The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-16
Some Aocient Trees,
(Frorn The London Staadardl


There Is cypress AZ Somma. between
Lake Mssgtors and Milan. which has the
reputation OF beng coeval with iA=
Christian era and. 20 AVOID destroying
ms venerable tree. Napoie0n-moTe care
IuI or vegetable life than OF hGmsn-caus-
ed road which Re was making 10 dsvlAte
from its straight course. This cypress
IS about twenty three feet IN giTth. but
the average growth Of a cypress is ssti-
mated as about Two feet Of girta IN q
century. though even this is a matter OF
great uncertainty. II is. therefore quite
impossible 20 say from the size OF the
Tree whether rs planting took place in
the TINE OF Christ or later. though there
can be no doubt OF the trees great antiq-
uity. traditions are, OF course, far more
taAiole than the condition OF tree IL
self. and yet u is very difficult not 10
yield 20 the seductive voice OF legend One
IS very liable 70 accept me pleasing sup
position that the aged olives in the Gar
den OF Gethsemans are the same trees
that Witnessed the Savfor's Passion
and few travellers can resist the tenlpta-
ton to connect the ced2rs on Lebanon
with direct Biblical times. All American
traveller. speaking Of the Gethsemane o.
ives. says. one OF these. the largest.
parked and scar.fieG b. the knives OF pill
grims is reverezced as the Identical tree
under which Christ was betrayed; and Us
enormous roots, growing high our OF the
earth. could induce belief OF almost any
degree OF antiquity" But even could the
trees have lived so long. il is certain that
the knives OF pilgrims. here referred TO.
would have destroyed or removed them
long ago; neither IS Il considered likely.
by those who may De called experts, that
the present cedarS OF Libanus reach =
greater age than eight or nine centuries.
Another tree thai reaches a great age.
but an age that IS very dinicul; 10 prove.
is the Spanish chestnut. The difficulties
n this case are increased by the fact that
some or the largest chestnuts known Off
en- prove 10 be a growing together or sew
eral different stems. which accounts for
the enormous bulk and the appearance OF
vast antiquity. The celebrated ToTtworth
Chestnut, which lays claim 10 be the old
est tree IN Britain. Is probably an in
stance OF this growing together Though
now mere fragment. IL Is asserted 10
have attained a slrth OF hfty-seven feet,
which measurement has been lar sur
passed BY chestnuts on the Continent. u
Is stated that King John held par.ia-
ment under this tree a tradition which
reminds Us that forests and groves were
ever the worlds earliest parliament
houses, and that Celt and Teuton alike
held their assemblsges under the trees
or on breezy hiusides. The largest chest
nut IN the world Is the Castaguo III cento
caviln, in the forest OF Carpinetto. on the
slopes OF Mount Etna- Us girth Is loo
feet. and kiln for drying chestnuts has
been constructed in its hollow trunk.
Judging not only by its bulk. but by its
rings. the age OF this gigantic tree has
been estimated at from $500 10 400 years.
which takes US back into times that are
almost mythical. II such an age be pos
sible the tree at TOrtworth Is modest in
claiming only some eight or nine CeutU-
ries; but IL is tolerably certain that the
tree on Etna IS not one but four or nve
different trees associated together IKE
one. This must materially affect any
considerations Of its age. as also In the
case OF the famed GIOucestershiTe chest
nut. The soil OF Etna would also prove
specially favorable 20 vast growth.
When we come back to the oak. our IA
vorite British tree. We find the same DIFF
fculty in accurately estimating antiquity
IT is certain that size is not an infallibie
criterion. Tradition has been particularly
busy with the oaks of our woodlands, In
attr.buting 10 them ages which appear
fabulous. The CowthOrpe oak is said TO be
the largest in England. but II need not.
therefore. be the oldest. Pliny told some
remarkable tales of the antiquity OF the
Quercus lex. which we know In Britain
as the Holm oak; but it would seem that
Pliny was sometimes either given TO rO-
mancing or 10 great credullty. In the
second century OF the Christian era there
was said TO be existing IN Greece a plane
tree that had actually been planted by
Menelaus. which is much as IL We We're
10 assert that a certain oak had been
planted by Merlin the Wizard. or BY King
Arthur