166 THE NEW FOREST 



woods of that age to which I have just referred. 

 They were cut only just in time. 



However, to leave New Forest ancient history, 

 as far as we can in dealing with old woods, the 

 next series of plantations to come under observa- 

 tion are those of 1776 and thereabouts, such 

 as Furzy Lawn, Copse of Linwood, &c. And here 

 may be observed a new thing viz. the presence 

 of the Scotch fir, which has not been apparent in 

 any one of the old woods hitherto referred to. 



In such plantations as I have named, it would 

 appear to have been planted for protection belts 

 on the outsides of the woods, and also in areas 

 often of some size where obviously the oak 

 had failed, where the soil had been too shallow 

 on the upper lands, and the exposure too severe 

 for it. And in various such places the Scotch fir 

 has grown to fine dimensions and produced good 

 timber. 



It was about the year 1770 I am not sure 

 of the exact date that an Exchequer order was 

 issued for the making of experiments in order to 

 ascertain if the Scotch fir that exotic in the 

 Southern counties could be successfully cultivated, 

 "in order to provide top masts and bowsprits for 

 our ships of war." The first evidence of experi- 

 ment in the New Forest is that little enclosure, 

 with the traces of its original fence around it, 



