THE TWENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL EXCURSION. 309 



given them. The day's outing concluded with a hurried inspec- 

 tion of some of the pot-culture experiments in connection with 

 the field experiments conducted by the Royal Agricultural Society 

 of England on the Woburn Experimental Station, which is close 

 bo the fruit farm. These were explained in detail by Dv 

 Ycelcker's assistant, under whose supervision they were cai-ried 

 out. 



Third Day. 



The programme for the third day included visits to Ashridge 

 Park, Tring Park, and Mentmore. Starting early, the company 

 drove first to 



Ashridge Park, 



the " stately home " of Earl Brownlow. On entering the park the 

 members were impressed with its great natural beauty and its 

 magnificent trees, which, with very rai-e exceptions, were in a very 

 healthy condition. Elms, oaks and ashes were abundant, but the 

 beech was the predominant tree. The " Queen's Beech " had a 

 clear bole of 70 feet, and was said to contain about 400 cubic feet 

 of timber. The timber is of excellent quality, and commands a 

 high price in the market. Mr Smith from Tring Park, Mr 

 Liberty, the forester, and Mr Lowe, the gardener, accompanied 

 the members in their walk through the gardens and pleasure- 

 grounds, where a fine avenue of Wellingtonias was much 

 admired. 



The time allotted, however, was too shoi't to permit the 

 members to linger, and only a glance could be spared for the 

 Monks Garden, the Grotto, and the Bamboo Garden. Many ex- 

 pressions of admiration were heard as the members took a last 

 look at the beautiful mansion and chapel, and universal regret 

 was expressed that a whole day had not been devoted to an in- 

 spection of the beauties of this magnificent place. 



Tring Park. 



A short drive brought the members to Tring Park, the seat of 

 Lord Rothschild, where they were met by Mr Richardson Carr, 

 the land agent. A visit was first paid to the nursery, where Mr 

 Smith not only rears forest plants, but carries out experiments in 

 fruit-tree growing. His experience of the application of dung to 

 fruit trees has been quite the opposite of that obtained at 

 Woburn. 



