THE TREES AND WOODLANDS OF ESSEX 145
English Elm (Ulmus campestris) is probably the most
common hedgerow tree. Or perhaps one should say was, as
the felling of hedgerow trees during the last decade has been
enormous, and many large areas which had good hedgerow
elms only a few years ago are now completely devoid of
trees. The reasons for this wholesale felling are agricultural
and financial, but today one sees very few young saplings
surviving the hedger's hook, and it would seem that hedge-
row trees have gone for all time unless, of course, agricultural
policies change again.
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is a very common tree in our
woods and hedgerows, but good ash, from a timber point
of view, is rather rare. If grown in well-watered but not
water-logged sites, the production of quickly-grown young
trees, which are the most valuable, is possible : however,
it is found in all types of soils and sites throughout the
county, and ash coppice is grown to a limited extent.
Whilst the native trees such as oak, elm and hornbeam
still predominate, there has been a considerable amount of
planting of other types which are not indigenous to the
county.
Larch, which was first introduced into England in the
17th century, is frequently planted with mixed conifers or
with mixed conifers and hardwood. It is rarely planted on
its own, as it suffers from spring frosts. The European
species, Larix Europaea, was, until recently, more generally
planted, but the Japanese species, Larix leptolepis, is often
planted nowadays, and grows more quickly in the early
stages. In Essex, larch are usually removed as poles, as
they grow fairly quickly up to a height of 30 to 40 feet, but
do not appear to increase in girth at a reasonable rate after
this size. They are removed as thinnings, and are valuable
as rails, posts, hop poles and for general use on the estate,
as they will last in the ground far longer than most other
woods. They are grown on a variety of sites, but do best in
a good, deep, medium soil.
Another conifer native to the British Isles, but not to
England, is the Scots Pine, Pinus sylvestris. It grows well