Agricultural Capabilities of the New Forest. 
245 
this is the more important, inasmuch as one of the chief dc- 
ficicnt'ies in the Forest land being lime, its carria^je, in the form 
of chalk, can be economically provided by the railway. Indeed, 
with the exception of some poor sandy land near the old station 
at Beaulieu Road, most of the land on each side of the railway, 
not occupied by enclosures, is very suitable for cultivation. Some 
portion, indeed, is already covered by fine gorse, and the undu- 
lated surface of the greater part is extremely favourable for the 
plough. In this journey of 20 miles and upward the larger 
portion is through the Forest proper, only about 4 miles being 
lined by enclosures, some other 3 miles through old enclosures, 
now tlirown open, and about the same extent through private 
property, leaving 10 miles through the Forest itself, at any point 
of which chalk can be conveniently brought and laid down. 
Passing on to the remaining streams of the Forest, we find on 
the southern coast, some four miles west of the mouth of the 
Beaulieu river, a small brook, which discharges itself into the 
sea ; it reaches a few miles to the north and passes near Pylewell 
House, where there is some cultivated land. Some two or three 
miles further to the west we come to the inlet of the sea at 
Lymington, which receives a small river. This may be considered 
the most important river in the Forest, for it extends some 
twelve miles to the north-west, and by its numerous tributaries 
drains no small extent of land. Its longest affluent first appears 
near Ocknell enclosure, which since 1815 has been thrown open. 
It drains this wood, then crosses the turnpike-road between Stony 
Cross and Picked Post, traverses in a southerly direction the 
liVge enclosures in Boldrewood walk, receiving accessions from 
tributary brooks on each side, and after being joined by a branch on 
the eastern side, almost of equal importance to itself, issues from 
the enclosures and proceeds by Allum Green to Queen Meadow. 
It is here joined by a bi'anch rising near Boldrewood Lodge, and 
with this accession passes through New Park at its south-westerly 
border, being here joined by two very important branches, one 
risir g nearly as far to the north as the main branch, but more to 
the west, and passing first south and then east by Burley Lodge. 
The other branch proceeds through Burley Manor and Rhinefield 
in a due easterly direction, draining the land at the north of the 
railway between Holmsley and Brockenhurst. These branches, 
joining the trunk at New Park, no doubt assist, in conjunction 
with other natural advantages, to render this spot, by means of 
a spirited outlay in manures, the most productive part of the 
Forest. With these accessions the stream crosses the railway 
above Brockenhurst, and proceeds by the manor and through 
Boldre to Lymington, tlius draining in its course a very con- 
siderable portion of the i'oiest — a space not only ten miles in 
