WOODEN WALLS AND PIT-PROPS.
[To THE EHITO1 or THE SPEETATOR.v] L/11,--I, for one, sympathize with and fully endorse the views and feelings of your correspondent in last week's Spectator with regard to our suburban foliage growth and excrescences: only mine extend to those of our woods, parks, and hedgerows all over the country. Nothing, to my mind, shows up our national thriftless- ness and laissez oiler ways better than oar attitude with respect to the thinning of our splendid timber, and the making use of its resources, as well as our neglect of making new plantations to take its place.
But now an inevitable Nemesis has overtaken us. Down at Ampthill only last week I was revelling in the sight of the Loble woods mid glades of the Park just turning in the autumn sunlight, and gazing at the numbers of old oaks standing lifeless, extent, and amorphous among their splendid younger brethren. Cook's Topography of about the year 1800 tells us that in 1653 a survey of the oaks there was taken, and that even then two hundred and eighty-seven trees were hollow and decayed and of no use for the Navy. And now, in revenge, in the days of the second great war, close by in the same neighbourhood, besides on a much larger scale at Woburn, the axe and the saw-mill of our skilful Canadian brothers are felling ruthlessly (before they have reached their prime) the fine firs to serve as pit-props and other timber to aid in the output of coal and steam. A few months since their noble owner, it is said, so cherished his beau- tiful woods that he even lamented the gathering of a single fallen fir-cone—white now there is enough waste wood from the felled trees to provide fuel for on army.
I wonder if sonic kind hand from Ampthill Park would furnish your readers with the full lines written on a equare piece of metal high up on the trunk of one of the long since dead monarchs situated near the house and of which my old eyes could only decipher the first line, which is pretty enough:- " The [illegible] Oak 1791.
I was a bauble once: a cup and ball."
—I am, Sir, &c., A. C. B.
P.S.—Since writing this letter I have been reading the account in the Times of the tree-felling that is going on on the Duke of Atholl's estate in Perthshire, which is an exact counterpart of the operations now bring carried out at Woburn. The only difference seems to be in the size of the trees; for the Scots Duke's fore- father had the foresight to plant his firs at least a quarter of a, century earlier, and eo his descendant is reaping a richer harvest than his English contemporary. But it is good to know that they both, as I believe, intend to replant at once, and 00 will start fair tins time, and set a good example to others.
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