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,<*>«<^.4>"4>-^^4>^'^^'^''^^'^<^*4*^4*'^>^ 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS 
 
 O N 
 
 PLANTING, &c. 
 
 4>-^4>'<&«#>4^'<«>'^^<«>- <9i^'^4i"<>4>"<*i^^ 
 
Jurt publiflicti, and folil by T, Cadlll, London, 
 and C. Elliot, Edinburgh, price 2 s. fewed, 
 
 PRACTICAL DISCOURSE 
 
 O N 
 
 C H I INI N E Y S : 
 
 Containing full Dirctlions for removing or pre- 
 vcntinp; Smoke in Iloufts. 
 
 Jliuftratcd v\ith CorPERrLATf.3. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS 
 
 O N 
 
 PLANTING AND TRAINING 
 
 TIMBER^TREES; 
 
 PARTICULARLY CALCULATED FOR 
 
 The climate of SCOTLAND. 
 
 In a Series of Letters, 
 
 By AGRICOLA. 
 
 EDINBURGH! 
 
 Printed for Charles Elliot, Edinburgh ; 
 and Thomas Cadell, London. 
 
 M, DCC, LXXVII. 
 
TO 
 
 THE RIGHT HONOURABLE 
 
 LorxD HAD DO, 
 
 WHOSE FIRST APPEAR^^NCE IN LIFE 
 
 GIVES ROOM TO HOPE 
 
 THAT THE INFLUENCE HE WILL DERIVE FROM 
 
 AN AMPLE FORTUNE 
 
 AND 
 
 ILLUSTRIOUS BIRTH 
 
 WILL BE EXERTED IN PROMOTING THE IMPROVEMENTS 
 
 OF 
 
 HIS NATIVE COUNTRY^ 
 
 THE FOLLOWING PAGES 
 
 ARE HUMBLY INSCRIBED 
 
 BY 
 
 The author. 
 
Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive 
 
 in 2009 witii funding from 
 
 NCSU Libraries 
 
 littp://www.arcliive.org/details/miscellaneousobsOOande 
 
CO NTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 LETTER First. General Obferva- 
 tions on the great Profit that ma) he 
 made 1?) judicious Plantations of Tim- 
 ber-trees - - - I 
 
 LETTER Second. Of the Neceffit) 
 of Shelter for Trees; — proper Method 
 of planting in an expo fed Situation 48 
 
 LETTER Third. Ohfervations on the 
 Fir-tree, and its Varieties, The Na- 
 ture of the Soil befi adapted for rear' 
 ing thefe - - - - ^2 
 
 LETTER Fourth. ' Of the Larch- 
 tree; — the valuable Ufes to uohich it 
 ma) be applied ; — manner of obtaining 
 its Rofiii - - - I I r 
 
 LETTER Fifth. General Ob ferva- 
 tions on the different Circiimfiances that 
 ought to be attended to in making a Flan- 
 taiion of Trees in different Situations 120 
 
 LETTER Sixth. Oa/ /^^ Fir-tree, and 
 . Method of extrading its Turpentine 137 
 
 LETTER 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 LETTER Seventh. Of the Pine- 
 tree — Method of ext racing its Ro- 
 iln — Manner of making Ti\\\ 6*^. 146 
 
 LEITER Eighth. 7 he -Method of 
 making Pot-afli - - i6t 
 
 LETTER Ninth. Of the Siigar- 
 niaplc. Method ofextrafling its Juicej 
 and of other Saccharine Juices of Trees 171 
 
 LETTER Tknth. Of the Bark of 
 the Oak, and other Trees luhich can 
 be of Ufe in ^rtSy 6cc. - 1 9 3 
 
 LETTER E l ev en t h . On the. proper 
 hictbod of pruning Deciduous Trees 219 
 
 A D V E R T I S E M E N 1\ 
 
 The follow in g Lettp:rs luere firfi pub- 
 lified in the Edinburgli Weekly Amufe- 
 mcnt, and have been reprinted by themfelves^ 
 at the Rcqucfl of fever nl Perfons eminently di- 
 Jlinguijhcd for their Knowledge and Public 
 Spit it. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS 
 
 O N 
 
 PLANTING. 
 
 LETTER First. 
 
 General Ohfervations on the great Profit that 
 may he made by judicious Plantations of 
 Timber Trees, . 
 
 SI R, Feb, 28. 1771. 
 
 WHfLE the great men, who fur- 
 round the throne of our mofl: 
 gracious Sovereign, are wrang- 
 ling about places and pcnfions, and trying 
 who can prevail in the contefl for riches 
 
 A and 
 
2 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 and honours ; while Junius is (ludying how 
 lie can bcfl annoy the men in power, and 
 North is putting on his armour lor de- 
 fence ; while Cambdcn is turning over the 
 mufly records of antiquity, for precedents 
 of law to confound his antagonirt, and 
 Mnrtsf'cIJ is preparing himlelf to meet this 
 doughty champion ; while Chatham is pu- 
 bliHiinghis oracular fpccchcs, to convince 
 tlic world that he alone is able to pene- 
 trate the deligns, and frudrate the attempts 
 of all our enemies; while Rockingham calls 
 forth his myrmidons, and Burke and Barre 
 found the dread alarm ofwar,ofblood(hed, 
 and o^ total defolation ; let us, who live 
 at a didancc from thcfe tumultuous fccnes, 
 look up with indifference on all thefe fe- 
 veral contcds, little Iblicitous about the 
 fucccfs of either party, being convinced 
 that difputes of tliis fort mull ever be the 
 neccdary attendant, and perhaps the fu- 
 refl guard of public liberty ; and, while we 
 laugh ai the Ipccious pretexts which they 
 
 employ 
 
ON PLANTING. 3 
 
 employ to impofe upon each other, let us, 
 without pceviihnefs, allow them to enjoy, 
 as well as they cat), their fliort-lived glory, 
 and plume themfelves upon their fancied 
 fuperiority, while we, with diligence and 
 affiduity, endeavour, each of us, faithfully 
 to perform thai tafk which Providence has 
 allotted us, and, in our more humble 
 fphere, contribute what is in our power 
 for the public good, by encouraging every 
 ufeful art, and carrying on, with a chear- 
 ful alacrity, every improvement that can 
 benefit the nation, while, at the fime time, 
 it promotes the happinefs of individuals. 
 It is with a view to turn the attention of 
 my countrymen to an objeft of much con- 
 fequence to many individuals among us, 
 as well as of the mofl general utility to 
 this antient kingdom, that I give you the 
 trotible of this letter. 
 
 The fcarcity of wood is a general com- 
 plaint throughout all Britain, efpecially in 
 Scotland ; which is the more to be regret- 
 
 A 2 ted. 
 
4 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ted, as there are fo many cxtcnfive tracts 
 of land in almofl: every corner of it, en- 
 tirely proper for raifing wood, Avhich are 
 at prcfcnt of almoft no value at all, — the 
 jiroducc being next to nothing. I would 
 therefore ftrongly recommend this fuhje^l 
 to the attention of the proprietors of llich 
 land, and beg of them ferioufly to examine 
 of what importance it might be to them- 
 Iclvcs and their heirs, if a fmall part of 
 thefe barren waflt s was covered with trees ; 
 and I am latisflcd, that a very little reflec- 
 tion will foon convince them of the great 
 utility of it. — That any one who turns his 
 attention this way, may not be impofed 
 npoii by fallb reafoning, I would likcwife 
 recommend to him to take the opinion of 
 any of his neighbom's, Vvho, in tjjc younger 
 part of his life, may have made any con- 
 fidcrablc plantation of trees; — or let him 
 go to any thriving wood, and carry with 
 him a man who is a judge of the value of 
 the trees which are in it, and compute what 
 
 may 
 
ON PLANTING. 5 
 
 may be the value of the wood on one acre, 
 and I (hall not be afraid that he will draw 
 an unfavourable conclulion; although lam 
 fenlible, that nineteen plantations out of 
 twenty, which have been made in this coun- 
 try, have been executed with fo little judge- 
 ment, that the proprietor does not draw 
 near the one half of what he might have 
 done by a more judicious proceeding; as I 
 fliall probably have occafion to fliow here- 
 after. 
 
 I believe many perfons are prevent- 
 ed from planting trees, by thinking that 
 fuch a great length of time muft elapfe be- 
 fore they can reap any profit or advantage 
 from them. And indeed trees, like chil- 
 dren, advance fo gradually in their growth, 
 that we do not perceive their encreafe by 
 looking at themfelves, unlefs we compare 
 them with fome fixed flandard, — which we 
 more feldom apply in the one cafe than 
 the other. It would, however, be very 
 eafy for me to produce, from accurate cal- 
 culations, 
 
6 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 culations, the clcarcfl: proof, that thcfc ad- 
 vance ib faft, as that few men, except when 
 on the very verge of old age, have not a 
 reafbnabic profpccl of reaping confiderablc 
 advantage from their plantations in their 
 own life-time ; but, as I would always wifti 
 rather to refer to experience than rcafon- 
 ing, I (liall here omit thefe calculations, 
 and only beg of the reader to open his eyes, 
 and be attentive, and he cannot fail of 
 meeting with abundant proof of this. If 
 he is acquainted with Eaft Lothian, I would 
 bid him obferve the wood of Tniniiigham, 
 from which the Earl of Haddington at pre- 
 fent draws fuch a conllderable revenue, 
 and be informed that this wood was plant- 
 ed by the late Countcfs-do wager of Had- 
 dington, after Qie was become a widow, 
 and well ftrikcn in years; yet, notwitli- 
 flandincr this unfwourable circumllance, 
 (lie had the plcafure, feveral years before 
 her death, to fee this wood, planted at fuch 
 an advanced period of her life, abundantly 
 
 repay 
 
ON PLANTING. 7 
 
 repay to her fon all the expence and care 
 (lie had been at; and ufed to boaft, with a 
 very allowable fpecies of vanity, that this 
 field, which had come into her pofleflion 
 a barren wafte, had, by her management, 
 become one of the mod valuable that be- 
 longed to the family of Haddington. 
 
 Many other inflances of the fame kind 
 might eafily be produced, to fhow the 
 (peedy, though imperceptible advance, 
 that trees make in growth : but, to render 
 this dill more plain and obvious to the 
 fen fes, I fliall here prefent the reader with 
 a table, fliowing the real encreafe of twelve 
 trees in fixteen years, as they were adlually 
 meafured by Mr Robert Marfliam, and re- 
 corded in the Philofophical Tranfadions, 
 vol. LL I muft, however, obferve, that 
 I have taken only the two firft columns 
 from the Table he publiflied, having al- 
 tered the others where I found them defec- 
 tive. For, as he has fuppofed, that all the 
 trees were of an equal height, and made 
 
 his 
 
3 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 his calculations accordingly, it is obvious 
 they mull be erroneous ; for every one 
 kno\v's that a tree, till it arrives at a very 
 confiderable fizc, continues to advance in 
 height as well as in girt ; fo that, to make 
 an exa6l nicaiurcinent of its contents, it is 
 neceffary to attend to both thefc particu- 
 lars. To do this in the mod ac- 
 
 Girt. Height. 
 
 curate manner I could, I have Feet. Feet, 
 allunied as data^ that trees ad- 
 vance in height in the fame 
 proportion witli rcfpe(ft to tiicir 
 girt, as is exprefled in the mar- 
 gin, which the reader may cor- 
 red:, if he thinks they are erro- 
 neous ; but it will be neceflaiy for him to 
 obferye, that, although when trees turn 
 old, they advance but little in height ; yet, 
 as their boughs become large, and affortl 
 wood as well as the trunk, thefe ought to 
 be meafurcd as well as the body of the 
 tree; fo that I imagine .that the height 
 w hich I have alligined to the largcfl: trees, 
 
 is 
 
 I 
 
 lO 
 
 2 
 
 15 
 
 3 
 
 '9 
 
 4 
 
 23 
 
 5 
 
 25f 
 
 6 
 
 27 
 
 7 
 
 28/ 
 
 8 
 
 29 
 
 9 
 
 29f 
 
 10 
 
 30 
 
ON PLANTING. 9 
 
 is rather under than above the truth. Ha- 
 ving premifed this much, I fubjoin the 
 Table, with the corredions, as under. 
 
 ?>-, CO 
 
 p« C 4-> 
 
 «u S-j -, 
 
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 M 
 
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 Feet. 
 
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 eft 
 
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 Feet. 
 
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 CNOst^vO O r<-,0000 i^r-^rr^OO 
 
 
 
 C«WC<C<C1C«H<>-1»-IMH,I-I 
 
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 00 
 
 Dec. 
 
 OOrr. 0"^t^'*"C<Oi-iM'=t" 
 
 13 
 
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 Inch. 
 Feet. 
 
 
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 From 
 
10 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 From this table it appears, that twelve 
 trees have ciicrcared three hundred and 
 fifty-three cubic feet in ilxteen years ; 
 which, if fold at one fliilling per cubic 
 foot, would amount to 17 1. 13 s. fterling. 
 Now, if we Ihould fuppofc a Scots acre of 
 ground planted widi trees thriving at the 
 fame rate, at ten feet diftance from one 
 another, it would contain 540 trees, and 
 would of confequencc yield of cncreafe 
 15885 cubic feet in fixteen years ; which, 
 if fold at one fliilling per cubic foot, would 
 amount to fomething better than 794 1. 
 flcrling; which, divided by fixteen, gives 
 49 I. I OS. for the annual produce: Or, if 
 the wood were fold at fixpence per cubic 
 foot, it would give 24 1. 15 s. per annum ; 
 or, if at threepence per cubic foot, 1 2 1. 
 7I. 6d. ; or at one penny per foot, it 
 would yield 4I. is. 6 d. per annum; which 
 is a profit great enough to fatisfy the mod 
 avaricious. And alihough we fliould al- 
 low 
 
ON PLANTING. ir 
 
 low it to be highly probable, that the trees 
 which form the fubjcd of this experiment, 
 have been more favourably fituated, and 
 perhaps advanced fader than could be ex- 
 pelled in a general plantation, we have 
 room to make confiderable deductions on 
 that account, without diminiftiing the pro- 
 fits near fo much as mod people would be 
 fatisfied with ; as even one tenth of the 
 fmalleft of thefe calculations is more than 
 is generally drawn for good arable land in 
 many parts of this kingdom. 
 
 I fliall not at prefent trouble you with 
 many remarks upon this Table, as I fliall 
 only obferve, that from it we may learn. 
 That although trees encreafe fader when 
 young, in proportion to their fize, yet 
 large trees do really produce more wood 
 in an equal fpace of time than fmall ones. 
 Thus No. I. produces, in flxteen years, 
 57. 7. cubic feet of wood, which is pre- 
 cifely one fourth of its whole bulk ; whereas 
 
 B 2 No. 
 
12 O BS ER VATIONS 
 
 No. IX. cncrcafes only 19.3. cubic feet, 
 \vhich is three-fourths of the whole bulk 
 nearly. Whether the greater fpace necef- 
 fary to be allowed to large trees than 
 young, would be fufHcient to counterba- 
 lance the greater produce, I cannot cxa(fi- 
 ly fay ; but I am difpofed to imagine it 
 would, as we fee that young trees bear 
 to be nuich clofer upon one another than 
 when older ; lo that probably an acre of 
 young growing wood would produce as 
 much as one of full-grown trees in an e- 
 qual number of years. But whatever may 
 be the cafe with regard to large planta- 
 tions, it is obvious, that fuch trees as ftand 
 fmglc, and are advanced to a confidcrable 
 fize, continue to encreafe in tpiantity very 
 much; fo iliat every one who has fuch 
 trees ought to prefcrve them with care, as 
 they are continually gaining more and 
 more, and adding to the flock of the pro- 
 prietor in a much higher degree than any 
 
 intcrefi 
 
ON PLANTING. 13 
 
 interejl he could get for the money which 
 he would dravv from felling them. 
 
 It is likewife worth remarking, that, of 
 all the trees mentioned in this Table, none 
 of them (except the large thriving Afli, 
 No. I.) advance fofaft as the Oak. I would 
 wifh that my countrymen would pay a >. 
 particular attention to this circumftance ; 
 becaufe there leems to be a general preju- 
 dice among the people of Scotland againft 
 this noble tree, fo juftly termed the king of 
 the woods; it being imagined, from its flow 
 progrefs at firft, and the length of time 
 it continues to thrive, that it makes but 
 very little progrefs; but this notion is fuf- 
 ficiently refuted by experience, as this 
 Table fliows. It is worth obferving, that 
 even Mr Marfliam himfelf was deceived by 
 this tree ; as he had imagined that No. II. 
 was paft thriving, and yet it encreafed, in 
 fixteen years, 41 cubic feet ; which, at the 
 ©rdinary felling price of that wood, is 
 
 worth 
 
14 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 worth 4I. ftcrling and upwards. I (hall 
 not now take up more of your time ; but 
 may, perhaps, on fome future occafion, 
 fend you fome further remarks upon this 
 fuhjecfl. 
 
 ACRICOLA. 
 
 p. S. Since the above was written, I 
 liave met with the following facfts that 
 flrongly confirm the obfervations contain- 
 ed in the foregoing letter, and therefore 
 deferve the particular attention of the 
 reader. 
 
 Mr Arthur Young, in his Eaflern tour, 
 takes notice of the improvements of Mr 
 Mellilh, in the following terms. ** Mr 
 Mcllifli has, for many years, raifcd nume- 
 rous plantations, which are a very great 
 ornament, not to his eftate only, but to 
 tlic whole country. In this noble purfuit, 
 he has gained much experience in plant- 
 ing 
 
ON PLANTING. 15 
 
 ing fandy foils efpecially, from trying va- 
 rious methods, and different forts of trees. 
 Some pieces of foreft-Iand he has cleared 
 from the fpontaneous rubbifh, in the fame 
 manner as for corn, and ploughed it once 
 in the common manner, upon which he 
 fet the trees. Others he trench-plough- 
 ed, and fet them ; and, upon fome other 
 pieces, he did not plough at all, and clear- 
 ed no more than neceflary to make the 
 holes to plant them in. The refult of thefe 
 various trials was indeterminate, each near- 
 ly equal ; but, if any difference, thole 
 planted after clearing and ploughing were 
 the beft. The forts tried were Scots md 
 fpruce firs, larch, oak, a(h, chefnut, beech, 
 birch, 6cc. the whole mixed. Scots and 
 fpruce firs have grown much fafter than 
 any of the refl, and they have all ii gene- 
 rally fucceeded, that fcarcely one in ten 
 thoufand have failed. The foil he has cho- 
 fen is forefl-land of 3 s, an acre. 
 
 TIic 
 
i6 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 Tlic number he has generally fet on an 
 acre is 5000 ; the expencc of inclofing, 
 ralfing tiic trees, and plantnig, is 3I. an 
 acre. In five years they require thinning ; 
 the value of the wood taken out about 
 pays for the labour * ; the number taken 
 out about 1000. 
 
 In five yeai's more they are thinned a- 
 gain, when another thoufand trees are ta- 
 ken out, which make very good hedge- 
 wood and hedge-flakes. The value about 
 5 1. more than what pays the labour. 
 
 After thclc thinnings, 3000 are left, 
 which Mr Mcllilh has found from expe- 
 rience to be tljen worth 6 d. each, on an 
 average, as they (land, clear of all ex- 
 pences, if fold. At this time another 
 thoufand (liould be taken out. 
 
 Two thoufand are therefore left, which, 
 at thirty years growth, will be worth, as 
 
 • Firs fliould always be cut in the middle of fumnicr, In 
 full turpentine. 
 
 they 
 
ON PLANTING. 17 
 
 they (land, i s. each ; and, at forty years, 
 they will be worth 2 s. 
 
 This is the ftate of the planting-produce 
 on the poor foreft-fands : but Mr Mellifh 
 has many Scots firs, planted thirty-five 
 years ago on good land, which arc now 
 worth 40 s. each, and very many from 
 25 s. to 35 s. 
 
 Upon thefe data we may eafily calculate 
 the profit of planting at different periods* 
 
 Account of an acre of Firs at the end of the fifth year, 
 
 I. s. d. 
 
 Firft indofing *, raifing, planting, fencing, &c. 3 00 
 
 Interert of the above fum for five years o 15 o 
 
 Rent - - . - o 15 o 
 
 4 10 o 
 
 In Five years more. 
 
 Reparation of the fences - - 050 
 
 Jntereft of 4I. 10 s. for five years - 126 
 
 Allow for compound intereft - - 0150 
 
 Kent - - > . . oi'io 
 
 2 17 6 
 Firft five - - - -4100 
 
 • This price is for a large field of lo, 15, or 20 acres, and not 
 a fingle acre. It is the proportion of the whole. 
 
 C Expence 
 
I? OBSERVATIONS 
 
 Expcnce at the end of ten years 
 Received for thinnings 
 
 Exccfs - . - 
 
 /}t the end of Twenty years. 
 
 Rent . - - I »o o 
 
 Reparation of fences - - o lo o 
 
 Intcrcll - - - I o o 
 
 /. 
 
 s.d. 
 
 7 
 
 7 (> 
 
 5 
 
 o o 
 
 1 
 
 7 6 
 
 o o 
 
 Received for looo, at 6d. - - 25 o o 
 
 Value of 2000 remaining, at fame rate 50 00 
 
 Dedud, as above - - 300 
 
 Excefs at the end of five years 176 
 
 75 ° "" 
 
 5 7 6 
 
 Clear profit in twenty years - - 69 1 2 6 
 
 Which is per acre per annum - 3 9* 
 
 But, fuppofing the 20C0 trees left ten years longer, the 
 
 account will (land as under. 
 Received for 1000, at 6d. - - 25 o o 
 
 Deduft, as above - - - 5 7^' 
 
 Profit in twenty years, cxclufive of trees 
 
 remaining - - - - 19126 
 
 "Which, per acre per annum, may be called i o o 
 
 j4t the end of Thirty years. 
 
