Though old and full of years, it is yet a "hale green tree :" its timber is yet sound, and we can readily fancy, that, to those who supply our dockyards, and who could lay the axe unconcernedly to its root, it forms a most desirable prize. We trust that such men in future will be met, in all quarters, with a prompt refusal even to look at it. Upon entering one of our older demesnes the other day, and asking the gate-keeper, who appeared to be a very respectable old lady, if the family were at home, explaining, at the same time, our anxiety to look at the trees upon the estate, the good woman, mistaking our object, replied somewhat angrily, "It's no use your looking at them, for Mrs. B. would not part with them, though you were to give her a thousand pounds a-piece for them." This answer was to us perfectly satisfactory, and we proceeded on our errand, leaving this enthusiastic admirer of trees-enthusiastic at least in adopting her employer's ideas-still more irritated at our temerity. The same spirit, we trust, will be exercised in this quarter, so that this noble object may be saved from an ignominious end.

Were this tree ours, we should immediately have a space of fifty yards cleared around it, and, after laying it down. in turf, have it enclosed with iron rails or common palisading. We should, furthermore, have an elegant gravel walk leading to it from the village of Thorpe, in order that the public might visit it conveniently; for, at present, it is of most difficult access, being surrounded by woody undergrowths and rank herbage.

This tree soars to the height of about seventy feet; it has a trunk forty-two feet in length; its circumference, at one foot from the ground, being twenty-one feet six inches,dimensions which denote a noble and well-constructed tree. We give a drawing of it, in a subsequent page, of twice the size of our usual etchings.

After looking upon this magnificent object, we do not feel inclined or warranted to notice any other tree upon this estate.

HORSFORD HALL,

THE SEAT OF MRS. DAY.

THOSE Who expect to find that the order of our notices. should have a reference to seats contiguous to each other, will, we fear, be occasionally disappointed. It was certainly our intention to visit them according to the respective hundreds or divisions of the county in which they are situated; but we have found that such a plan is to us, who have only a few leisure hours to devote to the subject, quite impracticable. For aught we know, the method we are pursuing may to some be the preferable one, and, till otherwise informed, we shall continue it, premising that no seat really worthy of notice in the county shall escape our observation.

Our next excursion, then, commences with the abovementioned residence, a place which derives considerable dignity from the lofty and picturesque specimens of old trees with which it is adorned. Horsford, it appears, was in ancient times a place of great note. The barons of Horsford had a castle here, the remains of which were still to be seen even so lately as Blomefield's time. The Home Park, according to ancient records, was, in the reign of Henry VIII., well stocked with deer; and the Chace, a barren tract of country of a thousand acres, was clad with trees and underwood, the last of which were felled in the time of Queen Elizabeth. But whilst these have passed away, we have to direct attention to their descendants, now rising in equally interesting garbs in front of the

mansion.

We like the appearance of this seat beyond many. The trees of the park, and those in the neighbourhood of the church, of the elm tribe, sufficiently testify the venerable character of the place, whilst their dense and lofty growth throws an air of stillness and tranquillity about it, which,

to the contemplative mind, constitutes one of the greatest charms of rural life. Though close to the road-side, it has a delightfully sequestered character, and, as to retirement, forms such a picture as we sometimes see about ruined towers, or other scenes of departed greatness. We have no idea of what the age of these trees may be; and indeed it is doubtful whether any one living can give us any information on this point, for we have been told that they had attained to a goodly size half a century ago. There are none of them, however, of extreme age, and we refer to them rather as perfect trees, some of them of picturesque appearance, and adding considerable charms to the locality where they grow.

Those of most noted character here are of the Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris), some of which are of exceeding beauty. There is one which stands close to the road-side, and near a little gateway, which, at one foot from the ground, measures nine feet in circumference, being about sixty-five feet in height. This, however, cannot be considered a perfect tree, for it has a bifidated head, and wants that contorted and shaggy appearance peculiar to the species when seen in its native abodes. The specimen represented in the etching is of different character, and may be said to possess the excellence of its kindred on the northern hills-in every respect a fit accompaniment to the bold scenes which it was originally formed to adorn. We are sometimes surprised to find this tree accommodating itself so well to the flat and fertile plains of Norfolk; for, in its native habitations it has to seek its support amidst rocks and ravines, and in some instances in the interstices of sandstone; situations in which it attains to its greatest beauty.

There is an oak here which has excited considerable attention amongst lovers of trees; but, to our ideas, it is formal and deficient in ramification. The usual characteristics of the English oak would certainly be misapplied in describing this object. The circumference of the space covered by its branches is eighty-five yards. Here is also an English elm (Ulmus campestris), twelve feet in circumference and seventy feet high.