LITTLE GADDESDEN. 335 



Mullvads-hogar upkastade. Mole-hills cast up. 

 I have often before said that in this place are found a 

 very great number of moles. The earth and mole-hills 

 which they had cast up on the meadows, the farmers 

 caused to be spread out over the meadow, that they, in 

 any case, should not originate any hillocks, tufvor, on 

 them. 



[T. I. p. 332. J Bokars alder och vaxt. 



Beeches' age and growth. 



Below the house where we had our lodgings was a 

 wood of high and thick beeches. Among them were 

 some cut down, on two of which we counted the sap- 

 rings, to see their age and growth, and to gain from that 

 some idea of the fertility of the soil. One of the beeches 

 which lay here had at the large end 162 sap-rings. The 

 diameter there was 2 feet 10 inches. The length of this 

 beech-stock was 20 feet. At the little end there were 142 

 sap-rings, and the diameter was 2 feet 4 inches. Another 

 beech in the same park had at the large end 168 sap-rings, 

 or years old. The diameter at this end was 3 feet 5 

 inches. The length was 18 feet 6 inches. At the little 

 end there were 156 sap-rings, and the diameter was 2 feet 

 1 inch. 



At this point I make only this remark : This wood or 

 park consisted of high and thick beeches. The soil was 

 here the same as is found everywhere about Little Gad- 

 desden, viz., the often described brick-coloured earth, 

 tegelfargad© jorden, but the reason why these trees 

 had not come to increase in their thickness in proportion 

 to their age is, that those previously described had grown 

 in hedges, where they had had open air on all sides, a 

 long way between each tree, and the roots had the use of 

 the neighbouring ploughed fields, &c. ; but these had 

 stood crowded together where the air was prevented 