 Rent - - - - - iioo 
 
 Fences - • - - - 0100 
 
 Intcreft r . - 100 
 
 300 
 Suppofing 
 
ON PLANTING. 19 
 
 /. s. d. 
 Suppofing the plantation then cut down, 
 
 the 2000 trees, at is. bring - 100 o o 
 
 Dedu(5t, as above - - 300 
 
 Profit 
 
 Firft ten years expence 
 
 Second ten ditto - . - 
 
 Third ditto . - - 
 
 Total expence 
 
 Received fecond thinning 
 
 Third ditto - - - 
 
 The 2000 remaining - - - 
 
 Total - - - - 
 
 Expences 
 
 Clear profit in thirty years 
 
 Or ^er acre ^cr annum 
 
 At the end of Forty yean. 
 Expences as before 
 
 Received for 2000 trees, at 2 s. 
 Ditto, firft and fecond thinnings 
 
 Total - - - 230 o o 
 
 Dedudl expences, as before T^l 7 ^ 
 
 Ditto - - 30° 
 
 16 7 6 
 
 Clear profit in forty years - 213 12 6 
 
 Or per acre per annum • - - 5 " ' 
 
 C 2 This 
 
 97 
 
 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 7 
 
 6 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 13 
 
 7 
 
 6 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 
 25 
 
 
 
 
 
 100 
 
 
 
 
 
 1^0 
 
 
 
 
 
 13 
 
 7 
 
 6 
 
 116 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 17 
 
 I 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 200 
 
 
 
 
 
 30 
 
 
 
 
 
10 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 Tlil^-acconnt of the expcnccs, producr, 
 and profit, of planting foreft-lancl, at 3 s. 
 an acre, (hews the amazing profit of fiich 
 undertakings. Plantations have, in ge- 
 neral, been raifed v;itli a view merely to 
 beauty, or elfc through a very noble pa- 
 triotic motive of being fcrviceable to the 
 country ; but it is evident that they may 
 be undertaken with very different views : 
 with thofe of profit. So that a man may 
 cut down the trees he planted himfelf, 
 and expc6\ to reap, in fo doing, very coii- 
 fiderablc profit. 
 
 If he cuts all down at the end of twen- 
 ty years, and leaves not a fingle tree, he 
 gains a profit clear of near 70 1. an acre, 
 ^vhich is 3 1. y s. per acre per annum from 
 the firfl planting. Let me alk the moll 
 fkilliil farmers of this country, how they 
 will exceed fuch a profit, by any fyfiem of 
 common hufbandry, on fuch poor land ? 
 It before appeared, that common good huf- 
 
 bandry, 
 
. ON PLANTING. 21 
 
 bandry, after fome improvements, would 
 yield but 1 1. is. 1 1 d. per acre profit ; fo 
 that the planting, to cut in twenty years, 
 is more than thrice as benelicial, and cer- 
 tainly much lefs expoled to accidental lof- 
 fes. 
 
 But fiippofing the trees left thirty years, 
 in that cafe the tliinnings pay, for the firft 
 twenty years, 1 1, per 2Lcre per annum; and, 
 at the end of the thirtieth, the account 
 from the firft planting is 3 1. rys. id. per 
 acre ; and, in forty years, 5I. 6s. id. Af- 
 ter which time they may be fuppofed to 
 decline in quicknefs of growth, and con- 
 feqiiently had better be cut down in point 
 of profit. 
 
 If beauty of fituation is not, in fbme re- 
 fpecls, commanded, we feldom fee planta- 
 tions of quick-growing trees ; but it is e- 
 vident that poor foils fliould be planted 
 upon the mere view of profit : a crop of 
 iirs, inftead of a crop of wheat, barley, or 
 
 oats, 
 
22 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 oats, at twenty years growth, wliicli fo 
 many men may expect to Ibe out in per- 
 fecflion, will turn out far fuperior. One of 
 the mofl profitable farms would be a thirty 
 years leafc of fuch land, with liberty to 
 plant and cut down. One of twenty 
 years, which is a fliorter period than the 
 generality of long leafcs, would, thus ap- 
 plied, exceed common hufbandry on fuch 
 foils." 
 
 Thcfe arc not the only fuccefsful expe- 
 riments on planting recorded by that ru- 
 ral traveller. In recording the cxjieri- 
 mcnts of Sir John Turner (of Warnford 
 in Norfolk), he takes notice, 
 
 Experiment^ No. 7. 
 That *' Sir John Turner has not only 
 planted many acres as an addition to the 
 beauty of his fituation, but has alio at- 
 tended to tlie growth of the trees, for dif- 
 
 covcring 
 
ON PLANTING. 23 
 
 covering the profit of planting on his foils. 
 In one plantation, Scots firs, at 12 years 
 growth, are worth r s. each. 
 
 Experiment, No. 8. 
 In a plantation of 50 years growth, the 
 land 8 s. an acre, the trees are various, 
 and the value as follows : 
 Oak, worth los. each, 
 Afli, 1 2 s. 6 d. ditto. ^ 
 Elm, I o s. ditto. 
 Scots fir, 7 s. 6 d. ditto/ 
 Lime, 5 s. ditto. 
 Suppofe the number of each equal, the 
 average value is 9 s. The number about 
 500 on an acre. 
 
 Five hundred trees, at 9 s. are 225 1. or 
 4 1. I o s. per acre per mfium, , from the firfl 
 planting; but the thinnings have produ- 
 ced very confiderable funis : and the grafs 
 under the trees would now let at 5 s. an 
 acre. 
 
 I 
 
 Experiment, 
 
24 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 Experiment, No. 9. 
 
 In another plantation of 50 years 
 growth, on land of 8 s. an acre, the trees, 
 250 per acre, are worth — 
 
 The oak, i6s. each. 
 
 Afli, £ o s. ditto. 
 
 Lime, 9 s. ditto. 
 
 Scots fir, 16 s. ditto. 
 
 Average, 12 s. 9 d. 
 Two hundred and fifty at that price 
 come to 154I. 7 s. 6d. per acre, belides 
 the thinnings: tliis is above 3 1. per Ticre 
 per annum from the firft planting. 
 
 Had all been oak or fir, the total would 
 have been 100 1. per acre, or 4I. per acre 
 per annum from tlie firlt planting. 
 
 Experiment, No. 10. 
 
 In anodicr plantation, elms of 40 years 
 
 growth (300 on an acre), are worth 22 s. 
 
 each ; this is 330 1. per acre, or more than 
 
 81. per acre per annum; and the land 
 
 now 
 
ON PLANTING. 25 
 
 now would let as well as before the plant- 
 ing. 
 
 Experiment ^ No. r r . 
 A plantation of Scots firs, of 15 years 
 
 growth, 300 on an acre, are worth is. 6d. 
 
 each. This is 22 1. los. an acre, or i I. 
 
 ro s. per acre per anniim^ befides thinnings. 
 The great profit of planting is obvious 
 from thefe trials; but the whole ftate of 
 the cafe by no means appears here; for 
 the product of the thinnings is confider- 
 able. Sir John calculates, that he never 
 receives lefs than a guinea an acre in thin- 
 nings throughout his plantations ; which 
 is eafily to be conceived, as they are at 
 firft planted only four feet afunder. — The 
 lowefl profit here mentioned is 1 1. los. 
 an acre; add i 1. is. for thinnings, it is 
 2 1. IIS. per acre ; dedu(n: 1 1 s. rent and 
 expences, there remains 40 s. an acre clear 
 profit; which is more than the farmers 
 
 D make 
 
26 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 make by all their trouble, induftry, and 
 hazard." 
 
 And again, in recording the experi- 
 ments of William Fellowcs, Efq; of Shot- 
 tcfliam, he gives the following account of 
 his plantations. 
 
 " Mr Fellowcs has given yet greater at- 
 tention to planting than to hufbandry, 
 and has tried various trees fome years a- 
 go ; fo that he is now able clearly to judge 
 which is the mofl: profitable. 
 
 Experiment, No. 9. 
 A plantation of Scots firs, of 45 years 
 growth, 20 feet fquarc, on land of 15 s. 
 an acre, are now worth 20 s. each on an 
 average. At that diflance there are 108 
 trees on an acre, or 108 1.; which is 2I. 
 9 s. per acre per annum from the firfl plant- 
 ing, exclulive of thinnings, which would 
 more than double it. But the grafs un- 
 der 
 
ON PLANTING. 27 
 
 der the trees would have let, for many 
 years pad, at 7 s. an acre. 
 
 Experiment y No. 10. 
 Another plantation of Scots firs, 38 
 years growth, ftanding in rows 14 feet 
 wide, and 10 in the row, are now worth 
 10 s. on an average. This diftance gives 
 300 on an acre; and, at 12s. come to 
 I Sol. or 4I. 14 s. per acre per annum, be- 
 fides thinnings. The rent of the land 
 15s.; poor-rates, is. 3d. in the pound; 
 and tythe, till 20 years old, 5 s. an acre ; 
 the grafs under them now 5 s. an acre. It 
 is fufficiently evident that no hufbandry 
 can equal this. 
 
 Experiment, No. 11. 
 Chefnuts, in 38 years, on the fame land, 
 ftanding 14 feet by 10, are worth 15 s. 
 each. This is 225 1. per acre, or 5 1. 1 6 s. 
 per acre per annum, befides thinnings. 
 
 D 2 Experiment, 
 
28 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 Expcrimcntf No. 12. 
 Scots lir5, in 38 years, on the fame 
 land, mcalurc 17 feet of timber on an a- 
 verage, for which Mr Ft Howes has been 
 offered rid. afoot; that is, 15s. yd. a 
 tree. I'hey fland 14 feet by 10. An acre 
 ivould therefore be 233 1. 15s. or 61. 3 s. 
 fcr acre per annwiu belidcs thinnings. 
 Thefc trees are 60 feet hiiih. 
 
 Experiment^ No. 13. 
 On tlie fame land larch-trees, of only 
 31 years growth, are as large as the firs 
 of experiment, No. i 2. which flicws that 
 the larch is a mnch quicker grower. 
 Spruce by them, not fo large as either. 
 The pinaflcr of 38 years, larger than the 
 Scots: the cedar of Lebanon, of tiic fame 
 age, would now cut into planks 12 inches 
 wide. 
 
 Experiment, No. 14. 
 A vcr)' flriking comparilbn between the 
 
 larch 
 
ON PLANTING. 
 
 29 
 
 larch and the Ipruce-fir was tried by plant- 
 ing an old gravel-pit levelled, furrounded 
 by a plantation of Scots firs, with thofe 
 two forts in alternate rows : The larch is 
 from 6 to 1 2 feet high ; whereas the fpruoe 
 is but 2 feet on an average. . 
 
 Experiment, No. 15. 
 A large plantation of many acres of a 
 poor gravelly land, at 8s. an acre, con- 
 taining Scots and fpruce-firs and larches, 
 is now 1 6 years old ; they are in Iquares 
 pf 10 feet, and are worth — 
 The Scots, 2s. 6d, each. 
 The fpruce, 3 s. 6d. each. 
 The larches, 4s. 6d. 
 At ten feet, there are 435 trees on an 
 acre. 
 
 The Scots, at 2s. 6d. come to 54I. 7s. 
 6d. ; or per acre per annum, 3 1. 7s. 
 
 The fpruce, at 3s. 6d. to 76L 2s. 6d, 
 ov per ?icre per annum, to 4I. 15s. 
 
 The 
 
o 
 
 o OBSERVATIONS 
 
 The larch, at 4s. 6c1. to 97I. 17s. 6d.; 
 or per anfiuw, 61. 2 s. 
 
 All thcfc cxclufive of thinnings. 
 
 Suppofe we calculate thefe at no more 
 than paying the rent, tythe, and town- 
 charges, and that the larch, in 20 years, 
 come only to lool. which is, however, un- 
 der the truth ; let any one calculate the 
 profit of hiring land on a twenty-one (or 
 more) years leafe, and immediately plant- 
 ing. In what other application of the 
 land can fuch great profit be made, as 
 gaining 61. an acre without any rifk, and 
 almofl without any expence ? It is true, 
 fuch a condu(ft cannot, like the culture 
 of corn and grals, be general, for rea- 
 fons obvious to every one; but, as far as 
 the whole demand of any neighbourhood 
 extends, it is profitable to execute it. 
 Such a demand is every-where very great, 
 for the life of rails, fpars, beams, board, 
 planks, ^c. ^c. according to the age of 
 
 the 
 
ON PLANTING. 31 
 
 the trees; and great quantities of thele 
 are perpetually importing from the Baltic* 
 So far, therefore, as the demand extends, 
 it is highly advifeable to plant thefe trees. 
 
 Suppofe five acres of larch planted e- 
 very year; at the end of 16 or 17 years, 
 five acres will every year be cut down, of 
 the value of 500 1. ; from that day a re- 
 gular produdl of 500 1. a-year is gained 
 from the application of 1 00 acres of land. 
 Let to a tenant, thefe 100 acres produce 
 40 1. a-year ; but planted, they produce 
 580 1. a-year. What an amazing differ- 
 ence! 
 
 Suppofe a fingle acre planted every 
 year, after the expiration of 1 8 or 20, to 
 cut annually rod. a-year from only 20 
 acres, which let, would yield but 81. a- 
 year. How beneficial a condudl ! 
 
 It fhould here be obfcrved, that the 
 larch is valued the fame as the Scots fir ; 
 but the befl authorities tell us, the timber 
 
 is 
 
32 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 is one of the moft iifcful yet known ; pro- 
 bably, therefore, the value of it would 
 turn out greater than the fuppofition in 
 thcfe experiments. 
 
 Exfycrimeiity No. r6. 
 Sixteen Scots firs and two pin afters rai- 
 fec! from feed, fown between Mlchaehnas 
 1732 and Lady-day 1733, were meafured 
 June 7. 1768. The meafurc is cxclufive 
 of the bark, for which 6 feet per k)ad was 
 alk)wcd ; tlie bark being very thick, they 
 were valued at 9 d. a-foot, they being full 
 of fap. The 306 feet come to 1 1 h 9 s. 
 6d. The trees ftand in a row at unequal 
 diftances; but are on an average at 15 
 feet. 
 
 No. I. 
 
ON PLANTING. 33 
 
 No. I. Scotsfir— — 22 feet. 
 
 2. Ditto 13 
 
 3. Ditto 21 
 
 4. Ditto 26 
 
 J. Ditto 9 
 
 6. Ditto 22 
 
 7. Dittos 16 
 
 8. Ditto 10 
 
 9. Ditto 22 
 
 10. Ditto 18 
 
 11. Ditto .15 
 
 12. Ditto 22 
 
 13. Ditto 22 
 
 14. Ditto 8 
 
 15. Ditto 1 3 
 
 16. Ditto 16 
 
 17. Pinafter ir 
 
 18. Ditto IS 
 
 306 
 
 A beech Town at the fame time, mea- 
 fured, on January 21. 1769, 19 feet 7 
 inches. 
 
 Mr Fellovves has had both the boughs 
 and feed of the red deal from Norway, 
 and he finds that it is the Scots fir. 
 
 In a regular planting and cutting down 
 a given quantity of land, it would be ad- 
 vifeable, I fliould apprehend, to plant the 
 old land again, which would faye grubbing 
 
 E up 
 
34 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 lip tlie flumps and roots, which, in rotting, 
 woiikl turn to a rich manure for the new 
 trees. 
 
 Plane-trees Mr Fellowes has planted ; 
 and he finds them to thrive amazingly in 
 low moid fituations. It will in fuch grow 
 much fafter than the poplar. One he has 
 of 30 years growth, that will cut into 
 planks 20 inches broad ; but fo vaft; a fize 
 lie attributes, in fome meafurc, to its (land- 
 ing on the edge of a ditch through which 
 the drainings of a farmer's p'lg-fties run. 
 Poplars, in fome parts of the kingdom, 
 are planted in low fituations, to the ex- 
 clufioii of every thing elfe : it is of confe- 
 qucnce, therefore, to know that the plane 
 will do better ; and in beauty it infinitely 
 exceeds that ragged, ciooked, iinfightly 
 tree, the poplar. 
 
 Mr Fellowes in general recommends the 
 larch as preferable to every odier tree that 
 he has tried ; and which will pay a planter 
 
 much 
 
ON PLANTING. 
 
 35 
 
 much greater profit than any of the reft. 
 As to the method of cultivating them, or 
 any firs, he is of opinion that the land 
 fliould be cropped with turnips, and the 
 trees fet about the loth of April follow- 
 ing; but, if that feafon is omitted, late in 
 Auguft will do. They (liould be 2 years 
 old, and fet at 4 feet fquare. For four 
 years it will be advifeable to hand-hoe the 
 land about them twice a-year, which 
 will coft 3 s. each hoeing ; after that there 
 will be no further expence." 
 
 To thefc may be added the experiments 
 of Mr Arbuthnot on planting the black 
 poplar and willow. 
 
 " Nine years ago (fays Mr Arbuthnot) 
 I planted fome black poplars, eight feet 
 afunder ; the fize about li inch diameter: 
 meafured two of them. No. I. the bell, 
 contains 1 3 feet of timber, wliich would 
 
 E 2 fell 
 
36 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 fell at rod. a-foot, and the forks in the 
 top would give three rails, worth, with 
 the faggots, 2 s. In all 12 s. lod. 
 
 No. 2. the word, iij feet of timber, 
 and the top worth i s. In all 10 s. 5 d. 
 Average, lis. yd. 
 
 An acre, planted in fquares of 8 fcer, would 
 Contain 680 trees, which, at i r s. amount 
 to - - - /• 393 O O 
 
 Expends. 
 Suppofe the trees bought or raifcd at 3 d. 
 
 each - - • 8 10 O 
 
 Planting - - • - 050 
 
 Filling vacancies by death ; fuppofe 50 - O 12 6 
 
 Fencing repairs - - - o 10 O 
 
 Nine years rent, fuppofe at 30 s. • 13 lo o 
 
 Total 2q 76 
 
 Produft - - 393 o o 
 
 Expences - • 23 7 6 
 
 Profit - - • 369 12 6 
 
 W\\ii.\\\% per ^zrc per annum 41 i 4 
 
 No hufbandry or gardening in the 
 world will equal this vaft profit. It is a- 
 ftoniflfing that more plantations of fuch 
 quick-growing trees are not made. This 
 foil is black, rich, low ground, near water. 
 
 Experiment, 
 
ON PLANTING. 37 
 
 Experiment y No. 3. 
 Some willows, planted at the fame time 
 and diftance, meafured, on an average, 
 18 feet of timber, worth 6d. a-foot, and 
 the tops I s. 6 d. 
 
 680, at 10 s. 6d. £, 357 o o 
 
 Expences as before - 23 7 6 
 
 Profit - - '333 12 6 
 
 Or per acre per amum 37 i 4 
 
 From which moil: confiderable return, 
 there is no flight reafon to fuppofe the 
 common idea, that this tree fliould, for 
 profit, have the head cut off, is an error; 
 for it is a queflion whether the produdl by 
 faggots would equal half this ; but, in fi- 
 tuations where poles fell well, Mr Arbuth- 
 not obfcrves, that you may cut them every 
 fix years, and fell at an amazing price, 
 but not for faggots. He likewife remarks, 
 that the body of the willow-tree rives into 
 
 pales. 
 
38 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 pales, ^vhich arc admirable for fences, hard- 
 ening in the air, and arc nearly as durable 
 as oak." 
 
 To ihcfc I fliall only fubjoin the follow^ 
 ing experiment on the culture of a(h-trecs 
 by the ingenious Mr Boutcher of Comely- 
 gardens. 
 
 " I fliall (fays he) difmifs this ufcful, 
 though not ornamental tree (the afli), in 
 mentioning an experiment I made very 
 early in life of its value, by planting a fpc- 
 cimcn of them in copfe, intended princi- 
 pally to fupply myfelf with poles for efpa- 
 lier hedges, and ftakes for dead fences; 
 for which purpofes no wood is more pro- 
 per or lading. 
 
 For thefe ends, in very obftinate heavy 
 meadow-ground, compofed chiefly of Itc- 
 ril red clay and mofs, I planted a rood, or 
 the eighth part of an acre, with afli-trecs 
 
 flK 
 
ON PLANTING. 
 
 39 
 
 fix years old, and about eight feet high. 
 I placed them in rows, four feet afunder, 
 and two feet diftance in the row, where I 
 let them remain untouched, only digging 
 the ground about them every autumn, for 
 four years, when I cut them over five or 
 fix inches above ground for the purpofe 
 meant, which they then fully anfwcred, 
 referving twenty of the fairefl: plants, at 
 proper diftances, for trees. 
 
 I continued to dig the ground two years 
 longer, and then left them to nature for 
 five years more, that is, feven from their 
 being cut down. Having more of them 
 than anfwered my own purpofes, or in- 
 deed than I could have imagined fb fmall 
 a fpot of ground would produce, I thought 
 of making the moft of what I had to fpare, 
 and accordingly meafured off exactly one 
 half of them, which I fold for pollards and 
 hoops, at 40 s. 
 
 I cut them again in fix years more, 
 
 which, 
 
40 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 which, being ftronger than the former, 1 
 fold for 50 s. 
 
 In fix years after this, I again cut them 
 over, and tlioiigh thefe were much tlie 
 largefl flioots, I fold them at the fame 
 price as the laft. 
 
 There remained now twenty trees in 
 the whole ground, intended to Hand for 
 timber, ten of which grew amongfl: the 
 copfe I had fold. My meaning was, not 
 to touch thefe till the decline of my life, 
 that I might leave to pofterity what ob- 
 fcrvations I was able to make, of the pro- 
 fit a man wlio begins to plant when young, 
 may reap from it in his own time. But 
 the crofs events of life difappointcd me; 
 for becoming fccurity in confiderable Aims 
 for others, who failed in their affairs, I 
 was obliged, by rigid creditors, to fell my 
 land, at which time my neceifitics alio 
 conftraincd nic to fell my trees of all kinds. 
 I hope the reader will excufe this digref- 
 
 fion. 
 
