REPORT OF THE ANNUAL EXCURSION. 83 



flowers, fruits, and vegetables are cultivated in immense quantities 

 with great success, and a walk through the extensive ranges 

 of glass-houses, full of plants and flowers, was a rare treat to 

 those of the company with a taste for horticulture. 



At this point the charabancs were boarded, and the party 

 started on a long and interesting drive through the park. What 

 is known as Windsor park proper, is 4000 acres in extent, 

 whilst the area which is exclusively given over to timber is 

 10,000 acres in extent. Of the two, this latter area appealed 

 most to the foresters and timber merchants in the company. 

 In the open portions of the park it was noticeable that large 

 numbers of the oak trees were more or less defoliated by an 

 attack of the oak roller moth. Mr Collins informed the party 

 that previously those attacks were only occasional, and did not 

 afl'ect the growth of the trees to any serious degree, but that 

 gradually they had become more frequent, until they are now an 

 annual occurrence. The result is that growth is being retarded to 

 an alarming extent. Another feature of the park, which came as 

 a surprise to many members of the party, was the large amount 

 of bracken which was visible. The growth was as dense and 

 as rank as anything to be found in the highlands of Scotland. 

 That such a growth could be found within a few miles of 

 London was an eye-opener to many. It was evident there, 

 as it is in Scotland, that its presence is not an unmitigated 

 blessing, as there were several squads of men employed in 

 cutting it with scythes. We were informed that this cutting takes 

 place every alternate year; the idea being that by systematic 

 cuttings the bracken will be weakened, and will ultimately 

 disappear. Could this be realised the grazing would be 

 vastly improved, which would be of enormous benefit to the 

 herds of deer and other animals which are kept. 



Entering upon the wooded portion of the park the party 

 soon arrived at Cumberland Lodge, where a halt was made in 

 order to inspect some magnificent examples of the Sessile oak. 

 Two of the trees measured gave a circumference of 16 ft. 4 ins. 

 at breast-height. It was interesting to note that throughout 

 the whole of the forest it was plainly evident that the Sessile 

 variety gave better results than the Pendunculate. 



Other notable trees seen were the rows of Cedars of Lebanon 

 which lined the drive through the Belvedere portion of the 

 forest. Planted in 1760 those trees appear to be in perfect 



