512 STATE AND PROSPECTS OF ARBORICULTURE IN HAMPSHIRE. 
westerly to East Meon; then south-east by east to Buriton to the 
borders of Sussex. Commencing at Rowland’s Castle at said Sussex 
boundary, it takes a north-westerly direction to Horndean; then 
in a zigzag line to Bishop’s Waltham, Upham, Otterbourne, to the 
south of Hursley Park ; then nearly due west to Timsbury, north 
to Michelmersh ; then west to Mottisfont, north to Pittleworth ; 
then curving south-west by Bently to East and West Tytherley, 
where it joins the Wiltshire bed south of Norman Court. It 
thus occupies a large portion of the centre of the county. Within 
the above boundary are many detached patches of the plastic clay, 
a rather large deposit of which occurs at Froxfield. At Burgh- 
clere and Sidmonton is a deposit of the Upper Greensand. In 
the valleys of the rivers Test and Itchen, with their tributaries, 
are considerable deposits of alluvium. Detached from the great 
central bed of chalk are four others, namely at Deanhill, Rock- 
bourne, and Breamore, which are extensions of the Wiltshire bed. 
On the south another detached portion occurs, commencing at 
Emsworth, thence west to Havant, Bedhampton, Boarhunt, to 
the Titchfield river, returning east by Fareham, Portchester, to 
West Thorney, taking in the northern parts of Hayling and 
Thorney Islands. Within this area rises Portsdown Hill, bold 
and bare, to the height of 450 feet above sea-level, and here 
stands the monument erected to the memory of Lord Nelson. 
The general character of the chalk at present is down and 
cultivated fields, and is not naturally favourable to the growth of 
trees, although some writers have ventured the opinion that it 
was, previous to the Roman invasion, one vast forest. This is 
not borne out by investigation, for when the chalk is laid bare 
not a tree root nor the vestige of one can be found. With the 
exception of the yew not a root cares to penetrate the chalk pure 
and simple; but many an ancient specimen of the yew is to be 
found rearing its weather-beaten form, scarred with the blasts of 
centuries, on the bare and wind-swept chalky downs. The 
juniper also finds here a congenial home, but where there is 
sufficient depth of soil above the chalk most of our forest trees 
will thrive and produce the best of timber, particularly oak and 
beech ; and it may be taken generally that the quality of the 
timber grown on a chalk subsoil is superior to that of any other 
in this county. Within the area above described is to be found 
some of the richest wooded parks in the county, such as Hurst- 
bourne (Lord Portsmouth), Highclere (Lord Carnarvon), Hack- 
wood (Lord Bolton), The Grange (Lord Ashburton), Stratton 