ON PLANTING. 41 
 
 fion, which I believed neccflary, to re- 
 move the jurt refle^lioii every judicious 
 planter would make agaiiift me, for cut- 
 ting down hopeful trees at fo early and 
 unprofitable a period, if I could have a- 
 voided it. Thofe trees I fold, of twenty- 
 three years growth, at 7 s. a tree to a cart- 
 wright, which was 3 1. los. for [the ten 
 trees on the copfe-ground I had cut and 
 fold three times before. 
 
 Thus it appears, that an acre of in- 
 different ground, (for mine was very bad), 
 * planted v/ith afli-trees in the manner de- 
 {cribed, near, or eafily carried to any po- 
 polous town, will yield in twenty-tlirce 
 years time 168I. *, without any other 
 
 expence 
 
 * In the text Mr Boutcher has here only 115 1. 10 s.; 
 which muft be evidently a miftake : for from the foregoing 
 data it appears^ that one fixteenth of an acre yielded. 
 
 At the firft cutting, four years after plant- 
 ing, nothing charged - /". o o o 
 
 At the fecond cutting, in feven years more 200 
 
 Carried over ^. z o 
 
42 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 cxpcncc thnn digging the ground for the 
 firfl five or fix years, and cutting over the 
 copfe, "which is very trifling; and ^vhich 
 the owner ought, in all events, to do 
 I/nnfclf carefully, for his own fake : Let 
 them be cut, flanting, with fliarp inflru- 
 mcnts, leaving all the wounds liuootli 
 and clean, to prevent the wet from lodg- 
 ing in the flocks, from whence it might 
 communicate to the roots, and contami- 
 nate the ^^ hole plant, and which a com- 
 mon purcliafer of the copfe would proba- 
 bly pay little attention to. The beft fea- 
 fon for this work is the month of Febrii- 
 
 Bropght foovard - /. 3 o o 
 
 At the third cutting, in fix years more 2 lo o 
 
 At the fourth cutting, infix years more 2 10 o 
 
 For the ten trees at this laft perid 510 o 
 
 Total in twenty-three years jf. 10 10 o 
 
 M'hich, multiplied by 16, is 168 o o 
 
 or 7 1. 6 s. 3 d. per annum, without reckoning any thing for 
 
 the firfl cutting, or for the grafs on the field for the whole 
 
 time*. 
 
 ary, 
 
ON PLANTING. 43 
 
 ary, before the fap begin to rife. I have 
 not mentioned any price for the firft cut- 
 ting, having ufed them myfelf. Thefc 
 were planted at eight feet high, and had 
 flood for four years from planting ; Co 
 that, from the loweft calculation, they 
 mud have been worth more than pay the 
 whole expence of labour : To which I 
 muft add, that, after felling the laft cut- 
 ting of my copfe, I was informed by an 
 honefl: man, a good judge of the value of 
 that commodity, that I had been grofsly 
 deceived by the purchafer, and that I 
 (liould have received one third part ac 
 lead more money than I did. 
 
 It is neceffary to obferve, for the benefit 
 of fuch as may incline to follow this prac- 
 tice, which is furely worth attending to, 
 as it might loon become a very profitable 
 improvement, that, after the fecond cut- 
 ting, I found I had planted my coplc too 
 thick, and that, had they been at greater 
 
 F 2 diflances, 
 
44 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 diflanccs, I (lionlcl have reaped coiifider- 
 ably more advantage from them: I there- 
 fore now, from experience, advifc thcni 
 to be planted in rows, fix. feet afundcr, 
 and three feet in the row." 
 
 From thcfe fuccefsful experiments it will 
 appear evident, that greater profit may 
 accrue to the man who plants trees in a 
 favourable fituation, even in his own life- 
 time, than from almofl: any other crop . 
 "whatever: and if we conlider that thcfe 
 will often thrive befl on fuch foils, and in 
 fuch fituations as do not admit of culture, 
 thcfe profits will appear (lill more conli- 
 derablc. 
 
 I would be far, however, from infinu- 
 ating that profits equal to what is record- 
 ed in thcfe experiments, maybe rcafonably 
 expelled by thofe in general who are pof- 
 fcfTed of barren and unprofitable foils. In 
 an open country, and expofed fituation, 
 
 whatever 
 
ON PLANTING. 45 
 
 whatever be the nature of the foil, trees 
 advance much more flowly than in a place 
 that is well (lieltered; and it is probable 
 that every one of the places v^^here thefe 
 experiments were made, enjoyed this ad- 
 vantage in an eminent degree, when com- 
 pared with thofe bleak fituations in many 
 parts of Scotland, where no bufli or tree 
 is to be found to give the fmalleft inter- 
 ruption to the current of the air, which, 
 in thefe fituations, fweeps along the fur- 
 face of the earth with almofl: irrefiftible 
 fury, and does not permit a tree to live at 
 all, unlefs protected with-the greatefl: care. 
 Let not thofe whofe fituation in any mea- 
 fure refembles this, hope to have any fuc- 
 cefs in rearing trees in the manner men- 
 tioned in any of thefe experiments, for 
 they would-jqertainly be difappointed. 
 
 Nor will the profit in many places be 
 nearly equal to what is recorded in thefe 
 experiments, even if the trees fliould thrive 
 
 equally 
 
46 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 equally well as thcfc did. For tlie value 
 of wood varies Co much by the demand 
 that is for it on the fpot, that in mofl fitu- 
 ations the fame quantity of tiuihcr would 
 not be a fourth part of what it is vakicd 
 at above ; and in fome places it could hard- 
 ly be, ns wooJ, valued at any tiling at all. 
 Let the fanguinc improver attend to this 
 circumftance. 
 
 But while I would thus caution the 
 young and inexperienced from rajl.^ly en- 
 gaging in extenilve improvements of this 
 fort, from the hopes of realifing thofe 
 golden dreams that may be fuggefted by the 
 foregoing experiments, I would wiili to re- 
 commend, in the llrongcil manner I can, 
 to every land-owner to bcftow a proper 
 attention on this fubjecl ; as I know of no 
 fpccics of improvement that will widi fo 
 much certainty repay his cxpcncc and 
 care, as this will do, when his plantations 
 arc made with judgment and difcrction. It 
 
 is 
 
ON PLANTING. 47 
 
 is with a view to aflift him in this ftudy thac 
 the following letters were written; and it 
 is hoped, that, by a due attention to what 
 is contained in them, many of thofe er- 
 rors may be avoided, which have made 
 numerous plantations of trees mifcarry in 
 different parts of the country, and fuch 
 circumftances be pointed out as may ren- 
 der a large plantation of great value to 
 the owner, even in iituations where the 
 wood itfelf can be accounted as nothing. 
 
 LETTER 
 
LETTER Second. 
 
 Of the Neceffity of Shelf er for Trees ; — proper 
 Method of planting in an expo fed Situation, 
 
 SIR, Ma-j 2. 1771. 
 
 ACCORDING to my promlfe, I now fend 
 you fome further obfervations on 
 planting and the growth of trees, chiefly 
 colled:ed from my own experience and 
 attentive obfervation, wifliing they may 
 prove of as much general utility as the 
 importance of the fubje<fl deferves. 
 
 Nothing is in general fo prejudicial to 
 trees as wind, which, by loofening the 
 roots and bending the tender branches, 
 (lints them in their growth, — keeps them 
 low and ftubby, and fometimes even kills 
 them altogether. For this reafon we find, 
 that no fituation is in general fo favour- 
 able for the growth of trees in the coun- 
 try, 
 
onPLANTING. 49 
 
 try, as the banks of rivers and hollow 
 dells between mountains, where, by the 
 form of the ground, they are efFed:uaIIy 
 fecured from every dorm, and Qielrered 
 from every tempeftuous blafl: ; but in 
 more expofed fituations, we are under the 
 neceflity of effedling by art what nature 
 has denied; and, if we would wifti our 
 trees to thrive, muft fall upon fome me- 
 thod of protecting them, when young 
 and tender, from the fury of tempeftuous 
 winds, otherwife they muft inevitably lan- 
 guifli, if not periih entirely. 
 
 The beft method which we have as yet 
 difcovered for eftecling this purpofe, is to 
 make our plantations of confiderable ex- 
 tent, where the expofure is bleak, and to 
 plant the trees at firft extremely clofe to- 
 gether, that fo they may mutually ftielter 
 one another from the violence of the 
 wind ; and as the trees advance fo as to 
 require a greater fpace, let the weakeft 
 
 G trees 
 
50 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 trees be gradually cut clown, to leave 
 room for thole which are in a more thri- 
 ving condition ; by which means they 
 will be made to advance almofl as quickly 
 as thole which are planted in a more fa- 
 vourable fituation. But nothing can be 
 more abfurd than to make a plantation of 
 trees, in an open expofcd fituation, at the 
 fame diftance from one another as the 
 trees would require when they fliould have 
 attained their full fize ; — or to plant a few 
 ftraggling trees at a diftance from one an- 
 other, and unprotected by any neighbour- 
 ing object ; as the wind will there have 
 fuch an imprcftion upon each, at all 
 times, and from whatever quarter it blows, 
 that they will never be able to make any 
 confiderable progrefs. We might almoll 
 as foon expert to fee a tree advance 
 with vigour in the midlt of a bog or a 
 falt-watcr lake, as to fee one which is 
 planted alone in a very expofed fittiation, 
 
 continue 
 
ON PLANTING. 51 
 
 continue in health and vigour. Let not 
 any one, therefore, who may chance to 
 live in a corner of the country where 
 wood is very fcarce, and where the few 
 ftraggling trees that may be in it are poor 
 and {tinted, too fuddenly defpair, — or 
 haftily conclude, that heaven has denied 
 him the power of enjoying this comfort- 
 able bleffing, till he has thoroughly exa- 
 mined this circumftance ; and if he will 
 take the trouble to examine, with his 
 own eyes, other places fituated like his 
 own, and truft to the evidence which this 
 will produce, he will foon difcover, that 
 the reafons which influence the z^'^^t: and 
 the little vulgar are fallacious, and are 
 contradicted by fuch numberlels examples, 
 that they can only be confidered as ill- 
 grounded prejudices, which he, by a 
 careful attention, may be foon able to de- 
 ftroy. This I fpeak with the greater 
 confidence, as it is the rellilt of my own 
 
 G 2 experience: 
 
52 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 experience: for I myfclf was cxa(flly in 
 the fituation here dcfcribed, and have 
 now the pleafiire of feeing around me as 
 healthy trees as any one could poflTihly 
 deilrc; and perhaps the reader will be 
 convinced of this, when I afFure him, 
 that I have meafured one year's growth 
 of an oak upwards of five feet in length, 
 which grew in a country where, twenty 
 years ago, they would have believed, al- 
 nioH: as eafily, that you might have reared 
 pine- apples in the open air, as to have made 
 that tree advance one foot in a feafon. 
 
 But although all trees require to be fliel- 
 tered from the mofl impetuous blafls, be- 
 fore they can be reared in the utmoft pcr- 
 fecftion, yet they differ very much from 
 one another in the degree of flicker that 
 they require ; fome being able to thrive in 
 a fituation where others would totally pe- 
 riQi. Of all the trees that I am well ac- 
 quainted with, the ^y7;, the elm and the 
 
 rawn 
 
ON PLANTING. 53 
 
 rawn tree (the mountain ajlo) are leaft hurt 
 by open expolure, and therefore thrive 
 bed when planted alone or in ilngle rows ; 
 and few of our hardy deciduous trees are 
 lefs able to endure an expofed lituation 
 than the oak when young ; which is pro- 
 bably one reafon why this laft is in fo little 
 eftimation in this country, and the others 
 lb generally cultivated ; although it mufl: 
 likcwife be acknowledged, that the two 
 firfl: are defervedly much efteemed, not 
 only becaufe they can be reared in almoft 
 any fituation, but alio on account of the 
 valuable qualities of their wood, which is 
 perhaps better adapted to the various pur- 
 pofes of the hufbandman than even the 
 flurdy oak itfelf. All the coniferous trees 
 are abfolutely incapable of living in an 
 unflieltered fituation ; efpecially the com^ 
 mon fine, called Scots fi-y which can hard- 
 ly livey far lefs thrive, when planted either 
 in fingle rows, or thinly icattered, unlefs 
 
 ID 
 
54 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 in a very nickered fituation ; which is the 
 reafon why wc fo frequently meet with a 
 few ftlntcd trees of this kind in different 
 parts of the country, and is likewifc the 
 caufc of tliefe trees fo quickly falling to de- 
 cay, after they begin to be thinned in large 
 plantations; no wood whatever receiving 
 fo little benefit from the admifllon of freQi 
 air as this does. But as few trees advance 
 fafler when young, in large plantations, 
 and as none afford a better flielter by their 
 numerous branches continually covered 
 with leaves, they are extremely proper for 
 performing the part of nurfcs to other more 
 valuable trees, when we want to rear them 
 in a fituation which is very much expo- 
 fed ; for under the flielter of thefe, almofl 
 any other tree may be reared to perfec- 
 tion. But, for the reafons already gi- 
 ven, as well as the fmall value of the wood, 
 they ought fcldomto be planted as a prin- 
 cipal crop ; efpecially as they have this fur- 
 ther 
 
ON PLANTING. ss 
 
 ther inconvenience attending them, that 
 when they are once cut down they never 
 ipring up anew ; fo that the place where 
 thefe have been, is in a fliort time left as 
 bare as it was at firft, unlefs a new plan- 
 tation is made, which is always trouble- 
 fome and expenfive. This inconvenience 
 ought, therefore, to be guarded againfl 
 with care ; which may befl be done by 
 planting other trees along with thefe Jjrs 
 or pinef ; for as almofl all other kinds of 
 trees fend up vigorous {hoots from the 
 (lumps as foon as the old trees are cut o- 
 ver ; if they are once eftabliflied, they may 
 be continued for ever ; the plantation be- 
 ing renewed every time that the trees are 
 cut down. 
 
 For thefe reafons, in general, the befl 
 method of making a large plantation of 
 trees, is firfl to fill the whole field very 
 thick with firs or other coniferous trees, 
 and among thefe plant other more valu- 
 able 
 
^6 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 able kinds of wood ; tlic proprietor being 
 directed in the choice of die kinds by the 
 nature of the foil, — his own talle, and the 
 particular circiimftances of his fitiiation. 
 But it ought to be a general rule to plant 
 many different forts of trees, that thus there 
 may be a probability of not miffing that par- 
 ticular kind which is bed adapted to the 
 nature of the foil : For as trees draw tlieir 
 nourirtimcnt from a great depth, their 
 growth is much influenced by the nature 
 of the under flrata, which we have no 
 means of obferving with accuracy ; — nor 
 are we as yet fufFiciently acquainted with 
 the nature and ceconomy of the different 
 forts of trees to be able to fay with preci- 
 fjon wliich kind would thrive befl: on any 
 given foil, even if the feveral flraia con- 
 tained in it were clearly fcen : on thele 
 accounts we have no fuch certain method 
 as this is of dilcovering which kind of 
 trees will tiirive bcfl upon any particular 
 
 fpot. 
 
©N PLANTING. 57 
 
 fpot, as in thefe circumftances they will 
 foon difcover themfelves by their fuperior 
 vigour and healthinefs. And although it is 
 allowable for every one to make choice of 
 that kind of tree which fuits his own fancy 
 beft, if all other circuniftances are equal, 
 yet no one ought to be fo much attached 
 to his own opinion in this refped:, as to 
 reject: others where nature has refufed to 
 gratify his defire ; for it ought ever to be 
 remembered, that a healthy and vigorous 
 tree, even of an inferior kind of wood, is 
 not only more beautiful, but alfo more 
 valuable, than the very beft kind of wood 
 when in a languifliing condition. 
 
 If a plantation is made in this manner, 
 the firs, will rufli up with vigour, and cf- 
 fecflually fcreen the other trees from every 
 blaft ; but in a few years it will be necef- 
 iary to thin thefe a little, to make room 
 for the other trees as they advance ; and 
 as the young trees which are cut out may 
 
 H ill 
 
58 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 in mod places be fold to very good ac- 
 count, tlic proprietor v/ill from this period 
 begin to draw a conflant annual profit 
 from his wood, which will continue to en- 
 creafc every year as tlie wood encreaies, 
 till the whole of the firs are cut down ; and 
 if the j)lantationis then divided into a cer- 
 tain number of lots, (more or Icfs nume- 
 rous, according to the demand that the 
 owner finds for old or young wood), one 
 of which may be felled each year, which 
 being preferved from cattle, will quickly 
 Ipring up again, fo that by the time he 
 comes back to the lot he began with, ic 
 Avill be ready to be cut again ; and in this 
 manner he may continue to go over it a- 
 gain and again for ever, as is praiftifed in 
 the wood ol Sonien, near the city of Bruf- 
 fels in the Netherlands, which yields an 
 annual revenue of more tlian 6,500 1. fler- 
 ling *, and has done {q without interrup- 
 tion 
 
 • I wrote this upoD the authority of Cukc'tardln, in his 
 
 dcfciipiion 
 
ON PLANTING. S9 
 
 tion for many hundrccls of years, and may 
 continue to do fo for ever, if it is mana- 
 ged with proper attention and care. 
 
 I 
 
 defcription of the Low Countries. His words are tbefe, 
 *' Sonien e in Brabantey v'lcino a Brujfelles a »«' tif^ d'arti' 
 glieria, et fi dijlende verfo il mezzo di, in fmo a Britne Al- 
 leud, et a Briene le Chajleau per if patio di tre leghe ; bofco 
 veramente grande et magnifico, in tanto che contieKC di cir- 
 cuity piu di fette leghe, cio e otto mi/a bonieri di terra ; ci- 
 ttfcun* bonier e contiene quattrocento niifure, et ogni mi fur a 
 venti piedi Rom ant ; et fecondo rordinario et ufo del paefe, 
 fe ne taglia ogn'anno per cento bonieri, che rendono al re in- 
 torn$ a cinquanta mila ftorini, cio e venti cinque mila fcudi 
 Vannoi et cofi in capo a ottanta anni, il bofco vien tutto 
 tagliato, recrefciuto, et rennovato come prima, con grandifji" 
 yni et groftfimi albert d' ogni forte. Defcri. delle paeQ Bafli. 
 p. 33." Which in Englifli runs thus. " Sonien is in Bra- 
 bant, about the diftance of a cannon-fhot from Bruflels, and 
 ftretches towards the fouth, as far as to Briene Alleud, and 
 Briene le Chateau, for the fpace of three leagues. Tliis is 
 a wood really great and magnificent, fo that its circumfe- 
 rence comprehends more than feven leagues, that is, eight 
 thoufand bonieres of land ; every boniere contains four hun- 
 dred meafures, and every meafure twenty Roman feet ; and, 
 according to the ufe and cuftom of the country, there is sn 
 hundred bonieres of this wood cut every year, which brings 
 
 H 2 iiV 
 
5o OBSERVATIONS 
 
 I lliall not add further to the length of 
 this letter, but jufl: to obferve, that if any 
 one fliall find it inofl: convenient to cut 
 his wood by way of copfcy once in fifteen 
 or twenty years, it will always be proper 
 to leave a few of the mofl: thriving trees 
 at confiderable diflances from one ano^ 
 ther, for large timber, and in general the 
 oak will be the mod proper for this pyr- 
 pofe ; for although no tree does worfe to 
 be left thin when very young, yet when it 
 
 in an yearly revenue to the king of about fifty tlioufand 
 florins, or twenty-five thoufand crowns ; and hereby, at the 
 end of eighty years, the wood is cut, grown again, and re- 
 newed as at firft, with very tall and great trees of all forts." 
 I Imve aomputcd the Roman /r.vfl'o to be worth about s^' 
 1 d. fterling ; fo that the 2S,CQofcudi will amount to fome- 
 thing more than 6,350!. fterling. This calculation was 
 rude about two hundred years ago, before the wealth of 
 the Indies had circulated through Europe, and reduced the 
 value of money; fo that this 6,350!. may be reafonably 
 fuppofed to have been at that time equal to near three times 
 that fum at prcfent ; from which computation, inftcad of 
 liaving faid in the text 6,500!. I would liave been much 
 nearer the truth to have called it 18,000 1. fterling. 
 
 has 
 
ON PLANTING. 6i 
 
 has arrived at any confiderable fize, it re- 
 flfts the tempefts, and continues to thrive 
 in this lituation beyond ahnoft any other 
 tree. And as this is a wood of fuch va- 
 lue when full-grown, and of fuch eflen- 
 tial fervice for the royal navy, it ought on 
 110 account to be neglciHied or delpifed. 
 
 Agricola. 
 
 LETTER 
 
LETTER Third. 
 
 Ohfervations on the Fir-tree, and its Varieties, 
 The Nature of the Soil bejl adapted for 
 rearing thefe. 
 
 S I R, 
 
 IN my lafl I recommended the fr as the 
 mod proper tree for thickening plan- 
 tations, with a view to flielter other trees 
 from the hurtful crtcvfts of wind : but it is 
 proper here to obferve, that the kind com- 
 monly called Scots fr, does not profper 
 on every foil, and therefore cannot be re-r 
 commended on all occalions. 
 
 The foil in which this tree thrives beft 
 is a dry fand or gravel, and it never pro- 
 
 fpers 
 
ON PLANTING. 63 
 
 fpers upon a (lifF clay ; nor can it be kept 
 alive in any fituation where the roots are 
 much expofed to moifture of any kind, 
 which is the caufe of that languifliing 
 flate in which we fee fo many plantations 
 of this kind of trees ; efpecially upon flat 
 ground, where the bottom has any ten- 
 dency to clay. For as thefe plantations 
 are ufually made upon barren and uncul- 
 tivated fpots, where there are many fmall 
 inequalities, which prevent the water from 
 running off with freedom, and the clay 
 below not fuffering it to percolate through 
 the foil with facility, it is there detained, 
 and produces upon the furface a light 
 Ipungy kind of foil, always foft and moid, 
 upon whigh this kind of trees do never pro- 
 fper ; but as there are many different de- 
 grees of this evil, the trees are feen in as 
 many different degrees of health. Some- 
 times they can never be made to grow at all, 
 but perifh as foon as planted. Sometimes 
 
 they 
 
64 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ihey advance a few feet high at firft, hi a 
 languid fickly condition, and preferve, for 
 afliort time, an appearance of life, ^vithollt 
 making ahnoft any progrefs at all, and at 
 length die away flowly, beginning at the 
 top, and gradually defcending to the root ; 
 and on fome occafions they grow to a 
 tolerable fize, but never have the appear- 
 ance of found health and vigour, having 
 their trunks always covered with mofs, 
 the wood being foft and fpungy, exceed- 
 ingly brittle, and of little value, and the 
 trees themfelves of no great duration, 
 quickly falling to decay, unlefs the owner 
 takes care to prevent it, by felling them 
 very early. 
 
