that he had often, when sinking wells or pits, found mice fallen in, and dead, in consequence of their endeavours to extricate themselves, and he had little doubt that the same plan would succeed in the Forest. It was tried, and holes were dug over the enclosures about two feet deep, and the same size across, and rather hollowed out at the bottom, and at the distance of about twenty yards apart, into which the mice fell, and were unable to get out again. Simmons and others were employed, and paid by the numbers of tails which they brought in, which amounted in the whole to more than 100,000. In addition to this it may be mentioned that polecats, kites, hawks, and owls visited the holes regularly, and preyed upon the mice caught in them; and a small owl, called by Pennant, Strix passerina, never known in the Forest before or since, appeared at that time, and was particularly active in their destruction. The mice in the holes also ate each other.
Four more steam engines were allowed to be erected about the close of this year at Palmer’s Flat and at Hopewell.
Proceeding to the following year, we find that in 1815 the number of plantations was increased by the addition of—
| A. | R. | P. | ||
| Leonard’s Hill, containing | 66 | 0 | 32 | near Cinderford. |
| Edge Hills | 494 | 1 | 36 | „ Little Dean. |
| Cock Shot | 598 | 0 | 22 | „ Blakeney. |
| Yew-tree Brake | 183 | 0 | 0 | „ Cinderford. |
| ---- | -- | -- | ||
| 1341 | 3 | 10 |
Two years before this time the Admiralty had called the attention of the Commissioners of Woods, &c., to the most proper means of improving the durability of oak timber, which had always been supposed to be best secured by its being felled in winter, although, owing to its involving the loss of the bark, the practice had not become general. To avoid such loss it was determined, on the 15th of March this year, that the bark should be stripped in the spring from the
trees standing, leaving them to be felled in the ensuing or some subsequent spring, five shillings per load being allowed for the additional trouble occasioned thereby. But this determination was not formed without careful investigation and experiment. Thus in the previous year (1814) thirty trees were marked and set apart in each of the Royal Forests, “which were divided into five classes: three of the classes were stripped standing, but with some variety in method, and left to be felled in winter; the second class was felled, but left with the bark on; and the third felled, and then immediately afterwards stripped in the usual way.” But the results of these different methods are not stated.
Licences to erect machinery were granted in the preceding year to Messrs. Kear for a waterwheel at Park End in connexion with a mill for pounding slag from the iron furnaces, and to Mr. Mushet for a steam engine at Deepfield, and to Mr. John Protheroe for an engine at Whitelay Colliery; and in the present year two steam engines were licensed at Upper Bilson by Mr. Thomas Bennett, and one at Smith’s Folly by Mr. Glover.
In the course of the succeeding year (1816) the last of the enclosures, as set out by the commissioners appointed under the Act of 1808, were completed, viz.—
| A. | R. | P. | ||
| Perch, containing | 386 | 1 | 15 | near Coleford. |
| Aston Bridge | 475 | 0 | 4 | „ Lydbrook. |
| Kinsley Ridge | 376 | 1 | 27 | „ the Speech House. |
| ---- | -- | -- | ||
| Total | 1237 | 3 | 6 |
The second report of the Commissioners of Woods, dated the 18th of May, and signed by Wm. Huskisson, Wm. Dacres Adams, Henry Dawkins, states “that 9,389 acres of this Forest had been enclosed and planted, the remaining 1,611 acres, making up the 11,000, being partly fenced, and would be shut in the next year, viz. 1816, making the total number of enclosures upwards of thirty. Besides which 240 acres