VOL. XVIII. (3) EXCURSION— FOREST OF DEAN 



199 



more or less north and south from Wigpool Common to Staple Edge enclosure, 

 and north and east of this formation comes the Old Red Sandstone with its 

 deep fresh sandy loam. On the extreme east is found some marl. 



The soil is generally good, and in some parts it is exceptionally fertile for 

 a forest soil. In many places, however, it has deteriorated considerably owing 

 to the open nature of the woods, and it is one of the objects of the manage- 

 ment to improve the fertility by reintroducing beech into the woods. It is 

 recorded that in 1787 the Forest carried a mixed crop of oak and beech in 

 the proportion of two beeches to one oak, and this clearly indicates the 

 conditions under which the fine oaks, for which the Forest was renowned, were 

 produced. The last of this fine old crop was felled in 1852 and 1853. A 

 record shows that 1,241 trees yielded 191,825 cubic feet, or an average of 154 

 cubic feet per tree. 



The Abbotswood estate was next visited. This estate was formerly 

 part of Dean Forest, but was granted to the monks of Flaxley Abbey in 

 1258 by Henry II. in exchange for a right to take two oaks weekly from the 

 forest. Eventually the estate passed into private hands, and was purchased 

 by the Crown in 1899. At that time a large proportion of the area was waste 

 land, and a considerable amount of planting has been done. 



A large beech was here cut in the presence of the Members by the 

 method known as " key-cutting." When a large heavy tree is standing on a 

 steep slope it is very apt to split when cut in the ordinary way. Key-cutting 

 consists in first cutting a hole through a buttress of the tree, inserting the 

 saw into this and sawing through the tree in the direction away from the small 

 uncut portion, or " key." This key holds up the tree until the sawing is 

 finished, and it is then cut through with an axe and the tree falls. 



The experimental plots were next visited. These plots have an area of 

 20 acres, and are situated at an elevation of from 380 to 450 feet, on a south 

 or south-east aspect. The soil is a good sandy loam derived from the Old 

 Red Sandstone. The plots were started in 1904 to illustrate the growth of 

 several species, both pure and mixed, dense and open. Up to date, the only 

 measurements taken are those of height-growth, and the following are some 

 of the results, the figures being obtained by the measurement of over 1,000 

 trees in each plot. The age of all species was ten years at the date on which 

 they were measured, except the Lawson's cypress, which was nine years old. 



As a rule close planting gives far better results than open planting, 

 and trees should ordinarily not be planted further apart than 4 feet by 4 feet. 