 As this never fails to be the cafe when 
 the foil is of the nature that I have defcri- 
 bed, let every pcrfon of found judgment, 
 who intends to make a plantation, care- 
 fully obferve if his foil be of this kind, and 
 
 be directed accordingly. 
 
 ^Vhether 
 
ON PLANTING. 65 
 
 Whether any other of the coniferous 
 trees would profpcr in the foil in which this 
 kind langniQies, I cannot fay, as I never 
 have had fufficient experience of thefe to 
 enable nie to draw any conclufions rela- 
 ting to this ; but I think it highly pro- 
 bable, that fonic of them might anf\ver in 
 damp ground ; efpecially that kind fent 
 to us from North America, by the name 
 o^ fiuamp pinSf as it is probable that they 
 have given it this name from its having 
 been obferved to grow in fwampy ground. 
 It would be a fubjecl well worthy the 
 attention of men of fortune to try all the 
 different kinds of trees in every different 
 fituation, and obferve which kind pro- 
 fpered beft on every different foil, and 
 pnbliQi their obfervations from time to 
 time, either in a work on purpofe, or in a 
 mifcellgmy fuch as your own, in which any 
 fingle obfcrvation might be inlerted with- 
 out trouble, and preferved without difcover- 
 
 I i"g 
 
66 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ing the author, i£he To chofc: And I am 
 diipofcd to think, that if mankind had fol- 
 lowed a plan of this kind, many efTcntial 
 improvements might ha\e been made in 
 many branches of knowlcdo-e ; as it often 
 liappens that one man acquires a confi- 
 derahle knowledge in one particular fub- 
 jed, and another at a confidcrable di- 
 ftance may have made confiderable difco- 
 verics in another, both of whom die, and 
 the knowledge which they had acquired 
 by experience dies with them ; ^vhereas, 
 had each of tlicfe communicated their ob- 
 fcrvaiions to the public, they would not 
 only iiave improved each other, but alfo 
 have tranfmittcd their knowledge to many 
 others, uho niight never have thought on 
 the liibjccl without being thus prompted 
 to it. 
 
 It is but of Jate that the inhabitants of 
 any part of Europe have bellowed any 
 attention to the cultivation of trees; for 
 
 as 
 
ON PLANTING. 67 
 
 as all the northern parts of it were ori- 
 ginally over-run with wood, it long re- 
 quired the induflry of our forefathers, ra- 
 ther to free themfelves from being encum- 
 bered by it, than to be under any necelTi- 
 ty of rearing it with care. But as man- 
 kind have cncreafed, and the number of 
 domeflic animals along with them, the old 
 trees have been gradually cut down, and 
 the young have been prevented from 
 fpringing up, which has made the woods 
 gradually decreafe, without being percei- 
 ved by the inhabitants; fo that in many 
 places the want of wood has been felt be- 
 fore the inconveniencies that would arife 
 from that want have been forefeen ; and 
 it was not till mankind had felc thefe in- 
 conveniencies in a flrong degree, that 
 they began to propagate trees by art. 
 
 Several nations, however, have been ob- 
 liged, long before this time, to take this 
 method of fupplying themfelves with feuel, 
 
 I 2 and 
 
6S OBSERVATIONS 
 
 nnd mnny otlicr ncctfTIirlcs of life. But, as 
 was mofl: naturally to be cxpcOed, every 
 country has cultivated only ihofc trees 
 "Nvhich were naturally produced in it, the 
 feeds of which could be more eafily pro- 
 cured than any others ; and, whether 
 thel'e trees were more or lefs valuable thaii 
 others, which migiit have been equally 
 proper for the foil or fituation, feems to 
 have been but little attended to. 
 
 This feems to be the only reafon why the 
 Scoff fir is fo generally propagated in this 
 part of the world, alihough it is a plant of a 
 more unfightly appearance, yields a wood 
 of lefs value, and is more dillicult to rear 
 than almoH: any other of the co'iijcrous 
 tribe. However, as tiie feeds of this tree 
 can be met with evcry-where, and procured 
 at a much fmaller cxpence than any otlie?* 
 kind, it ought not at prelent to be ne- 
 glected, as it may anfwer the purpofes be- 
 fore mentioned, till the other kinds can 
 
 be 
 
ON PLANTING. 69 
 
 be alfo procured at a reafonable price; 
 but all the other kinds ought alfo to be 
 attended to with care; and where-ever 
 any of thefe trees are become fo large as 
 to carry feeds, thefe feeds ought to be o-a- 
 ihered and fowed, as the plants raifed by 
 this means would come ahiioft as cheap 
 as the others. 
 
 Which of all this clafs of trees is the 
 moil valuable, is perhaps at preicnt diffi- 
 cult to fay ; as there are few people fuffi- 
 ciently acquainted with all the different 
 kinds ; but it feems to me probable, that, 
 of the tribe of firs properly fo called, the 
 one known by the name of fiher fir, ha- 
 ving fliort thick leaves refembling thofe 
 of the yew-tree, of a dark green on the 
 upper furface, and white underneath, bids 
 fair to be ranked among the moil valu- 
 able of this clafs; and next to it, that 
 kind commonly fold by our nurfery-men 
 under the name of the fprucc fir, and 
 
 known 
 
70 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 known in fomc parts of the country by 
 the contradi(flory name of pine-fir ; as it 
 is more than probable, that it is the one 
 or the other of thcfe trees which affords 
 the fine deal brought to us from Ri- 
 ga, Dantzick, Norway, &c. and never 
 that kind of tree that we commonly pro" 
 pagate here, which feems to afford a wood 
 of a much inferior quality on all accounts. 
 
 My reafons for believing that tliis is 
 not the tree which affords the fine deal, 
 are as follow. 
 
 The wood which is imported from a- 
 broad is on all occafions fo much fupe- 
 rior to our own, as could hardly be the 
 cafe if it were entirely owing to the na- 
 ture of the foil, as is generally imagi- 
 ned ; for it is not to be fuppofcd, that, 
 in the vaft trails of country on which 
 thcfe trees grow from which we are fnp- 
 plied, there fliould not be a great divcr- 
 fity of foils, fome of which could hardly 
 
 fail 
 
ON PLANTING. 71 
 
 fail to be of a nature finiilar to our own, 
 and produce wood of the fame quality; 
 neither is it to be fuppofed, that among 
 the infinite variety of foils throughout 
 this ifland, upon which thefe kind of trees 
 have been reared, not one fliould have 
 been found of the lame quality with any 
 of thofe in the countries where the wood 
 we import is reared ; and yet it is a fadl 
 well known to every one acquainted with 
 thefe affairs, that the very beft of the wood 
 reared in this country, only approaches 
 to the quality of the very worft that is 
 imported ; the fmall fpars fbmetime^ 
 brought from Norway being of a harder 
 and tougher quality, and containing a 
 larger proportion of red wood, and more 
 diftind: from the blue, than any of our 
 own produce ; which duly conlidered, 
 gives at leaft fbme room to believe that 
 they are different. 
 
 I am dill the more confirmed in this 
 
 opinion 
 
72 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 opinion by the teftimony of the bifliop 
 of Bergen, who in his hiflory of Nor- 
 way takes notice, that there are two 
 kinds of coniferous trees which fpring up 
 fpontaneoudy in tliat country, the/j) and 
 f>jtic ; that the i\v(i is prefervcd with great 
 care, as it affords that valuable wood 
 which tliey export in abundance; but they 
 take every method they can think of to 
 deftroy the young pines, as the wood of 
 thefe are of little or no value. Now, al- 
 though he has not given us fuch an accu- 
 rate defcription of cither of thefe, as to 
 enable us to know which fpccics of either 
 of the two genus's he has there mention- 
 ed ; yet as it is well known that the tree 
 which wc falfely call Scots fir, is really a 
 pine *, we arc furc that it cannot be ic 
 
 • The botanical diflirKftions by wliith the fir, the pine, 
 and larix are known, are thefe : The leaves of the fir come 
 out from ihe braiuhes fingly ; thofe of the pine are united 
 ■^hcre they come from i'.l branch, fomctimcs two, three, 
 four, or five leave? . ; ^^cr ; ilic leaves of the larix ftand 
 in great duflers upi ac branches. 
 
 that 
 
ON PLANTING. 73 
 
 that they cultivate ; and as it is certain 
 that the kind of pine wliich we call Scots 
 fir is found in Norway, it. affords a fort 
 of prefumption, that this may be the very 
 kind which they fo induftrioiifly deftroy. 
 
 And I am ftill more confirmed in this o- 
 pinion, by having once feen a few fmall 
 fpars which had been put into a Hiip from 
 Riga, for the fake of flowage, with the 
 bark on them, which plainly difcovcred 
 them to be of one of the two kinds of fir 
 above mentioned, and not the Scots fir; 
 the bark of which is very different from 
 either of thefe two. 
 
 Such are the reafons which induce me 
 to believe that our common fir is differ- 
 ent from the tree which produces the fine 
 deal ; which, although they do not amount 
 to a full proof, might at leafl be fufficient 
 to induce us to examine this fiibjedl with 
 greater attention than has hitherto been 
 done. And as it is an cafy matter to get a 
 
 K branch 
 
/^4 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 branch with the leaves and cones upon ic 
 ^i'om the countries where the fine wood 
 grows, we miglit foon he fatisfied as to 
 the kind of tree wliich produces that 
 Avood by this means. This I have juft now 
 clone, Iiaving v.ritten to feveral places 
 for t!:at purpolc, and (hall not fciij to com- 
 municate to clie public the refult of my 
 refearchcs : but left I might be difap- 
 pointed or deceived by any accidental 
 midake, I would be glad if any other gen- 
 tleman of public fpirit, who may read 
 this, would do the fame ; that, by compa- 
 ring our obfcrvations together, any mif- 
 takc which might proceed from the igno- 
 rance, inattention, or chicanery of tho^ 
 who are employed to procure ihefe fpeci- 
 mcns, might have the better chance of 
 being detected. 
 
 And as there arc other iifcs to which the 
 pine and Jir may be applied, llich as ma- 
 king tar, extracting rolin, turpentine, 6cc. 
 
 lume 
 
ON PLANTING. 75 
 
 fome fpecies of which afTord more of thefe 
 fubftances than others, it would be of 
 much real benefit to the nation, if fuch 
 gentlemen as have an opportunity, cither 
 by means of correfpondents abroad, or 
 in the courfe of their travels, would take 
 the fame method of afcertaining the parti- 
 cular fpecies of any of thele trees which 
 is mort efleemed at thole places where 
 any of the manufactures above mention- 
 ed are carried on ; that by this means 
 any gentleman, whofe ground was fo fi- 
 tuated as to be more properly adapted for 
 one or other of thefe manufaclures, by 
 knowing the kind moil proper to plane 
 for that purpofe, might prepare for it wiili 
 tlie greateft advantage. As there is no 
 place where there are a greater variety of 
 fubftances extraded from tiie pine than 
 in the province of Guienne in France, In 
 the neighbourhood of Bourdeaux, where 
 they extrad: from it roiin, Burgundy 
 
 K 2 pitch. 
 
/ 
 
 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 pitch, turnpcntine and its oil, tar, pitch, 
 Inmp black, charcoal, &:c. it would be of 
 conl'cqueiicc to difcover which kind of this 
 clcils of trees is there mod eftecnied for e?.ch 
 of thclc particular purpofes. The fame 
 might be faid of Provence near Toulon, 
 of Tortofa in Spain, and throughout the 
 greateft part of the Swifs Cantons ; in all 
 ^vhich places much ufe is made of the differ- 
 ent kinds of conifetGus trees. But there is 
 one tree of this tribe, ihtlarix, about which 
 V. e can commit no miftake, which, for its 
 beauty and utility, dcfcrves to be much 
 more cultivated than it is in this part of 
 the world. But as I have already fwelled 
 this letter to too s^reat a length for your 
 Mifccllany, I fliall defer my remarks up- 
 on this tree till another occallon. 
 
 Agricola. 
 
 [The 
 
ON PLANTING. 
 
 77 
 
 [The following anfvver to this letter ap- 
 peared in the Weekly Magazine, June 6l 
 
 S I R, 
 
 " X/'OUR correfpondent Agricola 
 A appears fo fincerely defirous to in- 
 ftru(51'andbeinfl:ru6led, that, finding myfelf 
 qualified, by a long refidence in the coun- 
 try from which our bell wood is import- 
 ed, to corretft fome of his miftakes, and 
 give him the information he deflres, and 
 delerves, concerning the Scots fir, at his 
 invitation, I fend you the following par- 
 ticulars, which you are at liberty to pu- 
 blifli, if you think fit." 
 
 " The bed red wood imported from the 
 eadcrn countries is actually the produce 
 of the tree known all over Scotland by the 
 name of the Scots fir ; and the white wood, 
 which is more open in the grain, and of 
 much inferior quality, is the produce of 
 
 the 
 
78 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 the fpriice-flr. I Hiall give your corre- 
 Ipoiiclent fome realbns for the prodigious 
 difference which he oblcrves betwixt the 
 red wood, and the produce of the fame 
 tree in this country." 
 
 " Agr I COLA well obferves, that fand or 
 gravel is the only foil for this tree. Gra- 
 vel is by far the bed : but he is niiflaken 
 in fuppofing, that in thele countries there 
 mufl be a great variety of foils. 1 he foil 
 is all much the fame, thin and gravelly ; 
 I mean the foil which fpontaneoufly pro- 
 duces thefe trees ; and they as naturally 
 and invariably chufe that kind of foil, as 
 willows and allers chufe the wet marlhy 
 grounds. Befides, thefe firs being the na- 
 tural produce of the foils fittcil: for them, 
 there is another reafon for the fupcrior 
 excellence of their wood, which is the 
 flownefs of its growth, and the great age 
 the trees live to : inftead of being upon die 
 decline at about fixty years old, as in our 
 
 plantations. 
 
ON PLANTING. 79 
 
 plantations, in Sweden and Norway they 
 ace in full vigour at a hundred and twen- 
 ty; the young wood is always full of 
 knots, which wear out by length of years; 
 and the flownefi of the. growth brings the 
 wood to a firmnefs and confiftency very 
 different from ours, which foon ruflies 
 up, and proportionably decays as faft : 
 this flownefs of growth is to be attributed, 
 not only to the poverty of the foil, but to 
 the luxuriance of the branches, which are. 
 never lopped off, the pernicious pracHiice 
 of pruning fir-trees being altogether un- 
 known in thefe countries." 
 
 " That the whole difference betwixt our 
 own wood and the fine foreign wood, is 
 occafioned by the one being planted and 
 pruned, the other fpontaneous and un- 
 touched, is proved by fome fir-wood, 
 which I have feen brought from Braemar, 
 at the head of the river Dee, equal, if not 
 fuperior, to any of the foreign red wood.'^ 
 
 *' But 
 
So OBSERVATIONS 
 
 " But as the natural wood is aimed wore 
 out of our country, let us, conformably to 
 the views ofAcRicoLA, do the bcft we 
 can to fupply its place, and chufe the bed 
 foil we can get for planting; and even 
 Avhere the foil is not of the very bed, 
 give them as fair a chance for turning 
 well out as it will admit of: * In this we 
 fliould furely imitate the practice of the 
 Swedes and Norwegians, in never pru- 
 ning our Scots firs, but carefully weeding 
 or thinning them at a proper age, which 
 is a culture they bedow on their firs, but 
 think it not worth tlicir while to take the 
 fame trouble about the pines. We mud 
 plant thick, that the young trees may flicl- 
 ter one another. As they advance, we 
 find tliem crouded ; and, to give them 
 room, we prune them up, lopping off Ic- 
 veral tire of branches. This not only 
 weakens the trees, by bleeding them, but 
 makes them ru(h up very fad ; fo that, as 
 
 Mr 
 
ON PLANTING. 8i 
 
 Mr RoufTeau obferves of fome plantationa 
 in France, they are not woods, but forefts 
 of marts. Out of a miRaken frugality, 
 \ve do not chufe to weed thein, till they 
 are of fuch a lize that they will fell for 
 fpars, or Ibine fuch ufe ; by which means 
 they are almofl wholly dellroyed ; for the 
 roots having got no room to fpread, ^^ hen 
 the wind gets in amongfl: them after weed- 
 ing, they are not able to bear it» Tliis ig 
 a miftake fo generally given into, whe- 
 ther from ignorance, inadvertency, or a 
 thirftof too hafty gain, that I cannot take a 
 ride any where, but my heart is forry to 
 fee numbers of (otherwife thriving) young 
 plantations, all languiftiing and going to 
 ruin, from this very error; and I am very 
 happy to take an opportunity, through 
 your means, Mr Printer, of warning my 
 countrymen againft it. I am, SIR, 
 
 Your humble fervant. 
 
 Shire of Angus, May 25- 1 771- S I L V I U S." 
 
 I Thl$ 
 
S2 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 [This proJucccl the following anfwcr, | 
 
 July 4. 1771.] 
 
 S I R, 
 
 I AM happy to think, tiiat the obferva- 
 tjons I have Ijnt you on planting, may 
 pcrhops be tlie mean of inducing fome 
 more able pen to treat of that fubjeci, and 
 to fcirnilh die world new rules relating to 
 it, founded on experience, the only fure 
 road to knowledge. Many men, as I al- 
 ready obferved, do every day acquire a 
 degree of fkill, in fome particular art or 
 fcience, far beyond that whicii falls to th.e 
 Ihare of the ordinary part of mankind ; 
 and, as thcfj are often too much engaged 
 in buhnefs to tliink of v.riLin<T, or have 
 jnadc too few original difcovcries to fur- 
 nilh matter for a new publicacion, the fu- 
 pcrior degree of knowledge which they 
 ha:^'e actjifued is never communicated to 
 the w orld, hue dies widi the original pof- 
 
 fellbr. 
 
ON PLANTING. 83 
 
 ieflbr, and the public receives little bene- 
 fit from their difcoveries. There appears 
 to me to be no method fo well calculated 
 to induce fuch perfons to communicate 
 their knowledge to the world, as for fome 
 perfon of ordinary parts to write a few 
 familiar mifcellaneous efTays on different 
 fubje^tsj and publilli them in fome amullng 
 periodical work, like your's. For as ihele 
 eifayifts may frequently treat, in an im- 
 perfe<fl manner, a fubje(ft which Ibme o- 
 ther perfon who reads it may feel he uii- 
 derftands more thoroughly, in feveral im- 
 portant refpecfls ; this will naturally make 
 him defirous of correcfting the faults, or 
 redifying the miftakes of the writer. And 
 as he can do it witii the utmoft faclfity, 
 without formally writing a book, or be- 
 ing invldioufly criticifed as an author, he 
 will readily communicate to the public 
 his own more valuable diicovcries. It 
 was in a great meafure with this view 
 
 ' L 2 that 
 
84 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 that I at firft fcnt you a few remarks on 
 plaining; and It will be with the fame 
 dcfio:!! that I fliall continue to communi- 
 cate fome other obfcrvations on this fub- 
 jccfl, till I have brought under the view of 
 your readers the principal circumftances 
 relating to it, which it is of importance 
 for them to know ; and the fenfible obfcr- 
 vations of your correfpondcnt Silvius, 
 give mc room to hope that my views will 
 not be entirely fruftrated. One obferva- 
 tion, founded upon acftual experience, is 
 undoubtedly worth five hundred plaufible 
 thcoreticaj conjectures, and will ever be 
 io cdiniated by the ingenious inquirer af- 
 ter truth ; fo that J Ihall not deem the little 
 pains which I have bcflowed upon this 
 fubjciH: as thrown away, feeing it hath in* 
 duccdSi LVius to write, and may perhaps 
 be the means of brincLin": others to follow 
 his example. Dcfirous of acquiring know- 
 ledge on every ufcful fubjcc^, I receive it 
 
 with 
 
ON PLANTING. 85 
 
 with pleafure, from whatever hand It may 
 proceed. Attached to no theory, and ha- 
 ving no favourite fyftem to fupport, I fol- 
 low Truth where-evcr I can perceive her, 
 in whatever drefs flie may appear, without 
 regarding who it is that may prelent her, 
 or in what manner (lie may be introdu- 
 ced ; and if at any time Error fliould 
 afTume her amiable appearance, and be 
 incautioufly cheriflied in her ftead, I (hall 
 ever efteem as my friend that man who 
 (liall difcover the deceit, and pufh the le- 
 cret enemy away. From this principle, I 
 defire that Si lvi us wdll accept my hearty 
 thanks for the information that he hath 
 given me concerning the Scots fir: but, 
 as the mind cannot eafily, and never 
 ought to acquiefce in the belief of any 
 thing as a truth, while any objedlions of 
 leeming force remain againfl: it, I could 
 have wiflied diat he had been a little more 
 «?xplicit than he has been upon one point 
 
 that 
 
86 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 that he treats of, as I apprehend that it 
 might lead to errors in practice, unleis it 
 were more fully explained than he hath 
 as yet done. And although I, who have 
 beftowed more attention on this fubject 
 than Ibme others may have done, have 
 little difficulty about the manner in which 
 it ought to be undcrflood ; yet as the 
 bulk of mankind are naturally indolent, 
 and feem to avoid exerting the faculties 
 of the mind, by not purfuing, with a due 
 degree of attention, any ferious difquifi- 
 tion, as naturally as they fliun any levere 
 bodily labour, feldom talking more of ci- 
 ther than is barely fufficicnt to amufe, un- 
 lefs when compelled by ncccliity, they 
 arc too apt to take the words of a fcnlible 
 writer in a more (Irit^ly literal I'enfe than 
 they ought, even in cafes where a fmall 
 degree of rrflection might convince them 
 of their error, and which the writer jier- 
 haps deemed fo very obvious, as to think 
 
 It 
 
ON PLANTING. 87 
 
 k unneceflary to enter any caveat againft ; ' 
 and mncli more (6 in cafes of a du- 
 bious nature. PoiUbly your ingenious 
 corrcfpondent may not have fulMciently 
 attended to this circumftancc ; — or I may 
 be mlflakcn. Wlien he has read the fol- 
 lowing obfervations, he will be in a con- 
 dition either to rectify my miilake, or pre- 
 vent the errors in praiFllce that might: 
 have arifen from his former obfervations. 
 
