WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 289 



a farmhouse. Now, avenues of great oaks are not 

 planted to lead to farmsteads. Besides these, it is said, 

 there were oaks in most of the fields oaks that have 

 long since disappeared, the prevalent tree being elm. 



While all these " throws " of timber have successively 

 taken place, no attempt has been made to fill up the 

 gaps ; no planting of acorns, no shielding with rails 

 the young saplings from the ravages of cattle. If a 

 young tree could struggle up, it could ; if not, it per- 

 ished. At the last two " throws," especially, young 

 trees which ought to have been saved were ruthlessly 

 cut down. Yet even now the place is well timbered ; 

 so that it is easy to form some idea of the forest-like 

 appearance it must have presented a hundred years 

 ago, when rows of giant oaks led up to that farm- 

 house door. 



Then there are archaeological reasons, which it 

 would be out of place to mention, why in very ancient 

 days a forest, in all probability, stood hereabouts. It 

 seems reasonable to suppose that in one way or an- 

 other the regular flight of the second army of rooks 

 passing down into this district was originally attracted 

 by the trees. Three suggestions arise out of the cir- 

 cumstances. 



The wood in which both streams of rooks roost at 

 night stands on the last slope of the downs ; behind it 

 to the south extend the hills and the open tilled 

 upland plains ; below it northwards are the meadows. 

 It has, therefore, much the appearance of the last 

 surviving remnant of the ancient forest. There has 



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