SELBORNIANA 
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for a small strip in front of Joyce Grove, which is to be added to the grounds of 
the house. Windmill Hill is the highest point in Oxfordshire, and naturally 
commands an extensive view of chalk down, beech wood, field and meadow ; 
and its addition to the common will be of inestimable value to the public. 
* * * * * 
It mav well be imagined that an arrangement so highly advantageous to the 
public receives the warm approval of the Commons Preservation Society. That 
body is responsible, with the assent of Mr. Fleming, for the Bill before Parlia- 
ment, and under such auspices there is little chance of miscarriage. It is the 
settled policy of the Society to place commons under local management. Until 
this is done no common is quite safe. Rights of common fall into disuse, the 
land which carries them may pass into the hands of the lord of the manor, and 
thus the rights may be extinguished ; or the commoners and the local public 
may not be public-spirited enough and wealthy enough to embark on a lawsuit 
for the purpose of resisting encroachments, which are of small pecuniary import 
to them, though highly dangerous to their rights and to the public interests. 
And even where common rights are numerous and actively enforced, there are 
many evils which cannot be effectively dealt with. Gravel may be dug for the 
highways to an unwarranted extent and in a reckless manner ; neither lord nor 
commoners can remedy the evil until the common is put under management as 
an open space. 
Spoil. ING THE Broads. — “ There are few places dear to the holiday-maker 
and tourist more jealously regarded than the Norfolk Broads. Fascinating in 
themselves, unique in many charms, and overwhelmingly popular with those who 
love open-air life and the pleasures of inland cruising, boating, fishing, or camp- 
ing out, it is inconceivable that any one can think at the present day of lessening 
their beauty or curtailing public privileges within their limits. It is permissible, 
therefore, to hope that a correspondent, who writes to say that yachting and fish- 
ing on the upper waters of the Bure are in danger of speedy extinction, has been 
unduly alarmed. This correspondent calls attention to the fact that a Bill, lately 
prepared by the Yarmouth Water Company, will shortly be laid before Parliament, 
intended to enable the Company to turn the famous stream into the seaport’s 
reservoirs and to acquire foreshores above Horning, sacred in the hearts of our 
holiday-makers to a thousand pleasant memories, and enshrined as beauty spots of 
surpassing picturesqueness on scores of canvases. It is pointed out anything which 
diminished the flow of the Bure would spoil much of the scenery beyond Wrox- 
ham, and “ take the heart out of the Broadland district.” Why, it is asked, if 
the needs of Yarmouth are pressing, cannot a sufficiency of wells be sunk in the 
neighbourhood of the town, where good water is to be found at a depth of 300 ft. 
to 500 ft. ? Or, if a larger supply is absolutely essential, could not the city mains 
fix their intake, say, at Coltishall, where, apparently, the artistic affront would 
be less ? But to turn the Bure into a water company’s sluice and make famous 
Horning and Beeston into pumping stations is unthinkable .” — Daily Telegraph. 
Country in Town Exhibition. — “To show East Londoners 
what can be done to bring into the neighbourhood something 
of the beauty, freshness, and inspiration of Nature,” an Exhibi- 
tion will be held at the Whitechapel Art Gallery, from July 5 
to July 19. It is to contain plants suitable for growth in 
London, beehives and other vivaria, pictures, models and plans 
for gardens, street-planting, parks, garden suburbs, &c. Lec- 
tures will be given during the exhibition, nurserymen will be 
asked to make displays of flowers, and railway companies to 
suggest places and routes for children’s country visits. As 
admission is to be free, contributions are invited towards the 
expenses. The President of the Exhibition is Lord Carrington, 
President of the Board of Agriculture ; the Chairman of the 
