In a corner of a Cumberland farmyard there grew a noble tree whose roots struck deep into the soil, and whose heavy branches shadowed much of the ground. “Why do you not cut it down?” asked a stranger; “it seems so much in the way.” “Cut it down!” the farmer answered passionately. “I would sooner fall on my knees and worship it.” To him the tree had spoken of a secret unguessed by Jock’s father and by many other people who look at the trees with eyes that cannot see. He had learned that the mystery of tree life is one with the mystery that underlies our own; that we share this mystery with the sea, and the sun, and the stars, and that by this mystery of life the whole world is “bound with gold chains” of love “about the feet of God.” C. E. SMITH. LIST OF PLATES PLATE I The Oak PLATE II The Beech PLATE III The Birch PLATE IV The Alder PLATE V The Hornbeam PLATE VI The Hazel PLATE VII The Lime or Linden PLATE VIII The Common Elm and Wych or Broad-Leaved Elm PLATE IX The Ash PLATE X The Field Maple PLATE XI The Sycamore, or Great Maple, or Mock Plane PLATE XII The Oriental Plane PLATE XIII The White Poplar or Abele Tree PLATE XIV The Aspen PLATE XV The White Willow PLATE XVI The Goat Willow or Sallow PLATE XVII The Scotch Pine or Scotch Fir PLATE XVIII The Yew PLATE XIX The Juniper PLATE XX The Larch PLATE XXI The Spruce Fir PLATE XXII The Silver Fir PLATE XXIII The Holly PLATE XXIV The Wild Cherry or Gean PLATE XXV The Whitebeam PLATE XXVI The Rowan or Mountain Ash PLATE XXVII The Hawthorn PLATE XXVIII The Box PLATE XXIX The Walnut PLATE XXX The Sweet Chestnut or Spanish Chestnut PLATE XXXI The Horse Chestnut PLATE XXXII The Cedar of Lebanon TREES PLATE I THE OAK Of all our forest trees the Oak is undoubtedly the king. It is our most important tree, the monarch of our woods, full of noble dignity and grandeur in the summer sunshine, strong to endure the buffeting of the wintry gales. It lives to the great age of seven hundred years or more, and is a true father of the forest. We read of the Oak tree in the story books of long ago. There are many Oak trees mentioned in the Bible. In Greece the Oak was believed to be the first tree that God created, and there grew a grove of sacred Oaks which were said to utter prophecies. The wood used for the building of the good ship Argo was cut from this grove, and in times of danger the planks of the ship spoke in warning voices to the sailors.