[38]

Ch. 5

May 3' 1857

In Surrey about Crooksbury Hill, (which is covered by old Fir woods) as soon as the barren Heaths are enclosed, tens of thousands of young Scotch-Firs spring up. One can tell almost year of enclosure by seeing how old the oldest of the innumerable young Trees are. Now on Farnham Common, there are several larger clumps of old Trees, & one might walk or ride over

[38v]

It is curious how for 10-20 about 15 yards from edge of great woods, & when not in the least shadowed on all sides or exposures yo young Scotch firs appear not to grow; they do really grow in few numbers but the soil is exhausted & they keep quite dwarf, so that old woods are bounded in the enclosed by Heath by bare strip of Heath without young trees, beyond which young trees. Good illustration of exhaustion of Soil

[39]

hundreds of acres of surrounding common & say, if attention not drawn to it, that not one single seedling Scot fir cd be seen; but on closer inspection ground covered with seedlings Scot fir 1 or 2 years old & a few older ones, not rising above shortest Heath, from being browsed, & in all states of decay — one of these pigmy trees was 26 years old.— So thick are the seedlings that on one place I found in square yard

[39v]

30 seedlings — Now these hundreds of thousands had been sown for 30- or 40 years & not one had succeeded in escaping the cattle, wh very only rarely wander over this wild & most barren Heath Think of effect of drought for few seasons reducing number of cattle I doubt whether sheep will eat young Firs. I judge from Moor Park, into which only sheep are turned. [insertion:] (I think they will to certain degree

(N.B. I have It is said been again all over Farnham common; part enclosed & part unenclosed & the case is very curious.— Enclosed part studded with trees.