106 NATURE NEAR LONDON 



A vast hollow extends on every side, nor is it broken 

 by the flitting of birds or the rush of animals among the 

 fern. The sudden note of a wood-pigeon, hoarse and 

 deep, calling from a fir-top, sounds still louder and 

 ruder in the spacious echoing vault beneath, so loud as 

 at first to resemble the baying of a hound. The call 

 ceases, and another of these watch-dogs of the woods 

 takes it up afar off. 



There is an opening in the monotonous firs by some 

 rising ground, and the sunshine falls on young Spanish 

 chestnuts and underwood, through which is a little-used 

 footpath. If firs are planted in wildernesses with the 

 view of ultimately covering the barren soil with fertile 

 earth, formed by the decay of vegetable matter, it is, 

 perhaps, open to discussion as to whether the best tree 

 has been chosen. Under firs the ground is generally 

 dry, too dry for decay ; the resinous emanations rather 

 tend to preserve anything that falls there. 



No underwood or plants and little grass grows under 

 them ; these, therefore, which make soil quickest, are 

 prevented from improving the earth. The needles of 

 firs lie for months without decay ; they are, too, very 

 slender, and there are few branches to fall. Beneath 

 any other trees (such as the edible chestnut and birch, 

 which seem to grow here), there are the autumn leaves 

 to decay, the twigs and branches which fall off, while 

 grasses and plants flourish, and brambles and under- 

 wood grow freely. The earth remains moist, and all 

 these soon cause an increase of the fertility; so that, 

 unless fir-tree timber is very valuable, and I never 

 heard that it was, I would rather plant a waste with 

 any other tree or brushwood, provided, of course, it 

 would grow. 



It is a pleasure to explore this little dell by the side 