 SiLVius rightly obferves, that many of 
 our plantations in this country are hurc 
 by injudicious pruning ; and ftill more 
 by a negledl of thinning at a proper age. 
 Surely nothing tends more to promote 
 the health of trees than a due proportion 
 of frefli air, properly admitted to them ; 
 without which it is probable that no tree 
 whatever can attain that degree of found 
 vigour which is neceflary for the forma- 
 tion of firm and lading wood. A due pro- 
 portion of branches is Ukewifc necedary 
 
 to 
 
88 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 to pnnip up ilic juices from the roots, — 
 to diflribute the nounHimcnt in right pro- 
 portions to every part of the tree, and to 
 allow the fiipcrfliious moifture to be freely 
 perfpired by the leaves. But whether it is 
 always hurtful in every fituatlon to prune 
 any kind of fir-tree, (as the cxprelfions of 
 SiLvrus would naturally lead us to fup- 
 pofe), fecms to me extremely doubtful, 
 for the following reafons. 
 
 It is now clearly demonftrated, from 
 the experiments of Bonnet, Du Hamel *, 
 and others, that trees encreafe in bulk, 
 not by a gradual cxtenlion of the parts, 
 as is ufuaily the cafe with animals, but by 
 an annual increment of new parts added 
 to thofe which have been already formed ; 
 fo that, after a tree hath finifhed its growth 
 for a feafon, the Hioots, which had been 
 produced at the top and at the extremities 
 
 • Particularly in his Phfiqus dcs Arbres, 
 
 of 
 
ON PLANTING, 89 
 
 of the branches, never afterwards extend 
 any farther in length, but for ever remain 
 fixed as a bails, from which new (hoots 
 may afterwards proceed. In the fame 
 manner the ring of young wood, that 
 is formed upon the outer furface of the 
 trunk and branches each year, which con- 
 flitutes the annual increafe in diameter, 
 after the growth for that feafon is over, 
 never encreafes in dimenfions, but ever 
 remains of the fame fize, having a new 
 ring of young wood applied above it nexc 
 year, which alfo remains fixed as the for- 
 mer. 
 
 All thefe particulars are plainly percei- 
 ved by the tranfverfe cut of any tree what- 
 ever ; the age of which may be diftincl:ly 
 known bv the number of fibrous rings of 
 which it confifts. And if it be fawed lon- 
 gitudinally, the fibres are as eafily percei- 
 ved in many trees, particularly the fir. It 
 is a longitudinal fedion of thefe annual 
 
 M ringa 
 
90 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 rings Avhich conQitutes the threads fo dl- 
 (linctly perceptible in every deal whate- 
 ver. 
 
 The flniclure of the branches is exacflly 
 fimilar to that of the body of the tree. 
 And as thcfc, in every fpecies of conife- 
 rous tree, nuifl: always take tiieir rife at 
 the very heart, ufnally branching out all 
 round the flcm nearly in a horizontal po- 
 rtion, it nccefTarily follows, that vvhere- 
 evcr a branch fprings out from the trunk, 
 there the upright fibres of the body of the 
 tree arc obftrucled, and are bent outward 
 nearly at right angles from the others ; fo 
 that when the body of a tree is fawed lon- 
 gitudinally into planks, at every place 
 •where a branch has fprung from the tree, 
 the fibres of the branch are cut tranfverfe- 
 ly, which has a very different appearance 
 from the reft of the wood, and forms the 
 irregularity in deals that we call knots. 
 
 This being the cafe, it is obvious, that, 
 
 at 
 
ON PLANTING. 9t 
 
 at every place where a branch fprings out 
 from the trunk of a tree, there muft be a 
 knot in the wood ; which will extend the 
 whole way from the centre to the circumfe- 
 rence, however great the diameter of the 
 tree may be, if the branch was on it when 
 the tree was felled. But if a branch be 
 cut from the tree while it is growing, the 
 flump from that time ceafes to advance in 
 fize; and as the diameter of the tree conti- 
 nues to encrcafe, the cortical fibres gra- 
 dually cover the wound ; — it is foon heal- 
 ed up ; the bark at that place becometli 
 fmooth, and the rings of wood are form- 
 ed with as great regularity above the old 
 flump as in any other part of the tree : So 
 that when this is afterwards fa wed into 
 planks, there will be found at every fuch 
 place a knot in the heart of the wood, 
 which will extend to the fame didance 
 from the centre of the tree, as was its (e- 
 mi'diameter when the branch was cut; 
 
 M 2 but 
 
92 
 
 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 but all bcvond that to the cncumfcrcnce 
 "Nvill he uniform, and free fnmi knot or 
 blemifh of any kind whatever. 
 
 As all thcfe are fa6ls which cannot he 
 contcllcd, about the truth of which it is 
 in tlie power of any one fully to fatisfy 
 liiiulclf whenever he plcafes, by examining 
 with attention any tree of this kind which 
 may be in his way, it is evident, that if 
 Ave could foppofe it poflible to find a fir^ 
 trccy which had retained all its branches 
 from the firft flioot that it had made to 
 the lad period of old age, the trunk of it 
 could be nothino^ elfe but one great con- 
 geries of knots; fo that the continuity 
 of the fibres being broke off at the end of* 
 every year's growth, it would be unfit for 
 any purpofe where flrength was neceflary, 
 antl in a great mcafure ufelefs for every 
 thing elfe. But if thcfe branches had 
 been taken away froiu the body of the 
 tree when it was but of a fmall diameter, 
 
 the 
 
f)N PLANTING. 93 
 
 the wood which had been formed by the 
 encreafe of the tree after that period, 
 would be of an uniform texture, free from 
 knots and flaws, and well fitted for car- 
 rying burdens, or for any other purpofc. 
 
 From this view of the matter, it would 
 feem, that if nature doth not fpontane- 
 oufly throw off the branches after a cer- 
 tain period, judicious pruning mufl be of 
 the greatefl confequence to alfift in the 
 formation of good and perfe(^t wood of 
 coniferous trees. 
 
 What may be the cale in countries 
 which are more favourable to the srowth 
 of this kind of trees, than our own is, I 
 cannot fay; but I am well fatisfied that 
 feme afliftance in this refpecH: is of very 
 great ufe on many occafions in this coun- 
 try, as will, I believe, appear evident to 
 any one who fliall take the trouble to exa- 
 mine if the following obfervations relative 
 to this fubjecH: are jufl: or not. 
 
 The 
 
94 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 The fir-tree does not, like many other 
 trees, fend out branches irregularly, and 
 of very different fizes, fome of which at 
 lead equal, if not exceed the principal 
 flem ; but at the beginning of every year's 
 growth a good many branches are fent 
 out all round the flem, many of which 
 the firfl year are little fmallcr than the 
 principal flem itfelf. Thefe continue to en- 
 creafe in fize each year for a confiderablc 
 time. But as the fap in all trees naturally 
 afcends with the greateft vigour to the 
 parts of it which are mofl uprighi. ; and 
 as thefe branches arc nearly horizontal, a 
 greater proportion goes to the uppermoft 
 flem than to any other part : So that this, 
 and the parts of the tree which are near- 
 eft to it, grow with a greater degree of 
 vigour than thofc which are farther remo- 
 ved from the top. And as the top of the 
 flem advances upwards, and recedes far- 
 ther from the firft formed branches, thefe 
 
 gradually 
 
ON PLANTING. 
 
 95 
 
 gradually receive a fnialler (hare of nou- 
 rifliment, and each year make fmaller pro- 
 grefs in their growth, till at laft they (lop 
 entirely, — continue a few years upon the 
 decline, and gradually die away. 
 
 This is the natural progrels of the fir- 
 tree, which I apprehend mufl: take place 
 more or lefs in every fituation ; although 
 the number of growing branches will al- 
 ways be greater where they have room to 
 fpread freely on every fide, than where 
 they are more confined; and the wood, 
 for the reafons above enumerated, never 
 can be good but where the trunk of the 
 tree has been free of branches for a great 
 number of years. 
 
 How long time it would take for a tree 
 fpontaneoufly to free itfelf of its dead 
 branches, I cannot pretend to fay; but it 
 could not be effected in a fliort period, 
 feeing it can only be produced by the gra- 
 dual decaying of the branches, which 
 
 would 
 
96 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 would fall away in proportion as they rot- 
 ted ; to effect whicli entirely mud require 
 a great many years, as fome ot the 
 branches are oi a conliderable lize, and 
 confume but very flowly. Now, as ihefe 
 branches continue to form knots in the 
 wood during the whole time that they ad- 
 here to the tree ; and as they cannot be of 
 the finalleft (crvicc to it in any way after 
 they arc dead, but, on the contrary, mujl 
 be of confiderablc detriment to the wood ; 
 it would fecm ,to be a branch of culture 
 extremely neccfHiry, to lop off all thele 
 dole by the ftem, as (bon as they were 
 dead at lead ; and it docs not appear 
 quite clear, but that, in majiy cafes, it 
 might be an advantage to the wood even 
 to prune off fome of the living branches, 
 or thole which (liewcd evident marks of 
 decay. 
 
 Although I agree entirely with your 
 correfpondcnt about the great utility of 
 
 early 
 
ON PLANTING. 97 
 
 early thinning, and am by no means an 
 advocate for that excefflve pruning which 
 he feenis to reprehend ; yet as I have at 
 prefent before my eyes a mofl: convincing 
 proof of the great lofs arill ng from the 
 total negledl of this neceflary branch of 
 culture in a wood, the trees of which are, 
 indeed, of almofl: no value at all from' 
 this caufe, I thought the above caveat was 
 neceffary : I muft likewife add, that the 
 fineft young fir-wood that I ever law in 
 Scotland, was reared by a gentleman, 
 who was exceedingly careful to prune his 
 trees every year ; but he was a judicious 
 man, and took care not to over-do. The 
 nature of the tree, and the ufes to be 
 made of the wood, abfolutely require that 
 it lliould have the difagreeable appear- 
 ance, when growing, that Mr Roiijfcau 
 complains of; and it would be but a very 
 indifferent maft indeed, which had not had 
 
 N a 
 
98 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 a naked flcm for many years before it had 
 been Idled. 
 
 Let the reader carefully remark, that I 
 here fj^eak only of the fir-tree. The man- 
 ner in \N hich branches come out from the 
 ftcms of other trees ; their way of grow- 
 ing, as well as the effecls they have upon 
 the wood being very different from thefe, 
 they require a very different treatment 
 from the above. And although I am not 
 fully fatisfied that the great number of 
 branches will tend to make the trunk en- 
 crcafe more flowly ; yet as diis is but a 
 matter of mere fpeculation, and this let- 
 ter is already too long for your Mifcella- 
 ny, I fliall not at prefent take up your 
 time by infilling any longer upon that 
 head : But if none of your correfpondents 
 chufe to favour us with any remarks up- 
 on the effects of branches on the growth 
 oi deciduous trees, and the proper method 
 of pruning thefe, I may perhaps, on fome 
 
 future 
 
ON PLANTING. 69 
 
 future occafion, be tempted to throw out 
 feme hints relating to that fubjefl, to fee 
 if I can induce them to communicate to 
 the world any difcoveries they may have 
 made relative thereto. 
 
 Agricola. 
 
 [This produced the following anfwer.] 
 
 SIR, 
 
 " T Should long before now have replied 
 * to the queries and doubts of Acri- 
 cola, concerning pruning of fir-trees, 
 fuggefted by him in conlequence of my 
 indifcriminate condemnation of that prac- 
 tice. This gentleman's accuracy, zeal, 
 and attention to inftrud: the public in fe- 
 veral branches of real ufe and import- 
 ance, deferves all poflible regard to be 
 fliown to whatever he throws out ; it was 
 only a fenfe of how little I had to advance 
 
 N 2 conclullve 
 
loo OBSERVATIONS 
 
 conchifive upon thefubjecT:, that has ren- 
 dered me backward in offering it; and I 
 dill fiibmit it to you, Mr Printer, whether 
 what follows is of confcquence enough to 
 take up a place in your paper. 
 
 ** As what Ac R I COLA advanced in fa- 
 vour of pruning fir-trees, appeared to me 
 to carry a great deal of weight and rea- 
 fon along with it, I would not depend on 
 my own memory or opinion for fettling 
 the point ; but having an opportunity at 
 hand, I applied to a native of Wermer- 
 land, which produces the bed fir-wood in 
 Sweden, above two hundred miles from 
 the coall ; he is a fcnfible fcllo\y, and 
 very capable of giving information about 
 a place which ftrangers can know little 
 of. 
 
 ** Upon afking him if they ever pruned 
 their bed fir-wood, he told me with a 
 fmilc, it was abfulutely iinpolfiblc, on ac- 
 count of their extent, and, as he thought, 
 
 quite 
 
ON PLANTING. loi 
 
 quite unneceflaiy, as they always pruned 
 themfelves ; that all they could do where 
 they expedled the bed wood, was to hew 
 down the weakly and over-topped, to 
 make room for the refl:, and that even this 
 thnining was but very fuperficially per- 
 formed ; he allowed it would be much for 
 the advantage of the remaining trees, if 
 tliis were done to bettef purpofe ; but the 
 low price, and immenfe extent of the 
 woods, forbid it. Whether they would 
 be the better for pruning, my Swede 
 could not fay, as it is a thing he had no 
 experience of; but it was his opinion, 
 that the great difference in quality betwixt 
 our wood and theirs, was chiefly owing 
 to the great age of the trees in Sweden, 
 as he had obferved, that if they were cut 
 too early, the deal was always knotty, 
 and very open in the grain. 
 
 ** Upon inquiry, lalfofind, that the befl: 
 fir-wood in Scotland, produced by nature 
 
 in 
 
I02 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 in the Highlands, is never pruned ; lo that 
 in thefe points experience contradicts the 
 theory of Agricola ; though I muft own, 
 to me it appears as reafonable as it is in- 
 genious and accurate: here we find, that 
 in fpite of the annual production of a 
 -whole row of horizontal branches, each 
 of which forms a ktiot in the parent tree ; 
 in fpite of the length of nme that thefe 
 branches remain before they fall off, and 
 the rough ragged (tumps they often leave 
 behind, the tree is acf^ually filled up, and 
 covered by new coats of wood, and the 
 deal is found to be as free of knots as can 
 be wiflicd. 
 
 ** Still it muft be confidcred, that the 
 trees wc fpeak of in Wermerland and Brae- 
 mar, are Nature's favourites, children of 
 her own, to whom flie fliows that kindncfs 
 which we cannot cxpeCl her to extend to 
 thofe whom we force her to adopt : there- 
 fore it remains with mc doubtful, whether 
 
 in 
 
ON PLANTING. 103 
 
 in our more weakly plantations pruning 
 as well as thinning may not, if judicioufly 
 performed, be a proper help and culture 
 for them ; but under this limitation, which, 
 in my opinion, it is abfolutely neceflary 
 to obferve, of never touching a branch 
 till it lliows evident fymptoms of decay ; 
 for the mifchievous confequences of ma 
 king them rufli up too tall, and of bleed- 
 ing them, by wounding the green refinous 
 wood, is very apparent. Your*s, &c. 
 
 Augufl 3. I77I. SiLVIUS." 
 
 As the matter in agitation is ftill left a 
 little doubtful, I (hall ufe the freedom to 
 tranfcribe a very fenfible account of the 
 Scots pine by James Farquharfon of In- 
 vercauld, Efq; publifhed in the Philofo- 
 phical Tranfadlions, which will remove e- 
 very difficulty that remains on this head. 
 
 <i 
 
 It 
 
I04 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 '* TT is generally believed that tlicre are 
 ■■- two kinds of fir-trees, the produce of 
 Scotland, viz. the red or refinous large 
 trees, of a fine grain, and hard folic! 
 wood. The other, a white-wooded fir, 
 with a much fmaller proportion of refin 
 in it, of a coarfcr grain, and a foft fpun- 
 gy nature, never comes to fuch a fize, 
 and much more liable to decay: At firfl 
 appearance, this would readily denote 
 two diflincft fpecies ; but I am convinced 
 that all the trees in Scotland, under tlie 
 denomination of Scots fir, are the fame ; 
 and that the difference of the quality of 
 the wood, and the iize of the trees, is en- 
 tirely owing to circumftances ; fuch as the 
 climate, fuuation, and foil they grow in. 
 The finefl fir-trees appear in the moft 
 mountainous parts of the Highlands of 
 Scotland, in glens or on fides of hills, ge- 
 nerally lying to a northerly afpecfi, and the 
 (oil of a hard gravelly conlillence, being 
 
 the 
 
ON PLANTING. 105 
 
 the natural produce of thefe places ; the 
 winged leeds are fcattered in quantities by 
 the winds, from the cones of the adjacent 
 trees, which expand in April and May 
 with the heat of the fun ; thefe feedings, 
 when young, rife extremely clofe toge- 
 ther ; this makes them grow ftraight, and 
 free from fide-branches of any fize, to the 
 height of 50 or 60 feet, before they ac- 
 quire the diameter of a foot: Even in this 
 progrcfs to height, they are very flow, oc- 
 cafioned by the poornefs of the foil, and 
 the numbers on a fmall furface, which I 
 may fay makes them in a conftant flate of 
 war for their fcanty nouriihment, the 
 flronger and talieft by degrees overtop- 
 ping the weaker, and when the winds 
 blow, they lalli againft one another ; this 
 aflifts in beating oiF any horizontal 
 branches that might damage the timber 
 with knots, as well as by degrees crullies 
 the over-topped trees. In fuch a ftate of^ 
 
 O hoftility 
 
ro6 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 hoflility they continue flruggling, until 
 the maflcr-trccs acquire fonie fpace around 
 iheni ; then they begin to flioot out in a 
 more buHiy manner at the top, gradually 
 lofing their fpiral form, encrealing after- 
 Avards more in fize of body than height, 
 fomc acquiring four feet diameter, and a- 
 bove fixty feet of height to the branches, 
 fit for the finefl: deal-boards. The growth 
 is extremely flow, as is plainly proved by 
 the fmallnefs of the grain of the wood, 
 which appears diftindly in ciixles, from 
 the centre to the bark. Upon cutting a 
 tree over dole at the root, I can venture 
 to point out the cxa(ft age, which in thefe 
 old firs comes to an amazing number of 
 years. I lately pitched upon a tree of two 
 feet and a half diameter, as this is near the 
 fize of a planted fir of fifty years of age 
 mentioned, and I counted exacfily two 
 hundred and fourteen circles or coats, 
 which makes this natural fir above four 
 
 / times 
 
ON PLANTING. 107 
 
 times the age of the planted one. Now, 
 as to planted firs, thefe are raifed iirfl in 
 drefled ground from the feed, where they 
 ftand two feafons, or more, then are plant- 
 ed out in the ground they are to continue 
 in at regular diftances, have a clear cir- 
 cumference round them for extending 
 both roots and branches; the one gives 
 too quick nourifliment to the tree, which 
 flioots out in luxuriant growths, and the 
 other allows many of the branches to 
 fpread horizontally, fpoiling the timber 
 with knots; befides, this quick growth 
 occafions thefe thick yearly circular coats 
 of wood, which form a coarie grain, of a 
 fpungy foft nature. The juices never af- 
 ter ripen into a proportional quantity 
 their refinous prefervative balm : So that 
 the plantations decay before the wood ac- 
 quires age, or a valuable fize, and the 
 timber, when ufed in work, has neither 
 ilrength, beauty, nor duration. I belifve 
 
 O 2 the 
 
io8 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 the climate has like wife a great fliare in 
 forming the nature of the beft wood ; 
 which I account for in the following: man- 
 ncr: The mofl mountainous parts of the 
 Highlands, particularly the northerly hang- 
 ing fituations, where thele fine fir-trees 
 are, have a much (liortcr time of vegeta- 
 tion than a more foutherly expofure, or 
 the lower open countries, being fhaded 
 by high iiills from the rays of the fun, e- 
 ven at mid-day, for months together ; fo 
 that, with regard to other vegetables, na- 
 ture vilibly continues longer in a torpid 
 flatc there than in other places of the fame 
 latitude. This dead (late of nature for fo 
 long a time yearly appears to me necef- 
 fary to form the ftrength and health of 
 thi^ particular fpecies of timber. No 
 doubt they may at firfl: fliow a gratefulncfs 
 for a better foil and more fun, by flioot- 
 in^ out fpontancoufly ; but if the plant 
 or tree is fo altered by this luxury that it 
 
 cannot 
 
ON PLANTING. 109 
 
 cannot attain any degree of perfedion fit 
 for the purpofes intended, the attempt 
 certainly proves in vain. 
 
 ** From what is faid above, it is not at 
 all my intention to dlfluade from planting 
 Scots fir, but to encourage thofe that have 
 the proper foil and fituatlon to do fo, be- 
 ing of opinion, that where thefe circum- 
 ftances agree, and there planting, not in 
 lines, but irregularly, and thicker than 
 common, the trees will come to be of e- 
 qual fize and value with the natural ones. 
 In confidence of this, I have planted feve- 
 ral millions on the fides of hills, out of 
 reach of feed from the natural firs." 
 
