X36 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



HEDGEROWS, TIMBER, AND GAME. 



The monthly meeting of the Winfrith Farmers' Club was 

 held at the Hear Inn, Wool, on Wednesday, the 17th 

 November; and the subject on the card for discussion was, 

 " The Importance of Kemoving Hedgerows, Timber, &c." 



Mr. T. S. Jackson, of Rempstone, having been entrusted 

 with its introduction, said : Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, 

 it is probable that man}', on looking at the subject for this 

 evening's discussion, may think it of but little importance, 

 and that it might be summed up in a few words by ad- 

 mitting there are a few trees and hedgerows in the country 

 which certainly would be better removed ; but, in order to 

 give me a little more scope, allow rae to call your attention 

 to the following addition upon the card, the " et cetera." 

 But first a few words about timber. I should be very sorry 

 to give the impression that I am advocating the total an- 

 nihilation of that magnificent work of Creation, for in many 

 cases I am able to enter into the spirit of that good old 

 English song — 



" Woodman ! spare that tree ; 

 Touch not a single bougii : 

 In youth it sheltered me. 

 And I'll protect it now." 

 I am quite ready to class them amongst the good creatures 

 of (iod, providing they stand in the right place. Everyone 

 must admit that a handsome bull, feeding in a pasture, is a 

 good creature of God, but what would it be in a china shop.^ 

 Why, in the wrong place, to be sure ; and the sooner re- 

 moved the better. And we must come to the same conclu- 

 sion respecting thousands of timber trees standing upon the 

 arable land of this country. I am not a speculating cha- 

 racter ; but methinks I should like just for once to launch 

 out (if it could be done) and purchase all the timber standing 

 upon the arable land of this country for what it is worth, 

 and sell it for the damage done to the crops beneath, and 

 doubt not it would quite put Mr. Hudson in the shade, 

 although he speculated by steam. I hope our good landed 

 proprietors will pardon my speakiug a little plainly on the 

 subject ; but I must say they are apt to carry their heads 

 rather too high when riding over their estates, admiring the 

 spreading oak, the elegant ash, and towering elm, instead of 

 looking down at the wretched crops beneath, by which the 

 hopes of the husbandmen are blighted, and the food of the 

 people destroyed. The loss is great when trees stand on 

 the border of one corn field, greater between two, but 

 greater still when standing in them, not only from the 

 nutriment being extracted by the roots, but the breakage of 

 ploughs and inconvenient dodging which must follow in the 

 working of every other implement. When living in 

 Herts it twice fell to my lot to ride over the county 

 as one of the judges of root crops, and on both oc- 

 casions it was quite distressing to see the havoc caused by 

 timber. I remember making this remark to my col- 

 leagues: AVould it not be much more to the point, 

 instead of the landlords giving a prize to the tenant for the 

 beat root crop, for the latter to offer one to those landlords 

 who had the least number of treea in their corn fields ? We 

 measured the distance injured by one ash tree, and mentioned 

 it in our report at the annual meeting. To the best of my re- 

 collection the damage extended twenty-five yards from the 

 tnmk. A friend, on hearing the topic for thia eveuing'a dis- 



cussion, was kind enough to measure the damage caused by 

 three trees on his farm during the last harvest, and found that 

 one oak, girthing 68 inches, injured the crop from 13 to 14 

 yards from the trunk — probable age of tree from 160 to 180 

 years, value from 40s. to SOs. ; one elm, age and value much 

 the same, injuring crop 15 yards from the trunk; one small 

 ash, value from 12s. to 15s., extent of damage about the same 

 as the oak. The crop was barley, something like five qrs. to 

 the acre, but not more than one- third of that under the trees ; 

 and thus by putting the value of damage at only 4s. per tree 

 for one hundred years, and saying nothing of the first fifty or 

 sixty, it would amount to £20, and the value of the trees not 

 more than 503., making a loss of £17 10s. for each tree. In 

 concluding this part of the subject, and advocating the fall of 

 trees which arc a curse and not a blessing, God forbid that I 

 should wish to see this beautiful world of oars stripped of all 

 its splendour ; but I would say to those who have the power, 

 plant more of your hills and dales, heath and waste land by 

 the road side, which are not calculated for growing corn. It 

 is true it will be a work of time for them to make much pro- 

 gress, but pray begin and do what your forefathers ought to 

 have done, in order tliat the now bleak and barren spots might 

 smile with gratitude to the hand of industry. I will now 

 proceed to make a few remarks on planting, narrowing, and 

 rooting hedgerows. It appears to be generally agreed that 

 white bush, or quick, is the best to procure a good live fence, 

 but still opinions differ as to the manner of cultivation ; some 

 prefering double rows, other single. As far as my own ex- 

 perience goes I should decidedly recommend the latter, for 

 this reason : it is quite out of the question to expect a strong 

 and healthy fence, unless kept clean when young, which is 

 practicable on the single system ; but it is almost impossible 

 to dig between a double row after a certain growth. Some 

 approve of the plan of cutting it down close to the earth the 

 first year, but it appears to me better to let it remain three or 

 four years, and then, when cut close, it will shoot stronger and 

 make a much more bushy fence below. Having made these 

 observations on planting, I will now endeavour to bring a few 

 facts to show the evil arising from having too many hedges, 

 and consequently many small fields, which is a loss that even 

 the occupiers are too apt to overlook. In the first place it 

 must be admitted that sun and air are most essential not only 

 to produce but also to ripen the corn ; in most cases that 

 growing within a few yards of the hedge is less productive and 

 of an inferior quality. Then, when cultivating the land, there 

 is a great loss of time, in turning, for both men and horses; 

 and, in order to obtain some idea as to the amount, I have, on 

 several occasions when two ploughs were going, and one some 

 little distance behind the other, walked close beside the latter, an d 

 made a mark with my foot directly the first began to turn, and 

 another as soon as it fairly got into its work again, and found 

 the latter plough to have gone sometimes 7 perch, and never 

 less than 4. So by taking the average at only 5 perch (which 

 I fear is below, when the master's eye is not there), and thus 

 by placing two square fields adjoining, each 10 acres, the hedge 

 between ranat be 40 perch in length, there is a loss of 5 perch 

 on both, making 10 in width. Consequently, while ploughing 

 the 20 acres they will have lost sufficient time to have ploughed 

 2i acres, if the hedges had not been there ; and of course the 

 same with drilling, harrowing, rolling, &c. ; and supposing the 



