EARLY ENGLISH FOREST REGULATIONS 535 



the forest were $15 of tithe, $1.G6 to the clerk who prepared the return, 

 and the pay of $3.33 for the two foresters — but they received an addi- 

 tional 12 cents a week bonus during the four weeks of deer-calving 

 time. So there were accounts and cost keeping back in 1370 ! 



SILVICULTURE. 



Forest trees. The trees mentioned in early English forests records 

 are oaks, referred to as quercus or robura (Q. sessiaflora and peduncu- 

 lata, formerly Q. robin), sweet chestnut, lime or linden (Tilia eiiro- 

 paea), Acer campestre (?), known as Arabilis frequently in earlier 

 forest records (and towards the beginning of the Fourteenth Century 

 called "mappil," "mapul," and ''mapeles"). Beech was common, while 

 elm was rare and of late occurrence, with other less important trees as 

 ash, blackthorn, hornbeam, whitethorn, holly, hazel ; the latter was very 

 common, and was responsible for the "nut-geld" frequently appearing 

 in the old records. 



Forest statistics. A very general and severe gale or windstorm that 

 occurred during the latter part of the year 1222 was the cause of fur- 

 nishing probably the most correct list of the Royal Forests extant. This 

 storm was so general that Henry III issued orders to forest officers not 

 to interfere with the prostrate trees or branches until further orders, 

 and to proceed at once to draw up a careful valuation of their worth. 

 On January 30, 1223, the King instructed the sheriffs of all counties 

 containing forests to place the money from the sale of such fallen 

 timber and branches in some religious house, and with it a roll or 

 report giving full particulars of the sales. 



A careful survey or reconnaissance was made of the woods of Birk- 

 land and Bilhagh (parts of Sherwood Forest) in 1G09, which showed 

 thai there was a total of 21,009 oak trees in Birkland, and 28,900 trees 

 in Bilhagh, and that the trees were in general all past maturity. Quern- 

 more Forest is described as having a circumference of six miles. 

 Within this forest was Easton wood, of six acres, containing a stand of 

 alder, hazel and whitethron, 40 years old, worth $2.25 per acre; also 

 there were 100 saplings for timber trees, worth $1.25 each. In another 

 wood, called New Kent, were 40 dotard oaks, suitable for fire wood, 

 worth 50 cents each. Dickson Carr Wood was said to be "sundry 

 besett with aller (alder) of an evil growth," and was to be cleared and 

 planted to trees of a better kind. 



Forest preservation. Henry VIII's fight with the Pope had a disas- 

 trous effect on the forests of England. .\s one result of this contro- 



