THE FOREST OF DEAN I AN OBJECT LESSON. 69 



The cleared areas were replanted, so that most of these 

 woods are now about ninety years old, and the rest forty to 

 fifty years. As far as is known, oak was planted with nurses, 

 the latter having heen cut out subsequently. And then the 

 disastrous treatment commenced. When the woods had 

 reached the age of thirty or forty years, they were con- 

 sidered safe against cattle, and the greater part of the 

 enclosures were thrown open, especially to extensive sheep 

 grazing. About the same time it was considered the correct 

 thing to thin heavily, and this was done during a number of 

 years, until the trees were practically isolated. What the 

 result of these operations is, has already been indicated. 

 The soil, exposed to the unrestricted action of sun and air 

 currents, became in most parts practically unproductive, the 

 result being a very inferior crop of unpromising oaks, short in 

 height, and branched low down. How different might have 

 been the results, if, instead of throwing open the enclosures 

 and making senseless thinnings, the oak had been under- 

 planted with beech at the age of thirty to fifty years, thus 

 keeping the soil under constant protection, and causing a 

 gradual accumulation of fertile leaf-mould on the soil. 



It is due to Mr. Stafford Howard, Commissioner of Woods, 

 and Mr. P. Baylis, Deputy Surveyor, Forest of Dean, to say 

 that they recognised the unsatisfactory state of things, and 

 set to work some ten years ago to mend matters. There were, 

 however, great difficulties in the way. In the lirst place the 

 areas, so ruthlessly thrown open, had to be re-enclosed, and this 

 can only be done gradually ; however, good progress has already 

 been made, as several thousand acres have been fenced, and 

 others will follow, until the whole area of 11,000 acres allowed 

 by law has once more been brought under proper control. 

 In the second place, the authorities had to consider what to do 

 w r ith the existing woods. In consultation with the late Mr. Hill, 

 of the Indian Forest Department, they decided to underplant 

 with beech the limited area of woods under fifty years old, 

 where the mischief could still be remedied, as quickly as the 