 There was never perhaps penned a 
 plainer, more concife, and fatisfa(n:ory ac- 
 count of the nature and growth of any 
 tree, than is contained in this very (hort 
 cxtra(fl : at leaft fo it appears to me. 
 
 By attending to it, we fee the reafon 
 
 why 
 
no OBSERVATIONS 
 
 >vhy natural fir-woods, althougii not pru- 
 ned, are quite free of knots, as they ne- 
 ccfTarily prune one another before the 
 fide-branches attahi any confiderable thick- 
 nefs. 
 
 But if fir-trees are planted at fi^ch a dl- 
 ftancc from one another as to allow the 
 fide-branches to grow till ihey attain a 
 confiderable degree of tliicknefs, there 
 can be no doubt that the wood mufl: be 
 knotty throughout its whole length ; fo 
 that, in thefe cafes, clean wood cannot be 
 cxpccled but where the trees are regularly 
 pruned every year, fo as to leave only a 
 fmall top with branches on it. 
 
 If this account be juft:, we ought alfo 
 to doubt if the thinning recommended by 
 SiLVius would be attended with the be- 
 nefit? he feems to expedl from it : for al- 
 though it might probably make the trees 
 advance more quickly, it would alio 
 make the wood be of an inferior quality. 
 
 There 
 
ON PLANTING. Ill 
 
 There would likewlfc be danger that if 
 this was done at an early period, while 
 the trees continued to advance in height, 
 there would be a necefljty of pruning them 
 after they were thinned, to prevent the 
 wood from becoming knotty and foul. 
 On thefe accounts, where fine wood is re- 
 quired, it is perhaps bed to leave the 
 wood entirely to itfelf. 
 
 But where the view of the proprietor is 
 to obtain large trees in a (hort time, with- 
 out regard to the finenefs of the quality 
 of the wood, he will bed fucceed by plant- 
 ing the trees at fuch a diflance from one 
 another as to allow them abundant nou- 
 rifliment, if the (ituation is fo well Ihel- 
 tered as to admit of this. But in thefe 
 cafes there will be a neceflity of pruning 
 the trees regularly, otherwife the wood 
 would not only be full of knots in every 
 part, but the trees would taper fo much 
 towards the top as to render it of little va- 
 lue 
 
112 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 liic for thole iifcs to which this timber 
 can be properly applied. 
 
 It is found by experience, that thinning 
 a plantation of pine or fir trees, iinlelg 
 when they are very young, and covered 
 with brandies almofl: clofe to the ground, 
 is always attended with very great danger. 
 So long as they continue to grow clofe by 
 one another, with the branches of their 
 tops intermingled with each other, every 
 tree gives and receives fupport from thofe 
 around it : but when this fupport is taken 
 away, by felling out any of the trees, the 
 ivind a6ls with fuch force upon the top, 
 which is at fuch a diflance from the root, 
 and is fupported by a tall and feeble ftem, 
 as neceflarily either breaks it over, — tears 
 it out by the roots, or warps it lb much as 
 to caufc it languidi ever afterwards, and 
 die altogether in a few years. To avoid 
 this inconvenience, it is perhaps always 
 adviieablc to leave a plantation of conife- 
 rous 
 
ON PLANTING. 113 
 
 rous trees untouched, till the time it is in- 
 tended to be felled altogether, — and -then 
 to cut clean out at once as far as you in- 
 tend to go. It is even doubtful if it is 
 proper to cut down thofe trees that die by 
 the overfliadowing of the others, unlefs 
 %vhere they are entirely overtopped. 
 
 We fee many plantations of pine-trees 
 in Scotland, where the whole bark of the 
 trees are encrufted with fog, — and the trees 
 in a languifhing condition. This is oftea 
 afcribed to the thicknefs of thefe planta- 
 tions, which excludes the air from them: 
 but it is always owing to the nature of the 
 foil. A thoufand plantations of pines are 
 made in Scotland on foils upon which 
 this kind of tree will not thrive, for one 
 that is made on a proper foil : — So it is not 
 furprifing, that, in thefe circumftances, 
 we (houkl frequently meet with planta- 
 tions of fickly trees of this fort. 
 
 Jf ever wchope tohave fuccefs in planting 
 
 P timber. 
 
114 O BSER VAT IONS 
 
 timber, let iis not be Co nnrea(bnably at- 
 tached to the culture of one tree, as to 
 exclude all others ; — and let us never for- 
 get, that the common pine-tree, called 
 Scors fir, will not live almoft at all on a 
 clayey Ibil, — does not profper on a loam, 
 — and is only fcen to thrive upon fand or 
 firm gravel, which is allowed to be the foil 
 it mo ft afPecTi^s. 
 
 I now proceed to take notice of fome 
 other kinds of trees. 
 
 LETTER 
 
'•**- 
 
 LETTER Fourth. 
 
 Of the Larch-tree ;—The v at u able Ufes to 
 which it ma^ he applied; — Manner of ob- 
 taining its Rofin. 
 
 SIR, Alay 30. 1771. 
 
 ALTHOUGH the larix is not a native of 
 Britain, yet the lively verdure of its 
 foliage, and the elegant figure of the 
 whole plane, has recommended it to the 
 attention of our countrymen as an orna- 
 mental tree, although it is not as yet be- 
 come fo common as to have its value, as 
 an ufeful tree, fufficiently known. But 
 in Iiaiyy in Carinthia, and the country of 
 the Grifons, and throughout the whole-ex- 
 tent of the ^ips, where it grows in great 
 
 P 2 abundance. 
 
Ii6 OBSERVATION^ 
 
 abundance, it is efleemcd the moll valu- 
 able tree that they have: and it is there 
 valued for fo many excellent qualities, 
 that I cannot help recommending it, in 
 the warmefl manner/ to the attention of 
 my countrymen. 
 
 We ourfelves have daily proofs before 
 our eyes, that few trees advance fo quick- 
 ly as this does: and the teflimony of all 
 travellers invariably agrees in ailcrting, 
 that it thrives in the poorefl: foil, and mod 
 expofed fituation, there growing to a pro- 
 digious height and magnitude, being oft- 
 en found eighty feet high or upwards, 
 with a trunk pcrfe(fHy flraiglu through- 
 out its whole length. The wood of this 
 tree is likewifc much cRccmcd for its ex- 
 ceeding great durability, it being almoit 
 incorruptible either in the open air or un- 
 der water ; as is clearly dcmonllrated at 
 Venice J the greated part of which city \\ 
 built upon files of wood ; which arc not 
 
 only 
 
ON PLANTING^ iij 
 
 only ftill frefli, although they have remain-^ 
 ed there for many hundred years, but 
 they have at length acquired fuch a degree 
 of hardnefs, and in fome meafure to re- 
 feinble iron, fo as to refift the edge of the 
 befl tempered tool. 
 
 I need not point out the utility that a 
 \Tood poflefTed of this valuable property 
 might be of to a country like this, which 
 depends fo much upon its navy for its 
 prefervation and well-being, as it promifes 
 to be a ready fuccedancum for the oak, 
 and, for fome particular purpofes, would 
 feem to be even more valuable than it ; 
 for although the (Iraightnels of the tree 
 would never allow it to be proper for rib? 
 or knees, yet, for outward cleathing, it 
 might perhaps be more valuable than the 
 oak, as it would be lighter and more 
 buoyant, and poffibly might relifl the 
 worms in warm climates; at .any rate, it 
 would not be fo apt to fplinter during the 
 
 time 
 
Ii8 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 time of an engagement, which would lavs 
 many iifcful lives, that are always lofl on 
 ihefe occalions by the fpllnters of the oak. 
 Along with thel'c properties, we ought al- 
 ways to remember, that as it is of much 
 quicker growth, we could much more ea- 
 iily fupply ourfclves with this kind of tim- 
 ber than with oak. All which confidcra- 
 tions makes it merit the attention of every 
 fincerc friend to his country, at Icafl: fo far 
 as to get a fair trial made, to lee whether 
 it would anfwer all thel'c valuable purpofes 
 or not. 
 
 But whether it may anfwer all thefe pur- 
 pofes or not, it is undoubtedly polldlcd 
 of other properties which render it well 
 "Worthy our peculiar care. In the coun- 
 tries where this tree grows in abundance, 
 the common people, on many occafions, 
 make their houlcs entirely of it, as they 
 are, at the fame time, the cheapcll and 
 moll comfortable habitations that they 
 
 could 
 
■'Hi. 
 
 ON PLANTING. 119 
 
 could pofTibly rear. The walls are form- 
 ed of fquare logs placed by one anodier*s 
 Udes, kept clofe to one another by a ftrong 
 Heam going acrofs the top of the whole, 
 the other parts being kept firm by ftrong 
 pins. >- 
 
 When it is firft put up, it appears quite 
 white, but in a fhort time thei-e oozes, 
 forth from the pores of the wood a great 
 quantity of a refinous juice, v.'hich hard- 
 ens by the air, and becomes of a black co- 
 lour, forming a thick coat of varniQa over 
 the whole furface of the wood, which pre- 
 ferves it from the corrofive effecls of the 
 air; and as the interftices between the 
 logs are filled with the fame varnifh, when 
 it dries it cements the whole together, 
 forming one fofid body, totally impervious 
 to every blaft. 
 
 The roof is covered with thin boards of 
 the fame wood, cut into the form, and 
 put on nearly in the fame manner as flates, 
 
 and 
 
 
 v-^ 
 
 1 
 
120 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 and by tliem called cingler, which are (boii 
 covered with a varnifli, and cemented to- 
 gether in the fame manner as the walls. 
 This forms the lightcfl, clofeft, moft du- 
 rable, and cheapen covering that could 
 poflibly be got; and the whole habiiatioti 
 is fo neat, fo warm, and fo feciirc, as mufl 
 be extremely comfortable to the inhabi- 
 tants, very different from what is experi- 
 enced by the poor pofleflbrs of the wretch- 
 ed hovels to be met with in every country 
 of Europe, where they have not the con* 
 venicnce of ihefc materials. 
 
 And as it mu(l be acknowledged, that 
 Britain feels no fuch capital defed in any 
 gf the effential necedaries of life, as ia 
 wanting proper materials for roofs to the 
 lioufes of the lower clafs of people ; there- 
 ibrc we ought very much to prize any 
 thing which promifes to remove this de- 
 fc(fl. Sialyl are indeed a good covering, 
 but arc not only weighty, but come fo 
 
ON PLANTING. t2r 
 
 high as not to be within the power of any 
 but the great and opulent to purchafe : 
 7iksy ah hough light and tolerably cheap, 
 are fo foon w^ore out, and lb liable to acci- 
 dents from winds, as render them a trou- 
 blefome and uncomfortable roof. 
 
 The only alternative which remains for 
 the poor people befides thefe,' is either 
 thatch or turf, both of which require inch 
 continual repairs, on account of tlie pe- 
 riQiable nature of the materials, — fuch 
 conftant attendance to guard againft ac- 
 cidents from wind, and are at beft fuch 
 a poor defence againft the inclemencies of 
 the weather, as but ill repays the poor in- 
 habitants for the perpetual expcncc, and 
 labour, and care, and watching, to which 
 they are continually fubjecfted on this ac- 
 count ; not to mention the damage they 
 fuftain by the crouds of vermine, to which 
 thefe at all times afford a ready flielter, or 
 the danger they run of being fet on fire 
 
 Q^ from 
 
122 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 from every cafnal accident; all which u^ 
 nited, form fiich a complication of diftref- 
 fes, continually hovering over the head of 
 this clals of people, as muft have a ten- 
 dency to damp that lively vivacity of fpi- 
 rit, the exertion of ^vhich conftitntes the 
 principal happinefs of man, and tends to 
 infpire a deljx)nding indifference, which 
 ends in languor, inactivity, and mifery. 
 Every humane mind, therefore, muft fure- 
 Jy feel a fenfible pleafure in tlie profpedl^ 
 of being able to remove thefe difbelTes 
 from io many of his fellow-creatures, and 
 beltow a particular attention to the rear- 
 ing of this tree, which promifcs to fupply 
 thefe defecls. 
 
 I had ahnofl forgot to mention, that 
 this wood is reckoned of fuch a quality as 
 to be almofl incombuftible, refi(lin<^ the 
 fire in fuch a dea:ree, as only to confumc 
 in a very great heat extremely (lowly. 
 
 What credit is to be given to this opi- 
 nion. 
 
ON PLANTING. 125 
 
 •laion, I cannot fay ; but as it is as old as 
 Plin^f and is (till believed in the countries 
 where this wood is common, it is probable 
 that there muft be fome foundation for it ; 
 and I am the more inclined to believe that 
 this is the cafe, from having heard that an 
 Italian of fome note wrote a book on this 
 fubje6l; the defign of which was to per- 
 fuade his countrymen to ufe this in fome 
 cafes as fire-wood ; but the only cafes in 
 which he recommends it, is for heating 
 furnaces, and other large works ; becaufe, 
 fays he, when a great quantity of it is put 
 Into a well-draughted furnace, it may be 
 made to burn very well : But as he does 
 not fay that it could be made to anfwer 
 the ordinary ufes of life in a common 
 grate, I think we may conclude, that from 
 experience he had found it would not 
 |3urn well in any other circumftances than 
 ^hefe he defcribes. 
 
 gut, valuable as the wood may be, it is 
 
 Q^ 2 not 
 
124 OI'^S Ell VAT I ONS 
 
 not on this account alone 4hat the inliabl- 
 tants of hah prize it lb much ; ilicy like- 
 wife make ufc of its bark for tanning lea- 
 ther, and from the body of the tree, while 
 growing, thcv extract that refinous bal- 
 1am, com'.uonly known by the name of 
 Venice turpentine, which yields them a very 
 coiilidcrable revenue. 1 he manner of ex- 
 tracting the turpentine is as follows. 
 
 l^he wliolc of the wood of the larclj- 
 tree is richly impregnated with this refi- 
 nous juice, and, when young, it is almoft 
 equally diffufed through all the parts of 
 it ; but as the tree advances in fizc, there 
 is gradually formed in the body of tiic 
 wood, cfpccially near the root of the tree, 
 fmall cavities, which are filled widi this li- 
 quid rofm, quite pure, and leparate from 
 the wood. As the tree grows bigger, 
 thefc cavities likewife encreafe, infomuch, 
 that, when a tice is in full vigour, and 
 of a confidcrablc magnitude, thclc will 
 
 fometimcs 
 
ON PLANTING. 125 
 
 fbmetimcs be found about an inch in 
 thlcknefs, three or four in brcadtli, and 
 as much in height. 
 
 Thefe cavities are chiefly met widi about 
 five or fix inches from the heart of die 
 tree ; and it is generally obferved, that, in 
 the trunk of a tree about forty feet in 
 length, there will be found about fix or 
 feven of thefe principal refervoirs, and a 
 great number of fnialler. 
 
 When the trees begin to decline, the 
 cavities contra(fl:, and afford but little tur- 
 pentine ; for which reafon, the workmen 
 feldom chufe a tree that is very young or 
 very old, as neither of thefe would yield 
 much of this balfam, but prefer fuch trees 
 as are of a confiderable magnitude, and 
 flill in high vigour, before all others. 
 
 To extracl: this refinous juice, (if I may 
 fo term it), they bore a hole into each 
 tree in the month of March, piercing very 
 near to the heart of the tree, and making 
 
 the 
 
126 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 the hole flant a little upwards, to allow the 
 balfam which may be collected in it to flow 
 out more eafily. To each of thefe they 
 fix a fmall tube of wood, at the end of 
 which they hang a vefTel for receiving the 
 rofin as it flows from the tree. They come 
 to the wood every morning, from the end 
 of May till the end of September, to empty 
 ^he veflcls which are hanging at the rrec, 
 the balfam taken from which they carry 
 home, and keep in proper veflels till thq 
 end of the feafon ; and when they car^ 
 pbtain no more, they flrain the whole 
 through a cloth, and put it in proper vef- 
 fcls for fale. 
 
 This is a femlfluid balfam, which never 
 hardens in the air, and is commonly fold 
 by the name of Venice turpentine, al- 
 though it is of an inferior quality to that 
 obtained from the fir-treCy which is tlie 
 only genuine kind. If it is diflillcd wiih 
 ^vater, it yields an eflential oil, whicii is 
 
 like wife 
 
ON PLANTING- 12^ 
 
 likewife called oil of turpentine^ although 
 it is alfb of an inferior quality to that ob- 
 tained from the fir-tree. 
 
 Such is the procefs for obtaining the 
 turpentine from the lariXy the profits ari- 
 fing from which mufl be very confider- 
 able, feeing it is generally computed, that 
 a vigorous larch-tree will yield feven or 
 eight pounds of turpentine every year, 
 for forty or fifty years *• 
 
 Befides all thefe different fubftances, the 
 larix likewife yields a fpecies of mannas 
 known by the name of manna laricea, or 
 inanne de Briancon, much praifed by the 
 antient hiftorians of Dauphine. This fub- 
 flance is found chiefly among the Alps, 
 and appears in the months of May and 
 
 * The ufual felling price of this rofin, I am told, is about 
 6 d. per pound. But fuppofing it ^J^ere only 2 d. the an- 
 nual produce at the above rate would amount to i s. 4 d. 
 or I s. 6 d. per tree. — A Scots acre contains 450 trees at 
 ten feet from one another ; at which rate, the annual pro- 
 duce would be L. 2S : 2 : 6. 
 
 June, 
 
128 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 June, in ihe form of fmall whitifli grain?, 
 the young trees being entirely covered 
 by them, Co as to be all over white, as if 
 covered with hoar-frolh It niuft be ga- 
 thered early in the morning, as the lun 
 diffipatcs it at his firft appearance, as rea- 
 dily as the dew. But as I apprehend that 
 this fubflance is but of little value, it is 
 hardly wordi attending to. 
 
 Upon the whole, I flatter myfclf that 
 the reader will agree with me, in being 
 fatisfied that this tree feems to be poflefTed 
 of fo many valuable properties, as to de- 
 mand, in a particular degree, the atten- 
 tion of our countrymen. That ihey may 
 be induced to propagate it in greater a- 
 bundancc, and foon feel the good effcOs 
 arifing from that, is the linccre defire of 
 
 Agricola. 
 
 LETTER 
 
LETTER Fifth. 
 
 Ghteral Obfervations on the different Gram- 
 fiances- that ought to be attended to in ma' 
 king a Plantation of Trees in different 
 Situations* 
 
 I 
 
 S I R, >^^^ 13- 177^- 
 
 AM fo mucti perfuaded of the benefic 
 which mio-ht accrue to the uatloii in 
 general, as well as the advantage which 
 individuals might reap from planting trees, 
 if it were duly attended to, that I would 
 willingly remove every objecTion to this 
 valuable improvement that occurs to me. 
 What I have already dud may probably 
 obviate feme of thefe ; but I am fcnllble 
 
 1^ thac 
 
iZo OBSERVATIONS 
 
 that there arc many otlicrs which ftill re- 
 maui to be confidercd ; and as fome of 
 thefc at prefent occur to mc, I (liall briefly 
 mention them, in order to prevent any 
 young or inconfiderate pcrfon from en- 
 gaging too rafldy in an undertaking ot 
 this kind, and point out many circum- 
 fiances relating to this fubjecl, which are 
 of very great conlcquencc, although they 
 are at prefent never m the lead attended 
 to. 
 
 It is not on all occailons enough that 
 \vood can be made to grow ; for if wc have 
 not a market for that wood, or fome me- 
 thod of difpofing of it to advantage, it can 
 be but of very little advantage to the pro- 
 prietor. As this is a confidcration of the 
 utmofl confequence, it ought to be attend- 
 ed to with tlie utmofl care, and every cir- 
 cumflancc ought to be duly weighed be- 
 fore any confiderablc plantation is made. 
 
 For this purpole, it will not only be ne- 
 
 Gcffary 
 
ON PLANTING. 131 
 
 ceflary for every one who intends to raife 
 a plantation, to confider what kuid of 
 trees are moft likely to thrive befl: upon his 
 particular foil or fituation, but alfo to en- 
 deavour to difcover which kind will be 
 moft properly adapted to the market to 
 which he can bring it. With this view, 
 he ought to attend to the iituation of all 
 the objects around, and fee what infla- 
 .ence they may probably have upon his 
 projecfl: He ought even to pay attention 
 to the prejudices of the people among 
 whom he is placed, as thefe often 
 have a much more powerful eife(^ up- 
 on the mind of man than a fpeculative 
 reclufe would be apt to imagine ; anc)r 
 however chimerical thefe may fometimes 
 be, yet as they often produce very ferious 
 confequenccs in life, they ought by no 
 means to be defpifcd. 
 
 The moft fuperficial obferver muft here 
 ^•en)ark, that the value of wood of the 
 
 R 2 fame 
 
132 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 iiuiic quality miifl: vary prodigioufly iri 
 different places ; but, in oeneral, we mull 
 deem thole fituations paiiicularly favour- 
 able wiiich are near any large and popu- 
 lous jilacc ; and the man may be efteemed 
 happy in this refpccfl who is firuaicd near 
 a fea-port, or upon a navigable river; or 
 who inhabits a populous country where 
 wood is Icarce, and every branch of va- 
 lue: Such a one fcts out with great advan-» 
 tages, and can reap profit from every ar- 
 ticle ; but in an inland or mouniainouj 
 country, at a diflancc from markets, far 
 from every navigable river, and dcftiture 
 of roads upon which weighty carriap-es 
 qpuld pafs, of what value would be the 
 ^Mood of the fmcfl trees that could be rear- 
 ed? 1 hey might Hand till they were over- 
 turned by the temped, before any one 
 could ofl'er to purchale them ; and their 
 ftately trunks, afterwards mouldering in 
 tjie dufl:, could only excite a melancholy 
 
 figh 
 
 
ON PLANTING. 1-,^ 
 
 oa 
 
 figli from the pafling traveller, without a 
 poHibility of making it turn out to any 
 account. 
 
