FORESTRY 151 



merit that they owe their great size and their 

 age, exceeding the average life of the beech. But 

 why was this pollarding done? And under what 

 circumstances ? 



The reason is to be found in the method of 

 cultivation practised in the early days of these 

 encoppicements, viz. to farm them out upon lease 

 to various tenants under very strict conditions. 

 The crop realised was mainly the underwood, 

 and used no doubt for fuel and charcoal. It was 

 not permitted to fell timber trees, nor to cut 

 down trees such as oak and beech which might 

 ultimately become timber. But a sort of cultiva- 

 tion by pollarding on underwood lines of young 

 trees seems to have been permitted. Only, the 

 tenants or farmers were well looked after, and 

 presentments against them in the Forest courts 

 are often recorded. 



Thus, in 1571, we find a presentment of the 

 regarders of the Forest to the effect that "a 

 coppice called Ridley Coppice hath been spoiled 

 by cattle by one John Marlowe." And again, 

 there is an indictment "for felling five dotards 

 containing ten loads of timber, value 6s." And 

 again, for " shrouding 200 trees in the said coppice 

 and selling the same." Again, "for divers and 

 many young oaks felled for stakes for the hedge." 

 All these things appear to have been inconsistent 



