466 The Agriculture of Worcestershire. 



or three to supply the place of one good ash -pole, for they soon 

 decay. 



In a few places on the western border of the county these 

 alder-poles are allowed to grow in clumps on the meadow-land, 

 a system to be very much condemned, as the cattle bite off many 

 of the shoots, thereby causing the growth of bad poles ; and they 

 also cause injury to the meadow-land, which had much better be 

 drained and converted to a more profitable purpose. 



If the alder is grown at all, it is much better to grow them in 

 beds, where they can be kept well fenced from stock of all 

 kinds. 



Many parts of the county produce very fine elm timber, which 

 being a free growing tree, generally pays better than oak, though 

 only realizing one-third the price. 



Chesnut is also a valuable wood, both for hop-poles and hur- 

 dles. In sheep districts there is always a demand for these 

 hurdles, for, though much lighter, they are as durable as oak : 

 indeed some people affirm that chesnut will last longer, as the 

 oak is felled with the sap in it. The chesnut must not be left 

 to get too old. Young chesnut is also good for farm gates. 



In the neighbourhood of Bewdley there are immense forests 

 of oak coppice. Here large quantities of charcoal are made, 

 but the greater part of these forests is in Shropshire. 



Great injury is frequently caused to coppice-woods by allowing 

 cattle and sheep to bite off the young shoots ; damage to the 

 extent of many pounds may be done in a few minutes — great 

 attention should therefore be paid to the fences. 



A great mistake is also committed in allowing ivy to grow 

 upon timber ; however ornamental it may be, it occasions much 

 injury to the timber. If wood is kept for coppice, many large 

 oaks should not be allowed to remain, for nothing grows under 

 them. One timber tree, three princes, six double stores, with 

 plenty of smaller size, are enough to stand per acre. 



The fences in this county, as a rule, are good, more especially 

 on the Lias, where the quick grows remarkably well ; on the 

 good land many of the old fences have been removed, and new 

 straight ones substituted. 



To give some idea of the rapidity of growth of the white 

 thorn under favourable circumstances, I may state that I mea- 

 sured the length of one summer's shoot in a hedge near Mr. 

 Willet's, of Bishampton farm, which was 6 feet 3 inches. 



Taking the county through, there is an absence of the hedgerow 

 timber which is such a hindrance to good farming in many 

 places. 



