Spanish or sweet Chestnut, sometimes named Chestnut Oak, sometimes included in the genus Fagus, seems at least a connecting link between Quercus and Fagus. This valuable timber tree, the largest growing, and, in many places, also the most common in the south of Europe, and which was once so {43} abundant in England that many of the largest of our ancient piles are wooded of it, has been for several ages much on the decrease in this country; owing, probably, to a slight refrigeration of climate, which, during this period, appears to have taken place, preventing the ripening of the seed, or, in more rigorous winters, following damp, cold summers, destroying all the young plants (at least the part above ground), whose succulent unripened shoots and more delicate general constitution, from immatured annual round of life, or imperfect concoction of juices, have not power to withstand the severe cold sometimes occurring near the surface of the earth. A very general destruction of the young plants of this kind of tree has occurred more than once within our memory from severe frost; but as the climate, a few years back, rather improved, and the spirit of planting became more general, a considerable number of plants of this tree have attained height and hardihood to withstand the cold, excepting in the points of the annual shoot, which we notice are again nipped (year 1830). This may give encouragement to more extended planting, as the tree is handsome, and, in most places, where water does not abound nor stagnate, acquires great size in comparatively short time. It is said to prefer a gravelly or stone {44} rubble subsoil, but we have seen it in rich clay, in row with large beeches, even exceed them in size. We should prefer for it any deep friable dry soil.