EPPING FOREST. 



discouraged by the most ruthless pollarding, it at once 

 "starts" again. It was consequently a favourite tree 

 with the "loppers," and there is hardly a specimen in 

 the Forest which has not been periodically beheaded. 

 This cruel treatment is now put an end to in Epping 

 Forest, and we may expect them to respond with their 

 graceful horizontal growth. It is said to have been 

 originally planted on account of the deer, who browse on 

 its leaves, which are among the earliest to appear. 

 These resemble those of the beech, but are less polished 

 in appearance, and have a saw-like edge. The branches 

 have a curious habit, of which many quaint specimens 

 may be found in the Forest, of reuniting several feet 

 from their point of separation and again forming one 

 stem. 



The Birch {Betitla alba).—\.i the oak is the king of trees, 

 this is the queen. While the beech is remarkable for 

 the massiveness of its foliage, the birch is distinguished 

 by its grace and lightness. Its white stem and fine 

 spray -like branches are a lovely feature even in the 

 depth of winter. Formerly it was not common in the 

 Forest, but, from its enormous production of seeds, which 

 are carried far on the wind by the little wing attached to 

 them, it is spreading itself rapidly, and I anticipate 

 that, in a comparatively short period, it will to a con- 

 siderable extent supplant the other trees. Wherever a 

 clearance has been made, either intentionally or by 

 accidental fires, if the soil be dry, it appears to spring 

 up spontaneously. The rough open ground by High 

 Beach Church has been quite recently covered by a 

 charming grove of birches, which have probably sown 

 themselves from the neighbouring gardens ; and, in the 

 case of a wide roadway cut only fifteen years ago through 

 Lord's Bushes with the intention of selling it in building 

 lots, the crime is already hidden under a similar screen. 

 Those who are now middle-aged will live to see the bare 

 plain between the "Wake Arms " and Monk Wood and 

 other openings, similarly restored by nature. 



The Maple {Acer campestre) is found sparingly in the 

 moister parts of the Forest. It is a small tree, and is 

 not conspicuous until the autumn, when it turns to a fine 

 golden yellow. 



The Common Hawthorn ox M^y {Crafugits Oxyacant/m). — 

 This is, next to the oak, one of the longest lived of 

 trees. Its rugged stems assume picturesque forms, and 

 are highly characteristic of the Forest, which it en- 

 livens by its early foliage, by its masses of white flowers, 