 What lliall be done in fuch a fituation? 
 Is the proprietor of thefe places, who, by 
 his (ituation, mufl: ever be deprived of 
 the power of carrying on any othe valu- 
 able improvement, likewife to be deprived 
 of every advantage that he might reap 
 from this one, which is ib eafilv within 
 his reach ? Mufl he, by being obliged to 
 give up all hope of reaping any advan- 
 tage from this, fit down in defpair, and 
 draul out a life of lifllefs inactivity, with- 
 out being able to exert the animating fpi- 
 rit of induRry, ofroufing into life the half- 
 extinguiQied powers of thofe around him, 
 and of pouring the Heffings of vivacity 
 and plenty upon the miferable wretches 
 TV ho are now deprefTed with poverty, and 
 debilitated with indolence? Hard, indeed, 
 would be tiie fituation of fuch a one were 
 
 4 
 
 this 
 
134 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 this the cafe; but fo careful has the benefi- 
 cent Creator been for the happinefs of 
 man, that he has left no cfimate upon our 
 globe, which does not yield fome ufeful 
 produdl, nor any foil deftitute of vege- 
 tables for the comfort of ihe human race ; 
 nor any fuuation in which the induftry of 
 man may not convert the produce ot the 
 foil to fome valuable purpofe for himfelf 
 and his fellow-creatures. 
 
 Although there are many fituations in 
 which it is impofllble to make any profit 
 of the -luood of trees in fubllance, yet as 
 many of thefe yield fomp other produce 
 of great value, independent of that, it is 
 impolfible to conceive a fituation in which 
 profit may not be made of a plantation of 
 trees, as I hope to be able to demonflratc 
 in the mod fatisfadory manner. If the 
 wood is of no value, it is flill in his power 
 to extraci: from it turpentine and its oil, to- 
 jh, tar, pitchy and lauip-black, which can 
 
 eafily 
 
ON PLANTING. t^y 
 
 feafily bear the expence of tranfporting* 
 If it is not proper for thefe, it may be re- 
 duced to a'flies, and afford the vakiable 
 fiibftance called fot-afli, la fome fltna- 
 tions charcoal may be of ufe, and in o- 
 thers the bark becomes of great value ; 
 and fugar may be extracfied in abundance 
 from trees which may yet grow in our mod 
 barren mountains ; nor is it impoffible but 
 the Caledonian hills may yield from their 
 trees a wine not inferior to thole which 
 the grape affords in warmer climates. 
 
 Some will think that I am now advan- 
 cing into the regions of romance ; but let 
 not any one condemn me, until he has 
 heard the method in which all thefe and 
 other products may be obtained ; and if he 
 then thinks fo, I give him full liberty to con- 
 demn me. — In the mean time, I have not 
 the fmalleft fcruple to declare, that, by at- 
 tendino: to thefe circumflances I have men- 
 tioned, and making a plantation, with a 
 
 vie\V 
 
t3«5 OBSERVATrONS 
 
 "Vic\V to cxtracfl that particular fubll.inct 
 from the trees which will be bell adapted 
 to the foil and lltiiatioii of the place, very 
 great profits may be made from fucli plan- 
 tations ill every pare of the illand : and, 
 to convince my countrymen of tliis, I 
 ihall perhaps, upon fome future occafion, 
 defcrlbe the manner in which the moft va- 
 luable of thcfc fubltances above mention- 
 ed are obtained. 
 
 Agricola. 
 
 LETTER 
 
i.i'.r,- .1 I - i 
 
 LETTER Sixth* 
 
 O/i the Fir-tree, ^nd Method of extracting its 
 
 Tiirpendne. 
 
 SIR, June 20. 1771. 
 
 I Already remarked, that it is probable 
 that the fdver-fir is the tree which af- 
 fords the fined deal. Whether this is re- 
 ally the cafe, I cannot pofltively afl'ert ; 
 but certain it is, that this tree alone pro- 
 duces the genuine balfani known by the 
 name of Venice turpentine ; for although 
 the larix affords a refinous juice, fome- 
 what of the fame nature which is ufually 
 fold under the fame name, yet it is of a 
 oualitv much inferior to that which is ex- 
 traded from the fir-tree^ and fells at a 
 
 S much 
 
138 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 much lower price. As this fubftance is of 
 confiderable vakie, and n^ay in many fi- 
 tuations afford the principal revenue which 
 can be drawn from a plantation of this 
 kind of trees, I Hiall briefly defcribc tlic 
 method of colleifting it. 
 
 The liquid rofin wliich exudes from 
 this fpecles of fir-treCy inllead of being 
 lodged in the wood as in the lariXy is col- 
 Iccled in linall cavities formed in the bark 
 of the tree, inclofed in a thin film or bag, 
 •whitli, when full, forms foftifli excrefcen- 
 ces upon the furface, eafily diflinguilh- 
 ablc by the eye. Thefe little bags, filled 
 %vith rofm, begin to appear when the tree 
 is about three inches in diameter ; from 
 which time they continue to encreale, and 
 yield every year a greater quantity of ro- 
 lin, till the tree becomes about a foot in 
 diameter; about whicii tin-.e the bark be- 
 gins to grow hard and woody, and the 
 cavities become fmallcr, fo as gradually 
 
 to 
 
ON PLANTING. 139 
 
 to yield lefs and lefs after that period. 
 
 From this peculiarity in the manner of 
 yielding its juice, we may obferve, that ic 
 would be extremely proper to plant this 
 fpecies o^ fir-tree along with the larix, in 
 thofe fituations where the rolin is a princi- 
 pal objeifl of confideration ; becaufe as thefe 
 trees yield their rofin when very young, 
 while the larix only affords its balfam at a 
 more advanced age, a confiderable profic 
 might be drawn from them before the la- 
 rix was of fuch a fize as to yield any tur- 
 pentine ; and when the larix lliould ad- 
 -yance in fize, and require more room, thefe 
 might be cut out, after they had furniQied 
 all the turpentine they could yield. 
 
 In order to coUecl this rolin, the pea- 
 fants in the north of Italy, where this ro- 
 lin is chiefly gathered, provide themfelves 
 with a fmall white-iron veflcl, wide at one 
 end and ftiarp at the other, fomewhat rc- 
 femying a horn, with an open kind of 
 
 S 2 flafk 
 
140 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 flnfk hung by their fide, and a pair af iron 
 cranipcts fixed to the infide of their feet, 
 to ftrike into the tree to afiift them in 
 climbing it. Being thus equipped, they 
 go out every year in the month of Auguft 
 to the woods; and examining every tree 
 "with care, wliere-ever they difcover one of 
 thefe bladders of rofin, they thrufl the 
 Iharp point of their white-iron inflrnment 
 into the under part of it, and thus make 
 an opening, through which the rofin flows 
 into the wider part of the vcfi^el. They 
 then mount upwards; opening every bag 
 of rofin as they afcend, emptying the 
 fmall vcficl from time to time, as occafion 
 may require, into the fia(k at their fide. 
 
 In this manner they proceed from day 
 to day, emptying their fla(k every night 
 into a Lirgcr veficl, which they take 
 care to provide for diat purpofe; and 
 when ihcy have coUecled tJie whole that 
 they intend to gather that fcafon, they 
 
 filtre 
 
ON PLANTING. 141 
 
 filtre it through a ftrong cloth, to free ic 
 from leaves and other impurities, and 
 then put it into proper veflels for the mar-' 
 ket. If this is put into a cucurbit with a 
 little water, and diftilled, the elTential oil 
 rifes free from the grolTer fubftances with 
 which it was united, and forms the genu-r 
 ine oil of turpentine. What remains in, 
 the cucurbit is ^ dryith rofin, fomething 
 like colophony. 
 
 The fpriics-fir likewife affords a rofin ii^, 
 confiderable quantities, although differing 
 greatly in quality from that obtained from 
 the fiher-fiff and is procured by a very 
 different operation ; for whereas the true 
 turpentine from the fir i^ always in a fort 
 of Icmi-fluid (late, that obtained from the 
 fpruce * is always folld in the ordinary 
 heat of our atmofphere; nor is this lafl 
 
 * Let not the reader forget that I am not fpeaklng of the 
 fpruce ftrklly fo called, but that fpecies o'i fir vulgarly 
 called fpri/ce-fir, pine-fir, &:c. diflinguiftied by the name of 
 epcea by the Freach. 
 
 contained 
 
I4S OBSERVATIONS 
 
 contained in fmall bags in thebuk, like 
 that above mentioned, nor in the body of 
 the >vood like the larixy but is tound only 
 to flow out from between the b-rk and 
 the wood. 
 
 Tlie peafants, therefore, in cjider to ob- 
 tain it, cut out a part of the bark at the 
 beginning of the feafon (ihe month of A- 
 pril or May) without hurting the wood ; 
 and Icavins: it in that condition at that 
 time, return at the end of a few weeks, 
 and find the whole wound covered over 
 with a crufl of folid rofin, v.hich had there 
 concreted as foon as it flowed out and was 
 cxpofed to the air ; this they fcrape off in- 
 to a bafkct, and having pared away a little 
 more of the bark round the edges of the 
 ■wound, to keep it frefli, leave it in this 
 flate for as long a time. 
 
 In this manner they proceed during 
 the whole feafon ; at the end of which 
 they put the whole into large caldrons, 
 
 with 
 
ON PLANTING. 14J 
 
 With a little water, and melting it flowly, 
 by means of a gentle fire, pour it into 
 ftrong bags of cloth, and while it is yed 
 warm and fluid, put it under the prels, 
 which fqueezes out the rofin, and fepa- 
 rates it from all impurities ; after which it 
 is barrelled up for fale. The fubftance 
 which is obtained by this operation is of 
 a yellowifli colour and folid confidence, 
 turning foft in a gentle degree of heat, 
 and Is well known in Britain by the name 
 of Buf'gtmdy pitch. An oil is alfo extract- 
 ed from this, which is fold by the name of 
 oil of turpentine y but much inferior in qua- 
 lity to that obtained from the filver-fir. 
 
 The roots, if bare, afford a rofin of the 
 fame quality, and in the (ame manner as 
 the trunk : and it is obferved, that fuch 
 trees as are planted in a rich foil afford 
 more rofin than thofe that arc planted up- 
 on a poorer ; and more is got in a warm 
 dry feafon, than in one that is cold and wet. 
 
 The 
 
t44 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 The trees of this clafs yield Ibnic refill 
 ivhen very young, and ahvays continue 
 to do ib till tliey begin to decay by age : 
 but it is remarked, that what is gathered 
 from young trees is fofter than what is ob- 
 tained from thofe of a greater age, altho' 
 It is never entirely fluid. A healthy tree 
 in a good foil will yield thirty or forty 
 pounds of rofln each year * ; fo that the 
 
 • It is upon the credit of Mr Du-Hamel that I mention 
 rliis produce. If this is fo, x\\e profit from an acre of 
 ground behoved to be very confulcrable. I ain not much 
 accjuainted with the value of this fubflance, but have been 
 told it ufually fells for about fixpence prr pound. But let 
 us fuppofe it to be worth only twopence, and each tree, at 
 a medium, to yield only twenty pounds in a feafon, worth 
 3 {>. 4d. ; as a Scots acre would contain about 450 trees, if 
 planted at twelve feet from each other, the value of the 
 rofiu, at the above rate, would amount to 7jl. fterling 
 per cnKum : nor could the cxpence attending this be very 
 confidcrablc, one man being fufEcicnt to take care of up- 
 wards of a thoufand trees. I am far from thinking that 
 the profits could be fo great as this ; but as Mx* Du-Hamel 
 is a man of character, it is obvious the profits muft be very 
 confidcrable. I mtfet with no eflimate of the quantity of 
 rofm afforded by the fiver fir. 
 
 proflc 
 
ON P^LANTING. 145 
 
 profit arifing from this muft be very con- 
 fiderable. 
 
 The ftlikr fir is not in the Icaft dama- 
 ged by having its rofin taken from it : 
 but as the rain and fnow enter the body 
 of the fpruce at the large wounds made 
 in the bark, it in time impairs the wood 
 a little, though flowly ; and if the tree is 
 not fo far damaG:ed as to make the wood 
 turn red, it is as good for every purpofe 
 as before the rofin was extradled from it. 
 Thus it appears, that a plantation of thefe 
 two kinds of trees might be made to turn 
 out to good a,ccount, even in fituations 
 where the wood could be of little value ; 
 and it is more than probable, that cither 
 of thefe kinds of trees would afford tar as 
 well as the pine, although I do not know 
 that ever it has been tried. They likevvife 
 afford an excellent charcoal. In my next, 
 1 lliall ihew the various ufes that may be 
 made of the ///?^. AcRrcoLA. 
 
 T LETTER 
 
LETTER Seventh. 
 
 Of the Pine-tree — Method of extraHing its 
 Rofin — Manner of making Tar, 6cc. 
 
 S I R, Jul) 1 8. 1771. 
 
 HAVING pointed out the iifes to which 
 the fir-tree might be applied, it 
 would be improper not to mention the 
 fubftances that may be drawn from the 
 pine^ which are not perhaps of le(s value 
 than thofc extracfled from the fir. 
 
 The pi/te, as well as the fir-tree, affords 
 a relinous juice, although of a different 
 nature in itfclf, and mull be gathered af- 
 ter a different manner. This juice is nei- 
 ther colledcd in rcfcrvoirs in the body of 
 the tree, like the larix; nor in cavities in 
 
 the 
 
OH PLANTING. 147 
 
 the bark, like the fir ; nor does it ooze 
 out only between the bark and the wood, 
 as in tlie fpruce ; but it is difperfed through 
 jthe whole body of the wood, and flows 
 forth from any frefli wound that may be 
 made in the body of the tree in a femi- 
 , iluid ftate, which it in fome meafure loles 
 when expofed to the air, becoming gra- 
 dually of a thicker and more folid con- 
 /iftence. This being the cafe, the mod 
 proper method of colleding the rofin is as 
 follows : 
 
 About the month of May, when the 
 fap begins to flow in abundance, thofe who 
 rnake it their bufinefs to gather this rofin, 
 make choice of a proper tree, and having 
 firft taken off a piece of the outer bark a- 
 bout a foot fquare near the root, they 
 then cut off, with a very fliarp inftrument, 
 about four inches fquare of the inner 
 bark, piercing through it a little way, fo 
 as to take ofl' with it a thin paring of the 
 
 T 2 wood. 
 
148 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 wood. As foon as it is made, the refin- 
 ous juice immediately begins to ooze out 
 through the pores ot the wound, and 
 drops down, in the confidence of a 
 thickilh ballam, from the under part of it, 
 into proper vefTels placed below to re- 
 ceive it ; but as the edges of the wound 
 fiirivcl up, and the pores are quickly con- 
 tra(5led when expofed to the air, fo as to 
 prevent it from flowing out with eafe, it 
 is ncceflary to refreffi thefe wounds once 
 every ten or twelve days, by cutting a 
 thin flip of the wood and bark from the 
 two fides and top of the wound, and like- 
 wife a very thin paring of "^vood from the 
 whole inner furface thereof, which allows 
 the juice to flow afrcfli as well as at the 
 beginning. By repeating this operation 
 from time to time, during the fummer 
 months, the hole becomes larger and 
 deeper; lo that, by the end of the feafon, 
 it is ufually about an inch or two deep, 
 
 and 
 
ON PLANTING. 
 
 149 
 
 and twelve Inches fquare, fo as to occu- 
 py the whole of the fpace that was at firft 
 dripped of its outer bark. The next 
 year after this, they make a frefli wound 
 of the fame fize immediately above the 
 old one, (for it is obferved that the juice 
 always defcends), and manage it in the 
 fame way as the former one ; and fo on 
 they proceed, making a new wound each 
 year immediately above the old one, till 
 they are as high as they find convenient ; 
 after which they begin again near the 
 root in another part of the tree, and car- 
 ry up another row of openings of the 
 fame kind j proceeding in this manner 
 round the whole circumference of the 
 tree, if it continues Co long in health, or 
 affords a (quantity of rofin worth the ex? 
 pence. 
 
 I need hardly obfcrve, that they emp- 
 ty the veiTcIs which are placed at the trees 
 from time to tinie, and carry it home, to 
 
 be 
 
150 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 be kept all together till they have gathered 
 all that they can get for that fcafon. Af- 
 ter the whole quantity is collected, th^y 
 iiltre and barrel it up for fale in the form 
 of a very thick rellnous baifuTJ, which 
 is ufed by fhip-builders for different pur- 
 pofes ; and in this Aate it is known in 
 France by the names of Galipot and P<r- 
 rinne ; but I am unacquainted with the 
 name by which it is known in England. 
 In fonie cafes, it is boiled in large cal- 
 drons, till it is fo far infpiffated as to be 
 of a folid confiilcnce when cold, and is, 
 in that (late, put into barrels, and em- 
 ployed by the iliip-buildcrs for different 
 purpoles: and fometimcs it is mixed with 
 a little water, and ftrongly (lirred and 
 mixed together, which changes it from 
 a dark to a whitilh colour, Ibmcwhat rc- 
 iembling wax, which forms the fubftance 
 conijuonly fold in the fliops by the name 
 o^^ llofitu There may likcwife be extracicd 
 
 from 
 
ON P L A N T I N G, tst 
 
 from it an eflential oil by diftillation ; buC 
 it is Co much inferior in quality to that ob- 
 tained from the fir or larix, as to be but 
 little regarded. It is known in France by 
 the name of Eau de rafe, 
 
 Thefe are all the fubftances which have 
 been hitherto extrafted from the pine by 
 incifion, in fuch quantities as to form any 
 fort of manufadure. But it is not to be 
 expelled, that, among the great diverfi* 
 ty of trees belonging to this clafs, there 
 fliould be no diverlity in the nature of 
 the juices that they afford, or the quanti- 
 ty they produce ; but as I have not been 
 able to get diftinc^ information concern- 
 ing this head, I muft content myfelf wicli 
 informing the reader, that it feems to be 
 agreed, that the large pine, with eatable 
 fruit, is improper for thefe purpofes : and 
 I much doubt if the Scots fir would an- 
 fwcr well. The kinds which are chiefly 
 employed in France and Spain, for thefe 
 
 purpofes, 
 
isz OBSERVATIONS 
 
 piirpoft's, are tlie Pinits maritima major, 
 DOD. vel pinits maritima prima, MATH, 
 and the pinus maritima minor^ C. B. P. Ic 
 is very probable, that fomc of the American 
 phics, as yet but little known, might af- 
 ford other kinds of rofin, or balfam, per- 
 haps in greater quantity, or of a finer 
 quality than that above dcfcribcd ; parti- 
 culary Lord Weymouth's pine, \vhicli 
 difcovers fome vefTels like veins in the 
 bark, filled with a ^nc relinous juice, the 
 ufcs of which have not as yet been difco- 
 vered. 
 
 Although the pine-tree will yield fome 
 refnious juice when very young ; yet they 
 feldom begin to extract: it from them till 
 they are eighteen or twenty years of age ; 
 for they are obferved to perifli very fooii 
 if thcv are opened before that period. 
 Such trees as grow upon rich ground 
 yield more juice than thcfe that grow up- 
 on a dry barren foil, although the wooJ 
 
ON PLANTING. 153 
 
 is of an inferior quality. A healthy pine, 
 of a proper age, will yield twelve or fif- 
 teen pounds of rofin each year *, and, if 
 properly managed, may continue to do fo 
 for fifteen or twenty years : nor is it found 
 that the wood of the tree is rendered 
 worfe for having the rofin extra^led from 
 it, fo that it may be then cut down, and 
 employed for the fame purpofes as if ic 
 had remained untouched. 
 
 It is from the pine only that tar is ex- 
 trad:ed ; and the fame kind of tree which 
 affords the rofin, by a different proccis, 
 affords this vifcid, oily, empyreumatic 
 fubdance, of fuch extenfive uie in many 
 arts and manufa(fiures ; but although the 
 fime trees afford both thefe fubftanccs, 
 yet it is found by experience, that fach 
 as have grown upon a dry, warm foil, 
 
 * Suppofe twelve pounds each tree, at i d. fer pound, 
 this, for 450 trees, amounts to 22 1. 10 s. per acre /^r 
 
 U and 
 
154 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 and have a firm rccklini wood, afford the 
 grcatefl proportion of tar ; whereas thofc 
 which grow upon a rich foil, and have a 
 (oft fpungy wood, yield the greatell quan- 
 tity of rofin : therefore a dry barren 
 foil will be niofl; proper in general for 
 the maniifaclure of tar ; whereas one of 
 a richer nature will atiord a greater quan- 
 tity of rolin : but thefe two inanufaflures 
 ought ever to go hand in hand, and on 
 no account be leparated from one another, 
 for many obvious reafons. 
 
 Either of thefe kinds of wood afford a 
 good charcoal ; and as it mufl be burnt 
 before cither the tar or charcoal can be 
 produced, they are often both obtained 
 by the fame operation ; but, according as 
 the one or the other is the principal obje(ft 
 attended to, the operation mufl be a little 
 varied. 
 
 If the fituation is fuch as to make 
 the tar the principal ohjcd of concern, 
 
 then 
 
ON PLANTING. 155 
 
 then it is proper to fplit the tfee, cutting 
 away the outer wliite wood, and only ta- 
 king the parts which are red, and full of 
 a fatty refinous juice, particularly the 
 knots and excrefcences where branches 
 have been cut off; and if the manufadlure 
 of rofin is carried on at the fame place, 
 the then lamince, cut off to refrefh the 
 wounds, ought to be carefully preferved, 
 as they afford a great proportion of tar. 
 Thefe picked pieces, when properly con- 
 fumed, yield a very large proportion of 
 tar of the very bed quality, ufually about 
 one-fourth of the weight of the whole 
 wood put into the furnace; but if the 
 charcoal becomes an objecl of confidera- 
 tion, then all the parts of the trunk are 
 employed indifcriminately, as well as the 
 branches; and even the roots are employ- 
 ed for this purpofe, as they are found to 
 yield it in confiderable quantities, efpecially 
 thofe of the trees that have previoufly af- 
 
 U 2 forded 
 
^56 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 forded rofin ; as the workmen in Pi oveuce 
 always imagine that thcle yield a larger 
 proportion than thofe of other trees. 
 
