Agricultural Capabilities of the New Forest. 
227 
of which 955 acres have been disenclosetl and enclosed again, 
and the romainino^ G772 acres still remain disenclosed. 
This is lollowed by another return, showing the number of 
enclosures made under the Act 14 & 15 Vict., from which it ap- 
pears that these are seven in number, comprising 3089 acres; and 
that the expense of the same amounted to 17,800/., or 3/. I3s. ^d. 
per acre, including fencing, draining, planting, and sundries. 
There are nearly 900 fir-plants per acre, and G(JG of oak ; and as 
only 60 of the latter are ultimately allowed to remain till they 
are 100 years old, when they are supposed to be worth 10/. each, 
there seems to have been ample provision made for a supply of 
oak. 
To whom does the Forest belong ? One would suppose that 
there could be only one answer to this question, and on such a 
simple case there could be no difference of opinion; but such is 
not the case. It is held, however, that the right of the Crown 
is paramount ; that it has the first claim, and can demand 
compensation before that of the commoners is satisfied. Many 
who assent to this will yet argue that this first claim being 
satisfied the remainder reverts to the commoners. The forest 
originally was vested in the Crown ; and grants of land were made 
for services rendered, which grants were accompanied by certain 
privileges, or rights, over the land still continued as forest. As 
the value of the Forest will not only be sufficient to satisfy the 
claims of the Crown, but the rights of the commoners also, it is 
quite immaterial which are first and which are second. The 
largest portion will, we imagine, be that which remains, and 
which undoubtedly belongs to the Crown, or rather to the Depart- 
ment of Woods and Forests, or in other words, by the arrange- 
ment of the Civil List, to the country itself. The claims of 
the commoners, &c., being satisfied, the remainder, then, belongs 
to the country, in common with all the woods and enclosures, 
which will therefore, we presume, be dealt with together. 
The rights of the commoners consist very largely of pasturage. 
It is supposed that about 3000 ponies, heifers, and cows are 
turned out during the summer months, and there used to be 
many more. As they seldom or never get fat, we may con- 
sider that, with the above number, the Forest is sufficiently 
stocked. The annual value of the pasturage, therefore, cannot 
greatly exceed 4000/. ; and we cannot suppose a better arrangement 
than by first ascertaining the money-value of the rights of pastu- 
rage per animal, multiplying this by the number of animals 
turned out on the average of the last five or ten years, adding 
a liberal percentage, and dividing the sum total amongst those 
who have such rights, in the most equitable manner. The 
amount and value of the land sufficient to compensate these 
Q 2 
