THE MANAGEMENT OK EPPINO FOREST. 67 



disfigured, and unlovely. Tiie best evidence how well it has been handled by 

 the Conservators is that anyone should already speak of it as " primeval.'' He 

 must most earnestly deprecate appeals to sentiment and popular prejudice. The 

 art of forestry — that is, the art of giving free scope to the natural development of 

 trees — was a very technical and difficult science, and to be successful, the best 

 judges of what was really wanted should be found and given a free hand. Of 

 course they must cut away redundant growth, and give light and air, unless they 

 wanted a hopeless thicket in which the vegetation was dyingfrom suffocation, neither 

 beautiful nor healthy, nor useful for man or beast. Why, moreover, should a 

 park-like appearance be objected to, if by that vague expression was meant 

 single trees of perfect growth standing b}^ themselves ; such are found in natural 

 forests and are their greatest beauties. He would specially protest against the 

 suggestion that the Forest was to be managed to suit the ideas of the East^End 

 population, the ideal of most of whom was a tea-garden. It would be just as 

 reasonable to decide on the surgical treatment of some patient in the London 

 Hospital, suffering from a complication of diseases resulting from neglect, by a 

 plebiscite of ^Vhitechapel. He was quite a free lance, but from his long know- 

 ledge of the woods, he most cordially supported the resolution. 



Sir Frederick Young (Chairman of the " Forest Fund ") said ; I have listened 

 with attention to the discussion which has taken place, and particularly to the 

 interesting address of Professor Meldola, in the course of which he has referred 

 to my name. I hope, therefore, I may be permitted to make a few remarks on 

 the question, which has especially brought us together on the present occasion. 

 In consequence of the complaints recently made in the press of the reckless and 

 even " ruthless " cutting and clearing of the trees in certain parts of Epping 

 Forest, I was induced to enter my protest against it on the faith of the accuracy 

 of the reports which had reached me. Since that time I have paid three visits to 

 the spots in question, and I have also had the opportunity of hearing from Mr. 

 E. N. Buxton, on the part of the Verderers, the explanation of the reasons 

 for the cutting, clearing, and thinning of the trees, which have been sanctioned 

 by them in pursuance of their avowed object of treatment for the purpose of 

 preserving, and not destroying, the Forest committed to their charge. I am 

 bound frankl)' to own that although in my judgment this process appears to have 

 been too rigorously pursued, and that many trees which have been cut down 

 might have remained without detriment to the object in view ; yet, from what 

 I have seen and heard, my opinion has been considerably modified, and on the 

 whole, my hope is that the injury to the Forest is not what I was at first led to 

 fear and believe of the character I supposed. Professor Boulger has anticipated me 

 by moving a resolution. I should rather, I confess, have preferred one to this effect, 

 which I have prepared, and which, with the permission of the meeting, I will read. 

 It is as follows : " That this meeting of the Essex Field Club, and of several 

 scientific representatives of Forestry and others interested in the preservation of 

 lEpping Forest, take this opportunity of expressing the opinion that it was the 

 ntention of those who, many years ago, successfully secured Epping Forest for 

 he public, that it should alwaj-s be preserved in its primitive condition of wild, 

 latural woodland, and should not be subjected to any treatment calculated 

 .0 convert it into a park or artificial pla3'ground. That having visited several of 

 •he spots about which serious complaints have been made of too much cutting, 

 •learing, and thinning of the trees having been sanctioned by the Verderers, and 

 laving heard the explanations given by Mr. Edward North Buxton on their 

 lehalf, this meeting believes that the \^erderers and the Corporation of London, 



