NOTES ON SOME ESSEX WOODS.
25
But, it will be asked, how do we know that innovations have
not been made ? We have two or three ways in which we can
support our assertion. One is to take account of the prevalent
species occurring in each wood and then collate the results. If
the numbers and kinds agree fairly well there is a presumption
amounting to a proof that all had a common origin. Again,
there are in the environs of all the woods very many species of
exotic trees, shrubs, etc., that have been in such contiguity for
perhaps hundreds of years, certainly for a long time, and yet
they have not succeeded in establishing themselves within these
natural preserves. The only possible answer is that the native
strength of the forest has been sufficient to repel all these
invaders. There are a few cases in which artificial plantings
have been made, but they do but illustrate our point. Perhaps
one of the oldest of these plantings was that of the beeches in
Epping Forest at High Beach. Although these date back for
very many years, they have made no great progress in the
dissemination of their species'. I could also point to some Limes
in woods at Felstead and Saling, but although they have been in
the woods for at least fifty years, none, I believe, have reached to
their full stature. The Small-leaved Lime (Tilia parvifolia) is the
species referred to. It is mentioned by Turner about 1551 as
occurring wild in Essex (see Prof. Boulger's paper in Essex
Naturalist, Vol. XL, page 59). In the three woods in which I
have found the shrubs they bear marks of artificial planting,
being in a straight row in one wood. They are generally
dwarfed and have never flourished there.
As another instance of the extreme difficulty of establishing
a new species, I may mention that of late years several Larch
trees have been planted in a wood at Felstead, and none of
these will grow to maturity. The honeysuckle has got a firm
hold of every one of them and is smothering them at about the
height of ten feet.
There is another method available for proving the antiquity
of these woods. In many cases they are surrounded in
great part by arable fields. These fields, where there has been
more or less of slope, have suffered denudation, partly natural
and partly due to agriculture, whilst the woods have been pre-
served. The effect of this in some places has been to lower the
level of the field five or six feet. In very many cases the