112 EPPING FOREST.
discouraged by the most ruthless pollarding, it at once
"starts" again. It was consequently a favourite tree
with the " loppers," and there is hardly a specimen in
the Forest which has not been periodically beheaded.
This cruel treatment is now put an end to in Epping
Forest, and we may expect them to respond with their
graceful horizontal growth. It is said to have been
originally planted on account of the deer, who browse on
its leaves, which are among the earliest to appear.
These resemble those of the beech, but are less polished
in appearance, and have a saw-like edge. The branches
have a curious habit, of which many quaint specimens
may be found in the Forest, of reuniting several feet
from their point of separation and again forming one
stem.
The Birch (Belida alba).—If the oak is the king of trees,
this is the queen. While the beech is remarkable for
the massiveness of its foliage, the birch is distinguished
by its grace and lightness. Its white stem and fine
spray-like branches are a lovely feature even in the
depth of winter. Formerly it was not common in the
Forest, but, from its enormous production of seeds, which
are carried far on the wind by the little wing attached to
them, it is spreading itself rapidly, and I anticipate
that, in a comparatively short period, it will to a con-
siderable extent supplant the other trees. Wherever a
clearance has been made, either intentionally or by
accidental fires, if the soil be dry, it appears to spring
up spontaneously. The rough open ground by High
Beach Church has been quite recently covered by a
charming grove of birches, which have probably sown
themselves from the neighbouring gardens ; and, in the
case of a wide roadway cut only fifteen years ago through
Lord's Bushes with the intention of selling it in building
lots, the crime is already hidden under a similar screen.
Those who are now middle-aged will live to see the bare
plain between the "Wake Arms " and Monk Wood and
other openings, similarly restored by nature.
The Maple (Acer campestre) is found sparingly in the
moister parts of the Forest. It is a small tree, and is
not conspicuous until the autumn, when it turns to a fine
golden yellow.
The Common Hawthorn or May (Crataegus Oxyacantha).—
This is, next to the oak, one of the longest lived of
trees. Its rugged stems assume picturesque forms, and
are highly characteristic of the Forest, which it en-
livens by its early foliage, by its masses of white flowers,