86 
NATURE NOTES. 
HAMPSTEAD HEATH. 
them here 
R. WALTER FIELD has published the following 
answers to Mr. Fletcher’s statements at the London 
County Council, and as they supplement our article 
in the April number of Nature Notes, we reprint 
Mr. Fletcher’s Speech at the 
County Council, March 3, 1896. 
Replying to questions Mr. Fletcher 
said 
“That the petition, although signed 
by several influential gentlemen, was 
presented at the instigation of one 
gentleman, he being the only one who 
lived on Hampstead Heath.” 
“ The whole matter was one of 
misunderstanding.” 
“The bulk ol the damage was due 
to tramps, picnic parties, cyclists, who 
tore down the May, children who 
played on the sand-banks, &c. All 
this was no fault ol the Council, but 
Mr. Field could not be made to com- 
prehend this fact.” 
“ Mr. Field had seen the Council’s 
men repairing the damage done, and 
consequently thought that the Council 
was doing the mischief.” 
“He had assured Mr. Field again 
and again that the Council was not 
interfering with the West Heath in any 
way, except in one particular, and that 
was in cutting down the old gorse.” 
“ Mr. Field was an artist with but 
limited knowledge in the cultivation of 
this plant. Authorities had said that 
the Council in this respect were acting 
rightly. Mr. Wm. Robinson, the 
greatest authority in England on the 
question, said in his book entitled 
The Enolisli Flower Garden, that gorse 
was specially subject to injury from 
weather, and the only way to save the 
shrubs was by vigorous pruning.” 
Mr. Field’s Answers. 
A person who lives on the Heath is 
the right person to take the matter up, 
as he has absolute knowledge of the 
facts. I have used every endeavour to 
give you the opinions of the highest 
authorities so that they may serve for 
your future guidance in preserving the 
renowned beauties of the Ileath. 
There is no misunderstanding on my 
part. 
The damage I complain of is not done 
by tramps, but by the Council’s work- 
men. 
This is not so. I have not seen the 
Council’s men repairing damage done by 
tramps, &c., but what I have seen is the 
men doing mischief by cutting and burn- 
ing gorse. 
The Council’s workmen are interfering 
in several other ways. Lovely ponds, of 
which I have sketches, have been filled 
up, and have now only rushes to show 
where they were. Also picturesque 
paths and banks have been levelled. 
I made bold to write to Mr. Wm. Rob- 
inson, and he answers me : 
“ March 19, 1896. 
“ Furze in our country is often killed 
in valleys and low' ground in hard winters, 
but much less freipiently on high ground 
like that at Hampstead, ami very old 
picturesque groups of it may be seen on 
heaths and high ground. In such 
places, from a picturesque point of view. 
It is better let alone ! I sympathise 
with your desire to have Hampstead 
Heath kept picture.sque, and there is no 
real difficulty about its being so pre- 
served. It would be the greatest gain 
if we got rid of the idea that there is 
only one regulation way in laying out 
parks .and open spaces. It would do 
