THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. — REPORTS OF MEETINGS. I59 



ANNUAL INSPECTION OF HAINHAULT FOREST AND 

 240th ORDINARY MEETING. 



Saturday, July 22nd, 1905. 



On this afternoon the fourth annual meeting of inspection of the newly- 

 recovered lands of Hainhault Forest was held, the object being to watch the 

 gradual upgrowth of the projected woodlands. Mr. E. N. Buxton was 

 announced as leader, but was unfortunately prevented from attending by the 

 illness of a near relative. Mr. Francis Dent very kindly undertook to fill his 

 place, and Mr. Alfred Buxton was also present. 



The party was a large one, and much interest was manifested in the work or 

 reclamation. The party walked up from the Grange Hill station to Chigwell 

 Row, crossing the Recreation Grounds and entering the woods at the part known 

 as " Ethelstone's Forest." Then a ramble was taken through the older 

 woodlands, viewing the new or newly cleared rides, and improvements made in 

 removing the old and diseased undergrowth, etc. At the gate near 

 Cabin Plain the recovered lands were entered, and Mr. Dent gave a series of 

 peripatetic demonstrations on the work now being carried out in laying down 

 grass so as to obtain a good surface for future planting. The first part of the 

 area visited showed a capital growth of goise and heather; the seedlings, 

 however, had only thriven where protected by scrub from the cattle put on by 

 commoners in the exercise of their rights. On the way up to Cabin Hill, on the 

 Lambourn side, several old enclosures were met with. These had been illegally 

 cleared in the old days, and were now restored to the forest. Up to this point, 

 on the top of the hill, all that had been done was the removal of some of the 

 inferior pollards, and the opening up of some glades. From this spot there is a 

 good view over the Dog Kennel Hill, where the problem of converting arable 

 into forest land is being dealt with. 



Tea was taken in the great barn at Foxborough Farm, and afterwards an 

 Ordinary Meeting (the 240th) was held, the President, Mr. Miller 

 Christy, F.L.S., in the chair. 



New Members. — Mr. Guy Maynard, Curator of the Saffron YValden 

 Museum (on behalf of the Committee of the Museum), and Mr. F. T. Sturdy, 

 " Surinam,'''' Holly Bush Hill, Snaresbrook, were elected. 



The President expressed the regret of the Club at the absence of Mr. Buxton 

 and its cause, and said that the experiments in re-afforesting now being carried 

 out would have a wide and permanent interest. 



Mr. Dent then gave an interesting and valuable detailed account of the 

 methods and results of the work on the open lands, and of the difficulties and 

 successes experienced. The great difficulty was the establishment of good turf, 

 with the character of the virgin turf of Epping. At first he was in favour of 

 inoculation, but it was found that the expense of labour and cartage was a bar to 

 that method. Mr. Buxton had resolved that this should be more or less open 

 down-land, with patches of gorse* and thorns. Experts had been consulted with 

 respect to the production of a forest turf; few of them grasped the problem, and 

 recommended grasses better adapted for agricultural purposes. Some turf had 

 been brought from Epping, and this consisted principally of bent, fine-leaved 

 grasses and sheep's fescue. It was decided that native grasses should be sown 

 Some of the land had been treated with basic slag, with good results. Quitch 

 and slender foxtail would probably disappear here, as they had done in Epping 



