THE JOURNAL 



-3 JIW 1905 OF THE 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Vol. XII. No. 3. 



JUNE, 1905. [NEW SERIES.] 



HEDGEROW TIMBER. 



There is probably no feature which renders the scenery of 

 England more distinct from that of most European countries 

 than the hedgerow timber trees, which are so regularly dis- 

 tributed over the fields and pastures of the more fertile parts of 

 this country. The roadside trees of the Continent, with their 

 regularity and uniformity as regards distance apart and species, 

 may possess a certain amount of character, but the methodical 

 style of planting destroys a great deal of the picturesque effect 

 which is associated with English hedgerow trees. It may be 

 true that many districts are to be found in England which, 

 owing to poverty of soil or exposure to strong winds, do not 

 possess hedgerow trees of any particular beauty or value, and 

 in which they would not be greatly missed if they were taken 

 away altogether. But there can be little doubt that the hedge- 

 row timber of the Midlands and South of England generally, 

 constitutes a feature which plays no unimportant part in forming 

 the scenery or adding to the value of the land in rural districts. 

 It has, no doubt, its disadvantages and drawbacks from an agri- 

 cultural point of view, but taking everything into consideration, 

 it will probably be found that its demerits are outweighed by 

 its merits, and that a district well provided with hedgerow 

 timber is more favourably situated than one without any. 



The origin of hedgerow timber is more or less obscure. It 

 is difficult or impossible to say what proportion of it was 

 planted and what has originated spontaneously. Many of the 

 older writers assume or imply that it was planted, and give 



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