242 Agricultural Capahilities of the New Forest. 
VIII. Streams. 
Probably there is no better mode of describing the surface 
of a country than by giving an account of its rivers and their 
contributaries ; for although a geological description will, to 
a certain extent, serve to convey an idea of its general character, 
yet, with the exception of pointing out its alluvial deposits, it 
often fails in common with other means of procuring the same 
information, in indicating the good spots from the bad, because 
it deals with the subsoil rather than the surface, and we thus 
often find as belonging to the same formation the most barren 
spots, and land highly productive. On the other hand, the 
presence of running water is an unfailing indication of the exist- 
ence of the proximity of the best land which its geological forma- 
tion will furnish. It will also serve to show the levels and the 
prevailing aspect of the surface. I have already observed that the 
Forest has no rivers, properly so called, but some of its streams 
convey no small contribution to the two rivers between which it 
is situated — the Avon and the Test. The former has the giant's 
share, receiving the surplus rainfall of the north-western part, 
extending to the westward as far as Fritham, embracing a dis- 
trict equal to some ten or twelve square miles, and joining the 
river at various points between and including Fordingbridge and 
Ringwood. A small portion of the north-eastern part of the 
Forest, commencing abfjut Fritham, drains into the River Test. 
The Lyndhurst Race-course is a moderately-elevated piece of 
land, lying on the right as one enters Lyndhurst from the east. It 
is poor and heathy on the hill, and boggy at the base. The 
water on the south of this hill crosses the turnpike-road and joins 
the brook, passing at the foot of Ashurst Lodge into the Ipley 
stream. On the north side of the race-ground the water takes a 
different direction, coming from Minstead, and beyond it it runs 
through the Forest and inclosures parallel with the Southampton 
Road, and is here called Dogben Gutter. It forms a large pond, 
called Costicles Pond, at the north of Lyndhurst Road Station, 
where it leaves the Forest and pursues its circuitous course 
through private property for the space of two or three miles, 
and, after receiving another brook coming from the Forest, enters 
the sea at the tidal mill at Eling. 
The old turnpike-road from Romsey and Southampton to 
Ringwood, by way of Stony Cross, does not enter the Forest 
until it reaches Cadnam, some nine miles from Southampton. It 
here crosses the old mail road from Romsey to Lyndhurst, and 
ascends by a long steep hill to the high ground of the Forest, by 
Stony Cross, 347 feet above the lev(4 of the sea. The road 
pursues a distance of about 12 miles through the Forest in this 
