14 THE OAK. 



been formed at the bottom of the park, at the 

 base of 'The Elmerhurst/ which beautifies 

 the approach up the rising ground of the car- 

 riage-road to the hall. Formerly the park 

 surrounding this noble mansion was clothed 

 and embellished, like Needwood Forest, with 

 stately oaks and hollies. The former have 

 entirely disappeared (with the exception of 

 two or three ancient relics of them near the 

 Old Park entrance) from sheer old-age I am 

 inclined to think, and no care taken to raise 

 a fresh generation, except on * The Elmer- 

 hurst,' where a number of single oaks were 

 planted, but have been destroyed, for want of 

 sufficient protection, by cattle. The hollies 

 were swept from the park's surface at a more 

 recent date, about the same time that the 

 fall of timber took place in Middlewood, by 

 bird-lime makers, who came from some dis- 

 tant place, and took up their abode, in gypsy- 

 like encampment, in or at the outskirts of the 

 park, until they had finished their operations 

 in the manufacture of bird-lime. Of those 



