Forming woodland rides 105 



fine view along the clearances giving good pictures 

 when the trees happen to come in the right way. Where 

 there is much disturbance of the ground I sow mixed 

 Grass seeds as soon as possible afterwards, mainly in 

 April, but also in the summer and autumn. As to game, 

 the airy rides are a distinct improvement in every way, 

 creatures of all sorts getting a chance to air and sun 

 themselves in the clearances. The gamekeepers like it 

 much better, and the timber surveyor tells me that he 

 always finds the best trees near the open rides. 



Woodland shade. It is said by many who have lived 

 under warmer skies than ours, that hot weather in 

 Britain is more oppressive than in countries where the 

 temperature is often much higher; and this is one 

 reason why we should pay more attention to shaded 

 rides and airy shade under trees. In a large area of 

 country in the home counties many woodlands are 

 wholly without airy and picturesque access, except for 

 narrow rides closed up every year with Briers and 

 underwood. 



In past years, when underwood was valuable, people 

 begrudged the space to form airy rides, but this reason 

 no longer holds. Making such rides in no way lessens 

 the value of the wood, because every inch of the ground 

 is occupied by the roots of the near trees, and the best 

 timber trees often grow near rides. If we can make 

 rides beneath good old trees or groves all the better, 

 as beneath such trees the undergrowth lessens, and the 

 clearance is easier. By all such rides the lower boughs 

 of the trees should be removed for the sake of showing 

 the wood and stems; such branches are usually without 

 value to the tree in its forest state. In the case of fine 

 old trees, the tree itself is very often trying to get rid 



