TREES ON OPEN SPACES 183 



country that is for ever preserved for the benefit of 

 Londoners. Owing to its elevated position 443 feet 

 above sea level and comparatively pure air, trees 

 thrive remarkably well over the whole area, and 

 the original wild character has been retained 

 by the unrestricted growth of bracken, gorse, and 

 Birch. 



Hampstead Heath is one of the few places in the 

 London area where the native Scotch Pine is still to 

 be found, and even there it is gradually dying out and 

 becoming infested with the wood wasp and other 

 injurious forest insects. There are some noble speci- 

 mens of the Beech, as also Elm, Poplar, and Willow. 

 The latter is quite a feature of some parts, as are also 

 the patches of self-sown Birch. Some old Oak trees 

 are pointed out as remnants of bygone days. The 

 Elms towards the lower parts of the grounds are some- 

 times of gigantic proportions, while many Sycamores 

 that have attained to large size may be seen on 

 the way to Parliament Hill. In the private gardens 

 are many trees of interest, the Acacia flourishing 

 everywhere, while Thorns of many kinds, Pyrus, 

 Laburnum, and Ailanthus are all well represented. 

 Even the British Oak, which is not suitable for the 

 smokier parts of the Metropolis, does well at Hamp- 

 stead, and several specimens of large size and old age 

 are dotted about the common, where also the Turkey 

 Oak and red American Oak are represented in not a 

 few of the gardens that are attached to private resi- 

 dences. Acer dasycarpum, the Silver Maple, occurs in 

 some plenty, and the Purple Beech and Weeping Elm 

 and Ash all succeed in the comparatively pure air of 

 the Hampstead district. 



The Rowan or Mountain Ash is, during the fruiting 



