FORESTRY 



The Board of Agriculture in 1793 brought out a report on the 

 agricultural condition of Middlesex. 127 "Reference is made to the 

 inclosure of Enfield Chase in 1779, and it is stated that from two to three 

 thousand acres still remained ' unimproved.' 



In regard to Enfield Chase it is to be observed that though the cottagers are much in 

 want of small fields of inclosed land, yet so much attached are they to their idle system 

 of keeping a few half starved cattle on the chase, often to the ruin of themselves and 

 their families, without the smallest advantage accruing to the public, that they 

 constantly oppose any inclosure. 



In the following year a further report was put forth by the Board, edited 

 by Peter Foot, a land surveyor, containing various additional particulars. 

 An interesting section relative to fruit trees shows how considerable was 

 the culture of ' peaches, nectarines, apricots, vines, apples, cherries, pears, 

 plums, quince, medlars and filberts,' by the nurserymen round London. 

 As to vines, the gardener of Mr. John James of Hammersmith, in 1778, 

 made a quantity of good wine from English-grown grapes. Shortly 

 afterwards he made wine from his well-trained vines in the proportion 

 of 100 gallons to 100 yards of wall. Mr. Foot adds, ' I am persuaded 

 that, from Hammersmith to Staines, vineyards might be made at little 

 expense, if a small premium were given to adventurers and no tax laid 

 upon them for some years.' 



Mr. Foot sets out full and interesting particulars as to Enfield Chase 

 and its inclosure. He describes the ground of the Chase as having been 

 covered with trees ; the oak found a ready sale, but the beech did not 

 repay the woodman's labour. The grubbing up of the roots proved to 

 be more costly than was expected. The result was that the ground, 

 though rapidly cleared of its wood, lay for the most part in an uncul- 

 tivated state for several years. 



From Fulham to Staines the banks of the Thames are reported as 

 profitably employed in the cultivation of the willow. Three distinct 

 species are named, the Salix vitallina or yellow willow, the Salix 

 amygdalina or almond-leaved willow, and the Salix viminalis or osier 

 willow. The two last-named were chiefly used by basket and corn-sieve 

 makers, and the first by nursery-men for binding packages of trees, 

 shrubs, etc. Mr. Foot did not supply any special information as to the 

 woodlands. 



In 1797 the Board of Agriculture were responsible for the issue of 

 a far more comprehensive work on Middlesex, based on the two earlier 

 reports, a much extended second edition of which, consisting of a stout 

 octavo volume of about seven hundred pages, appeared in i8o7. 128 The 

 sixth chapter deals with commons and inclosures. The great commons 

 of that time were Hounslow Heath and Finchley Common, on the latter 

 of which there were several thousands of pollarded oaks and hornbeams. 

 In commenting on the common fields of Harrow and Pinner it is noted 

 that oak and elm grew with equal health throughout the whole of 



" Thomas Baird, General View of the 4gric. of the County of MM. 

 1K John Middleton, land surveyor, View of the Agric. of MM. (ed. 2, 1807). 



^ 249 3* 



