which seems to be right in its
prime today and ready TO branch out for the
twentieth century. Six feet from the ground
Its trunk measures Zig feet around. and its
branches spread out ll9 feet. ltartford's
famous Lcdyard elm was set out by John Led.
yard. the traveller. in 1865.
Norwich has some sturicd clIns. They are un.
usually large and each Of them casts a shade
more than 100 feet in diameter. Two of them,
at Norwich Town. were mentioned nv DR.. oliver
Wendell Holmes in his "Autocrat OF the Break.
fast Table. The third is the Bean Hill elm
written about hy Whittier, This tree is known
rs the Gospel Elm. for under its broad shadow
the famous olI.time rcvivalist. Lorenzo Dow,
used to hold III. peculiar religious services. Tn
faithful wife "Peggy," who had recently died,
he suddenly announced himself a. ready
yoke. adding: "Ifany woman present j. willing
TO become the wife Of Lorenzo Dow will thank
WhctSapGh Miss Lucy boIbearc. a inr.in Is e.,
H!!l splEst"r. arose. and announced her willing.
worse so be il, - Numbered Lorenzo Dow
in reply; The Lords will be done. And thcy
were married.
The most famous of the many New Haven
clms stands at the corner of the Green. at Church
and Chapel streets. II is the Frarklin elm.
into that city on his back from near by II ,mpien
Plains. ana sold it 10 Thaddeus B"rrher FOR n
pint OF santa CRUZ rum. II was planted on the
day nf Franklin's death. April l.. 1890. It's
gir,h . feet from the ground j. now II feet
New tven elms were set ont in Il trrc-planting
fever between l7s7 and 1876.
| (Onngttlguf history might he Nyrisf.p The fp-
nous Charter Oak tree In Hartford Was an old
tree when the colonists first came into these
parts, and the Glastonbury oaks, Of about the
same age. are now held 10 be over three hundred
wears Old. The Poetry Oak OF Pachaue stands
was alluded to in ia" agricultural papers Of The
country hall a century ago because rf its enor.
"t!orE and Shame OF England. - unused under
It's shhde, George -. Prentice, wrote bis first
u asset many y! III" study hours of his youth
under IL. iIr. iicahc says OF his oak:
years. and p]oli,icGi ,pscchc~ from The settle.
incnt ~ this country dorm 10 the present day.
on 1921 from n sronmd H. ,rGnE Is !" feet
limb, extend each way IL" feet"
on the farm Of James Il. Palmer OF Lisbon is
The trunk l foot from the ground IN. feet.
This, NJ; i;cadr "alcuintc-, must be Al least 800
On Bozran street in Boarah. IL correspondent
writes Mr.. I.calc. there + chestnut tree thar
but and stands . Zee; high. hut, The
giant Of chestnut trees stands in Mansfield.
II has a OGtt u feet around. its branches
spread over "a shade diameter OF 100 feet. and
its vast green cone is reared 20 II height OF
90 feet. There j. another chestnut in Hampton
that has n trunk - feet around.
The tRllr-' and statclie-r white birch tree in
the State is believed tn bc on the farm OF Calvin
Wilcox in rIswu
As nearly n can be n-corJeincd, the largest
s~dssafras tree in Connecticut. and presumably
in the United states. j. On he grounds of Levi
NJ. Read in Union. Its truuN measures IL feet
in circumference 10 feet from The ground.
There is AN imIuens" willow on the lawn of
Mrs. ". &. NOycs in 1iichticld which was orig.
inally a riding switch and was stuck In the
ground by her grandfather. Col. benjamin Tall.
madgc. who was on Wa-hiuZion's stan during
the Revolutionary War. Drlos lIotchki-s OF
Cheshire has an apple tree 40 wears old that
has borne repeatedly 100 bushels OF apples in n
season. II has n girth OF III. feet. George u.
Colburn OF the same town has an apple trcc that
was planted in 1880 by Mrs. samuel Strong,
herself a Ccnt"narian. The original Scek-No.
Further apple tree is still standing in Hebron. Ii
was ri tntcd by Elisha Marvin.
Interesting Connecticut trees that have fallen
to the dust recently include the Sentinel Pine In
Griswold. which was 1870 feet high and could be
seen from twelve towns, and the Woodbridge
OK. which Prof. Abbott OF New York and Oliver
Wendell Holmes estimated 10 be 1000 years old.
This oak was "A watch tower for the Indians and
for COTE and Whalley and DiNwcll, and some OF
its wood has been made into chairs for the
Quinnipiac club of New Haven.