AEEA OF EXISTING FORESTS. 65 



forests on clay have mostly disappeared, the largest remnants 

 being found in Northampton and the weald of Sussex. 



The present distribution may be described as follows : — The 

 broad-leaved, mixed broad-leaved and conifers, and coppice 

 woods of England occur chiefly in the southern and western 

 districts. Sussex, Kent and Surrey are the best wooded districts, 

 containing 20 per cent, of the total woodlands of England and 

 Wales, most of them being coppice or coppice with standards. 

 The Scots pine dominates on the sandy soils of Surrey and 

 Hampshire. Larch is widely distributed but commonest in the 

 hills of England and Wales. In Scotland two-thirds of the woods 

 are situated in the north-eastern and highland districts. Along 

 the east coast, the valley of the Dee and Strathspey, Scots pine 

 predominates. On the west coast larch is the most common 

 conifer. Stretches of poor oak and birch are still found on the 

 whole west coast of Great Britain. In Ireland the south alone is 

 well wooded, the indigenous forest having there been replanted 

 with conifers, especially with larch. 



2. Area of Existing Forests. 



There is Uttle exact evidence showing the progressive deforesta- 

 tion of Britain with the increase of population. In the earliest 

 accounts the country is described as covered with forest. In the 

 reign of William the Conqueror the woods were still very numerous 

 and extensive, and in the time of Edward IV. England is described 

 as an overgrown country. It is stated that the first attack of any 

 consequence upon the forest was made during the reign of 

 Henry VIII., followed by a continued increase of consumption of 

 oak timber in consequence of the gradual extension of commerce, 

 the increasing requirements of the Royal Navy, and of house 

 construction during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, 

 apart from the extension of agriculture. The progress of depletion 

 was considerably hastened during the civil wars. 



An attempt at planting was made in the early part of the 

 eighteenth century, but it does not appear that the area under 

 wood was materially increased. During the latter half of that 

 century the timber outlook became serious, and the State then 

 evinced an active interest in the matter. It was found that the 

 Crown forests were providing onl}' a fraction of the timber 



