STATUTE OF WOODS. 21 



are now administered by the Commissioners under an Act of 

 1852. 



In Scotland there were also Forest Laws which seem to have 

 been introduced at a comparatively late date, and to have been 

 formed somewhat on the English model, though far less cruel 

 and oppressive. 



(2) The Statute of Enclosure, 1482, applied only to the royal 

 forests, chases, and purlieus or disafforested lands in England, 

 and permitted landowners having woodlands therein to fence 

 their coppices against deer and, cattle for 7 years after each fall. 

 But even at that early time the fear of a serious want of timber 

 began to be felt ; and this gradually grew to such an extent 

 that a Statute of Woods was passed in 1543, by which it was 

 decreed that all woods throughout England should be enclosed 

 for 4, 6, or 7 years after eacli fall of the coppice at under 14, 

 14 to 24, and over 24 years' rotation, and that at least 12 

 standards per acre should be "stored" or left to grow into 

 timber. These stores or standards were to be of Oak if possible, 

 but otherwise of Elm, Ash, Aspen, or Beech, the kinds of timber 

 then prized most highly ; and they were not to be cut until they 

 reached a given age or a given girth. The operation of this and 

 of similar but modifying subsequent Acts of Parliament was the 

 enforcement of a definite national system of Arboriculture, in the 

 shape of coppice with standards, for growing timber-trees of 

 Oak, Ash, &c., over an underwood of Oak, Ash, Hazel, Chest- 

 nut, Birch, Willow, Dogwood, &c., the chief object being the 

 production of timber for the navy and the merchant fleet. This 

 national system of Arboriculture tended to produce great branches 

 and big crooks and curved timber suitable for ship-building. 

 One result of this old practice has been that every one concerned 

 in growing timber became convinced of the necessity for giving 

 each individual tree a more or less free and isolated position ; 

 and iii more recent times this principle was also applied to a 

 greater or less extent to .timber-crops grown as high woods, and 



