IN PRAISE OF PINE- WOODS 81 



surface as soft and noiseless to the tread as in the thick 

 and crowded new plantations of the Woking heaths, 

 the bracken-fern has space to grow, and the soil 

 between the trunks is filled with all the minor orna- 

 ment of heather, woodbine, and wild-rose. In the 

 hollows, masses of rhododendron grow self-sown, and 

 where the sea-wind strikes the summit of the cliffs, a 

 tangle of young pines makes a natural and complete 

 provision for the shelter and quiet of the deep woods 

 beyond. In their peaceful precincts, in the sound of the 

 sea-wind in the branches, the subtle scent of the pines 

 and heather, which no rough wind can ever dissipate, 

 in the breadth and quiet of the sandy forest, in the 

 dryness and clearness of its air, purified by trees and 

 sea, the attraction of the newly discovered country lies. 

 Were its area ten times greater than it is, it would 

 hardly satisfy the wants of those who have yielded to 

 its charm. It is already crowded, not from choice, but 

 because there is not building space for those who desire 

 to live there. The last thing to be desired as the result 

 of the new exodus is a reconstruction of town life and 

 amusements ; yet that is exactly what is taking place in 

 the choicest districts of the pine country. If it becomes 

 a matter of faith that this is the best soil, and the best 

 air and surroundings to make life happy and prolonged, 

 there is no price that will not be paid, within the scope 

 of individual means, to secure its enjoyment. But the 

 limits of space must control the limits of population, 

 beyond which the peculiar amenities of the district 

 cannot survive. There are signs that this limit is 



