THE TREES AND WOODLANDS OF ESSEX 149
soil was on the light side, but there was a fairly thick layer
of needles, as the wood had been larch and spruce ; however,
during the first year only two trees died, and some of the
best specimens made 18 inches of growth. The cost of this
re-planting, including the trees, planting and wiring against
rabbits, was about £30, and they had no attention what-
soever during the first year. If the traditional re-planting
with conifers and/or hardwoods had been done, the initial
wiring alone would have cost about £45 and the trees and
planting about £30, and the new plantation would require a
certain amount of trimming for at least five years, so that
an initial outlay of £80-£90 would appear to be inevitable,
which is a prohibitive cost for re-planting 11/2 acres.
This poplar is reputed to mature in thirty years or so.
which is, of course, another inducement for owners to plant
something that will yield a return in their lifetime. It
seems to me that it will become more of a feature of the
Essex countryside than the cricket-bat willow, as it will
grow on a far greater variety of soils, and the timber,
besides being used for matches, can be used as a substitute
for softwoods. It would appear that the potential demand
is almost limitless in a country that is dependent on imports
for nearly all its softwoods.
I will now mention some species of decorative trees that
thrive well in the county.
Horse Chestnut. This tree and its varieties all succeed
well in the county, thriving on good, well-drained soil. They
are a feature of many a parkland and roadside, but
unfortunately they are not very long-lived, as wounds soon
lead to decay, which spreads rather rapidly. An interesting
specimen at "Langleys", Great Waltham, has layered its
lower limbs into the ground, and these in turn have grown
into large trees and layered down again, so that the area
covered by the original tree and its offspring must now be
well over half an acre.
Wellingtonia (Sequoia gigantea). Exactly a century ago,
the first seeds of this unusual conifer were sent to England.