THE RE-AFFORESTATION OF HAINHAULT.
13
Cheap Seed-mixtures. As the result of this enquiry it was
decided to employ seed-mixtures for the rest of the farm which
omitted such strong growing grasses as Cocksfoot, to introduce
more of those grasses which predominate in the forest turf, and,
since the quality of the herbage for grazing was of little im-
portance, to cheapen the mixture. As might be expected, these
cheaper mixtures have never formed the rich pasturage produced
by the more expensive kinds. At first the weeds threatened to
smother the finer grasses, but gradually the grasses natural to
the land have asserted themselves, and every year a better
swarthe is produced.
The composition of the mixtures is given in the table. It
will be observed that the mixture sown on the 72 acres on the
Romford side of Hog Hill and on the n acres on Dog-kennel
Hill, chiefly consists of Sheep's Fescue6 and Fiorin, the predomi-
nant components of the forest turf, with some Hard Fescue
(Festuca duriuscula), Sweet Vernal (Anthoxanthum), Yarrow, White
Clover and Birdsfoot Trefoil, which are also all native, and
a few other plants and grasses. In 1905 the seeds seemed to be
a total failure on the 32 acres, and at the bottom of the 40 acres
the herbage chiefly consisted of Slender Foxtail (Alopecurus
agrestis), but great improvement has subsequently taken place,
all the sown clovers and grasses may still be found in the herbage,
Sheep's Fescue, Sweet Vernal and Yarrow predominating, and
the Slender Fox-tail has entirely disappeared. The omission
of Cocksfoot has not only given the other grasses a better chance,
but has resulted in a far more pleasing turf.
The mixture sown on the 59 acres at the bottom of Dog-
kennel Hill differs little from the last, except in replacing a few
of the clovers and grasses suited to light land by such as are
more suitable for heavy land. Except on the fallowed portion
of this area the seeds at first looked very poor, and the 19 acres
was mostly Couch-grass, but the seeds afterwards asserted them-
selves, and a fair turf, largely consisting of Fiorin, has now been
produced, which, however, the cattle are seldom on. The Couch
has disappeared.
Forest Flat and Cottage Field were sown with a mixture
containing more Rye-grass, together with some Crested
6 It is to be noted that the Sheep's Fescue supplied by seedsmen is not identical with that-
native in the forest. Being bluer in colour, it is probably Festuca ovina, var. glanea. It will
be interesting to observe whether it proves permanent.