 In all cafes, it is eflbntially ncceflary for 
 this operation to have the wood alxjiit 
 hnlf dried ; therefore the workmen con- 
 tiiuic to fell the trees the whole year 
 round, in proportion as they need them ; 
 and when they are of a proper degree of 
 dryncl's, they are brought to the places 
 >vhcre thry are to be burnt ; there they 
 arc cut into lengths proportioned to the 
 fize of the kiln ; and the trunk and large 
 branches are divided into fmall billets of 
 an incli or two fcjuare. 
 
 The kilns in which they are burnt are 
 of different forms and fizcs in different 
 places ; but the mofl: nfual form is that 
 of an c^g placed upon its great endy and 
 the lize from five to ten feet in height, 
 with other dimcnfions in proportion to 
 the height. Tiie under part of the kiln 
 
 is 
 
ON PLANTING. 157 
 
 is always made of hevven ftone, and the 
 very bale ufually conflfts of one ftone 
 hollowed out in the infide, fo as to re- 
 femble the fliape of the under part of an 
 egg. About fix inches above the lowed 
 part of it, on one fide is made a hole 
 flanting dow nwards a litde, into which is 
 fitted a piece of an old gun-barrel, or 
 other hollow cylinder of iron ; and a little 
 above that is placed an iron-grate. The 
 hewed flones ufu^illy reach about one third 
 of the whole height ; and above that it is 
 formed ot brick or froaes, cemented with 
 well-wrought clay, and ciofely and coni- 
 padly built. 
 
 When the whole is ready, and the wood 
 cut, it is put into the kiln, laying one 
 flratum of the billets acrofs the grate, and 
 another acrofs thele, and io on to the top ; 
 taking care to arrange them as well as 
 poflTible, fo as that no vacancies may be 
 left. When it is filled to the top, a few 
 
 billets 
 
158 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 billets of dry wood are put upon it ; and 
 over the whole is placed fome flat ftones 
 made on purpofc, which join clofe toge- 
 ther, and fupport one another, leaving 
 only a fniall opening at the top, of five or 
 fix inches diameter : it is then lighted at 
 the top ; and when the dry wood is fufii- 
 ciently kindled, a flat ftone is applied to 
 the opening, fo as to damp the fire, and 
 make it burn flowly : for upon this article, 
 in a great meafure, depends the fuccefs of 
 the operation. The workmen by habit ac- 
 quire in time a great degree of accuracy 
 in this rcCpcfi ; and when they fee it burn- 
 ing too quick, they cover the joinings of 
 the flones with wet earth, which they take 
 care to have ready at hand for that pur- 
 pofc, and in this manner regulate the fire 
 till the whole of the tar is extra(fted ; after 
 w hich they cover the whole quite clofe up 
 till the fire is extinguifhed ; and when it 
 
 is 
 
ON PLANTING. 159 
 
 is cold they take out the charcoal, and 
 begin the fame operation anew. 
 
 During the courfe of the foregoing pro- 
 cefs, the tar (which is compofed of the ro- 
 fin and fap of the tree, melted by the heat 
 and mixed together) is forced to drop 
 down from the pieces of wood below the 
 fire, and falls to the bottom ; and after 
 having rifen as high as the hole in the 
 bottom of the kiln, it then flows out of the 
 tube into veflels placed without the kiln to 
 receive it ; from whence it is taken, and 
 put into barrels for fale. When they open 
 the furnace, they take care to coUetfb all 
 the foot which is found (licking to the flat 
 flones on the top, as well as on the infide 
 of the kiln, and put it into fmall barrels 
 for fale; this being the well-known fub- 
 ftance called lamp-black. 
 
 From a flight review of this article, it 
 will appear obvious, that few trees afford 
 a greater variety of ufeful produds than 
 
 the 
 
i6o OBSERVATIONS 
 
 the pine ; for, befides the value of the 
 wood, whlcli is coniiderable where there 
 is confiimpt tor it, the fdine tree may be 
 fiiccedively made to yield rofin, tar, and 
 pitch, lampblack and cbarcoaL 
 
 1 have never heard that tar has been ex- 
 traifted cither from the Jir or larix, al- 
 though, as I have ah*cady obicrvcd, fioni 
 the rcfinous nature of thefe trees, it fecms 
 probable that both of them might be made 
 to afford it in as great quantities as the 
 pine : nor have I been able to learn, whe- 
 ther any of the different kinds of pines 
 are incapable of being made to yield this 
 fubftancc in abundance ; and in particu- 
 lar, whether the Scots fir would be proper 
 for this ufc or not. 
 
 ACRICOLA. 
 
 LETTER 
 
LETTER Eighth. 
 
 The Method of making Pot afli. 
 
 SIR, July 25. 1771. 
 
 IN my former letters, I hope I demon- 
 flrated pretty clearly, that there are 
 few fituations fo unfavourable, in which 
 fome advantage might not be made of a 
 plantation of fome of the coniferous trees ; 
 but as thefe plantations in a fliort time de- 
 cay, and need renewing, I fliould think 
 that I left the fubjefl unfiniQied, if I did 
 not point out feveral other produds which 
 might be drawn from other kinds of trees, 
 of which confiderable profit might be made 
 even in the moft rr-mote fituation. 
 
 X Where 
 
i(>z OBSERVATIONS 
 
 Where wood can neither be fold in fub- 
 ftance, nor any advantage be made of it 
 when reduced to charcoal, we have it ftill 
 in our power to extra(^l: from it that ufeful 
 alkaline fait, known by the name of pot- 
 aj]); which is of fuch a value as eafily to 
 bear the expcnce of carriage from the 
 mofl remote and inacccfTible part of our 
 ifland, to the places where it may be fold, 
 and for which there is fuch a con flan t cn- 
 creafing demand, as prevents us from ha- 
 ving the fmallefl: fear of ever being able 
 to overflock the market ; but, on the con- 
 trary, as this is an article fo cilentially ne- 
 ctlTary for carrying on the flaple manufac- 
 ture of this part of the kingdom, there is 
 greater realbn to dread the want of a fuf- 
 ficicnt quantity to anfwer all our purpofes : 
 For fliould any mifunderftandingeverarifc 
 between us and tiiofe kingdoms from 
 whence we arc at prefent fupplied with 
 this article, it is difTicult to point out all 
 
 the 
 
ON PLANTING. 163 
 
 the bad efFeds that might accrue to the 
 nation on that account. Or even fuppo- 
 fing that this fhould not be the cafe, yet 
 k is not to be expeded, but that thofe 
 who funiidi us with it, will, fooner or 
 later, perceive, that it is an article that 
 we muji have, and confequently they will 
 raife the price of it as high as they pleafe, 
 (as it is well known the Dutch pradtife e- 
 very day with regard to flax), which would 
 produce a mifchief of fuch a ferious na- 
 ture, as ought ever to be guarded againfl 
 with the utmofl care, and therefore de- 
 ferves the attention of every weil-wifher 
 to his country. Now, as it is certain, that 
 Scotland might eafily produce as much 
 pot-afli as would not only be fufficient to 
 anfwer all the purpofes necefTary for car- 
 rying on its own manufac^lures, but alfo 
 fupply all England and Ireland with this 
 commodity, if one hundredth part of the 
 ground proper for this purpofe were ap- 
 
 X 2 propriated 
 
i(<4 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 propriated to that life, I mufl again re- 
 commend this flibjecfb to the attention of 
 ihofe gentlemen whofe cflatcs lie in the 
 inland and mountainous parts of the coun- 
 try, which are on that account incapable of 
 any other improvement ; and beg of them 
 to make fuch plantations as their foil, iitu- 
 ation, and convenicncy, may point out as 
 proper; in the full confidence that this 
 will more efFcclually improve their c- 
 flatcs, and better their fortunes, than 
 any other plan which they could poffibly 
 adopt. 
 
 It is found by experience, that almoU: 
 every tree, when properl) reduced to alli- 
 es, will aflbrd a certain proportion of 
 this alkaline fait; but fome yield it in 
 much larger proportions than others. 
 1 he refinous trees are, of all others, the 
 moll improper; which is the Icfs to be 
 regretted, as we have already fcen that 
 they can be of ufc in another way. AI- 
 
 moft 
 
©N PLANTING. 165 
 
 mofl: all the other trees, commonly known 
 by the name of barren timber ^ yield it in 
 confiderable proportions ; but the beech is 
 efteemed the beft of all for this purpole ; 
 and next to that the hornbeam. I cannot 
 pretend to point out exadlly the order 
 in which the other trees do follow thefe in 
 this refpe^l, not having any books at hand 
 which could direct me in the fearch : but 
 fuch of your readers as have an inclina-'* 
 tion to be better informed concerning this 
 article, may, it they chufe it, have re- 
 courfe to a curious memoir on this fub* 
 jecft, written by Mr Gsojrey, and publiflied 
 in the Memoirs of the Royal Academy of 
 Sciences at Paris, foine time between the 
 year 171 5 and 1720, or about that pe- 
 riod. I, for my own part, am but little 
 anxious about the refult of this inquiry, 
 being fully perfuaded, that no tree which 
 can be named could be preferred to the 
 beech ; as few, if any, trees thrive fo well 
 
 as 
 
i6(> OBSERVATIONS 
 
 as this on dry mountainous ground, in an 
 expofed fituation ; grow fo quickly, or 
 arrive at fuch a magnitude : On all which 
 accounts, it is the mofl: proper tree that 
 could be devifed for this purpofe. And, 
 from my own experience, I can aver, 
 that it thrives remarkably well when 
 planted among any trees of the conife- 
 rous tribe ; among which it ought always 
 to be planted, if it is intended for this 
 life ; becaufe, while it is advancing in mag- 
 nitude, the fir 'would yield its rofin ; and 
 when they arrived at a confiderable fize, 
 fb as to be crouding one another too 
 much, it would be time to cut out the re- 
 iinous trees for making tar, which would 
 give the beeches room to grow ; and by 
 the time that the whole of the rcfinous 
 trees were felled, they would be arrived at 
 a great ftaturc, and fit for making pot-aJJ?, 
 But although I recommend the beech'- 
 tree fo much for this particular purpofe, 
 
 let 
 
ON PLANTING. 167 
 
 let the young planter obferve, that this is 
 the only cafe in which this tree can be 
 planted, fo as to become more valuable 
 than any other ; becaufc, on account of 
 its brittle quality, the wood of the beech- 
 tree is not of fuch value for almofl: any 
 mechanical purpofe as fome other trees ; 
 the afh and ehn being tougher where 
 ftrength and elafticity are required, and 
 the oak and hornbeam harder, as well as 
 tougher, than it is. 
 
 The only art necefTary in making pot" 
 ajh is, to confume the wood with as little 
 flame as polTible, until it is reduced to 
 allies. For this purpofe, it is neceffary to 
 have a kind of kiln, fbmewhat refembling 
 that which is employed in making tar, al- 
 ready defcribed ; only it muft have air ad- 
 mitted during the operation, and there- 
 fore it muft not only be more open at top, 
 but alfo muft have an opening below, with 
 a door to fliut or open at pleafure, as cir- 
 
 cuniftances 
 
i68 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ciimflances may require. For if too little 
 air is admitted, the wood would only be 
 reduced to a charcoal, and not to aQies ; 
 and if too nuicii is admitted, fo as to make 
 it flame vigoroufly, it is found that the al- 
 kaline fait is in a great mcafure diffipated 
 during the operation, fo that the allies 
 thus obtained yield little or nothing. The 
 whole nicety of the operation, therefore, 
 depends on admitting jufl: enough of air 
 to confume the wood flowly, and reduce 
 it to afhes, and no more. 
 
 After the fire is extinguiflied, the aflics 
 are colle(ftcd, and put into tall cylindrical 
 veflels, and tramped quite clofe. Thefc 
 vefTels arc then placed above one another ; 
 the bottom of each being pierced full of 
 fmall holes, ormadeof balket-work, to allow 
 it to filtre freely. Water is then poured gen- 
 tly upon the uppermoft, which fmks gradu- 
 ally among the aQics, and in its courfe dif- 
 folves and carries along with it the alka- 
 line 
 
ON PLANTING. 169 
 
 line fait with which the aflies were luipreg- 
 nated ; and having pafTed through the np- 
 permoft vefTel, it falls into the fecond, 
 and carries off a greater portion of alkali ; 
 and fo on to a third, or fourth, or more, 
 till, upon trial, they find that their //>, as 
 it is now called, is of a fufiicient degree 
 of ftrength. FreQi water is ftill poured 
 upon the aflies, till it comes from the firfl 
 veflel pure and taflelefs, which is then re- 
 moved, and the fecond becomes the upper- 
 niofl; another frefli veflel being placed be^ 
 low inftead of the one that is removed ; 
 and when the fecond tranfmits the water 
 pure, it is removed in its turn, as is the 
 third and fourth ; and fo on ad infinitum. 
 The lie being thus obtained of a fuffi- 
 cient flrengdi, may be employed without 
 any further operation, if a manufacture of 
 foap, or any oLJier in which this falc is em- 
 ployed, be carried on in tlie neighbour- 
 hood; but if it is to be tranfported to a 
 
 Y diflanD 
 
170 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 diflant market, it is neccflary to reduce 
 the lak to a rolid ftatc, by evaporating the 
 vater from ii. Many contrivances have 
 been fallen upon to facilitate this opera- 
 tion, which it would be fupertluous for 
 me here to enumerate, as it is univerfally 
 allowed, that the befl: method is to boil it 
 llowly over the fire in the ordinary way, 
 till the moillure is all exhaled ; and when 
 the fait is dry, barrel it clofc up imme- 
 diately, before it can have time to imbibe 
 the moifture from the air, which it always 
 docs with great avidity.— Such is the ope- 
 ration for obtaining this ufeful fubflance ; 
 by means ot which, wood, in the moft in- 
 acceffible corner of the country, may be 
 made to turn out to great account. If this 
 account ihall induce anv, whofe interefl: it 
 may be, to turn their attention to this fub- 
 jed, it will give a fenfible pleafure to 
 
 Agricola. 
 
 ' LETTER 
 
LETTER Ninth. 
 
 Of the Sugar-maple-^M^r/^oi of extraBing 
 its Juice ; and of other SacclMvine 'Juices 
 of Trees* 
 
 SIR, Aiiguft i» 1771. 
 
 FEW fubjecfiis afford a more ample field 
 for contemplation, or a more inno- 
 cent recreation for the mind, than the 
 ftudy of the nature and properties of the 
 vegetable kingdom. Chance has difcover- 
 ed fome of the properties of thefe, and 
 the invention of man hath been able to 
 turn fome of thofe difcoveries to the mofl 
 valuable purpofes in life ; yet when we 
 examine this fubjecft with attention, it 
 
 Y 2 does 
 
172 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 does not fecm to be cxliauficcl, as wc find 
 many objcds relating to it, which bid fair 
 for being extremely ufeful to mankind, 
 that have never yet been examined at all. 
 If we look around us in the world, and 
 compare different countries with one an- 
 other, and with ourfelves in this refpe(^V, 
 we will foon difcover, that, on many oc- 
 cafions, one nation, or even a part of a 
 nation, employs, for the moft valuable 
 purpofes in fife, certain trees or plants 
 which are negleded and defpifed by o- 
 thers, although the fubjeels which atford 
 them are daily before their eyes and in 
 their hands. How many countries in Eu- 
 rope are deflitute of many of the vegetable 
 produ^^ls I have mentioned in this feries 
 of letters, and are obliged to import them, 
 at a confiderable expencc, fi'om others, 
 while the very trees that afford them are 
 rotting at their doors, and little or no ufc 
 is made of them^ After this, need we be 
 
 furpri fed 
 
ON PLANTING. 173 
 
 furprifed to find, that fome countries 
 fliould produce vegetables which may be 
 pofTeiFed of ineftiniable properties, of which 
 the inhabitants, or even the whole v.orld, 
 may as yet be entirely ignorant ? How 
 long was mankind acquainted with tlie 
 fugar-cane before they knew all the valu- 
 able fubftances that might be extrad:ed 
 from it ? and how many nations at this 
 day produce the mofl excellent grapes, of 
 which the inhabitants know no other ufe 
 but to employ them as a refrefliing fruit ? 
 Even the Chinele themfelves, who boall 
 fo much of their inventions, and excel in 
 feveral other arts, although as fond of the 
 fermented juice when it is given them as 
 any of their neighbours, and althougli 
 they have the fruits which afford it grow- 
 ing to perfe^lion in every corner of their 
 country, are to this hour ignorant of the 
 manner of making wine for themfelves, 
 although the miflionaries have made it 
 
 among 
 
174 OBS ER VATIONS 
 
 among them for near two hundred years. 
 Seeing then that this is the cafe, even 
 Avith regard to things whofc qualities havd 
 been ah-eady difcovered, and that man- 
 kind are fo How in adopting Icllons which 
 are given them by others, can we be fur- 
 prifed if ihey have totally overlooked 
 many qualities which trees and other 
 plants may as yet be pofllired of, about 
 the nature of which we may now be to- 
 tally ignorant, although time may per-" 
 haps, on fome future occafion, difcover 
 them to fome diligent inquirers? It is 
 therefore our duty, as real'onable beings, 
 to pay fome attention to the objetls which 
 are daily under our hands, and endeavour 
 to difcover the properties of which they 
 may be pofl'cdcd, by trying fuch experi- 
 ments as we eafily can upon thefe fub- 
 jc(^s which have not hitherto been fuffi- 
 ciently examined ; but efpecially upon 
 thofe^ which, from any fort of analogy 
 
 with 
 
ON PLANTING. 175 
 
 with others whole properties may be al- 
 ready known, give us the faireft profped: 
 of fucceeding. 
 
 I might point out many fubjecfts in the 
 vegetable kingdom, which would merit 
 our particular attention; but as I have all 
 along confined myfelf to the produce of 
 harren timber alone, I (hall not here confi- 
 der any other vegetable whatever. It is 
 well known, that fome trees yield a juice, 
 when properly treated, which is of confi- 
 dcrable value, and much efteemed by thoie 
 who are acquainted with it ; and as this is 
 the cafe with fome trees, whofe external 
 appearance denote nothing particular, this 
 naturally might make us imagine, that it 
 is poflTible the juices of fome other trees 
 mieht be of ufe in the fame or fome other 
 refpec^ ; and as the experiment can be 
 tried with fo little trouble or expence, we 
 would naturally have imagined, that a 
 very few years after the difcovery of this 
 
 property 
 
176 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 property of the juice of fome trees, the qua- 
 lities of tlic juice of every tree produced 
 ill this country, and the various ufcs to 
 which it might have been applied in me- 
 dicine or arts, would have been fufficient 
 to have afcertaincd, with the utmofl: pre- 
 cifion ; and yet the reader mufl: be con- 
 fcious to himfclf, that unlefs it is the fu- 
 gar-tnapk and the birc/j-ireCy he has hardly 
 heard of any other that ever has been ex- 
 amined with this view. And as it is pof- 
 fible he may not even have heard of thele, 
 or may not perhaps have heard diftindly 
 of the manner in which they arc extra(ft- 
 ed, or the ufes to which they may be ap- 
 plied, I Ihall briefly explain a few of the 
 particulars relating to it which have come 
 to my knowledge. 
 
 There is found in North-America a cer- 
 tain fpecies of maple, upon which the na- 
 tives have bellowed the name of ihefugar- 
 maple f bccaufe from it they cxtra<^ a juice 
 
 whicli 
 
ON PLANTING. 177 
 
 which yields a perfecfl: fugar when evapo- 
 rated, which the inhabitants of Canada 
 employ for every purpofe that would 
 require fugar, and for many ufcs prefer 
 it even to that extratfled from the fu2;ar- 
 cane. The method of obtaining the juice, 
 and preparing tlie fugar, is as follows. 
 
 The Canadians extract this juice from 
 two kinds of maple, one of which great- 
 ly refembles our plane or J)camore^ which 
 is likewife known by the name of plane 
 with them ; the other has a fmallcr leaf, 
 more refembling that of the lefTer maple, 
 and is called by them the fugar-maple. 
 They diltiogulQi the fugar made from 
 thefe two trees, calling one the fugar of 
 maple i and the other the fugar of plane • 
 The juice is obtained from both of thefe 
 trees by the fame operation ; which is by 
 boring a hole in the under part of the 
 tree, penetrating into the heart of it, and 
 flanting a little upward, that the juice 
 
 % may 
 
178 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 may flow out of it with the greater cafe r 
 and at the mouth of the hole they fix a 
 chip of bark, or fmall wooden funnel, 
 to dirccl it into a veflxjl placed below to 
 receive it. 
 
 As it is found by experience, that the 
 tree alFords no juice in the fumnicr-leafon 
 ^vhcn in full fap, it being always obferved 
 to flop from flowing when the buds begin 
 to Iwcll, and the bark feparatc from the 
 wood, they make their incifions during 
 the wintcr-feafon, between November and 
 ilT^)'. But as the winters are exceedingly 
 fevcre in that climate, and as they oblerve 
 that the tree yields no juice but during 
 the time of thaw, they generally obtain 
 very little till the firft o^ March ; on which 
 account manv of them do not make the 
 holes in the trees till that time : and as ic 
 always yields moft juice when the weather 
 is warmeft, they ufually make thefe holes 
 upon the flinny-fidc of the tree. 
 
 From 
 
ON PLANTING. 179 
 
 From the beginning of March till the 
 middle of Ma^ is the principal feafon for 
 collecting this juice ; and during that time 
 it often flows in fuch abundance as to run 
 in a continued ftream, which is fome- 
 times as large as would fill a writing-quill, 
 and will fill a Paris pint-jug in a quarter 
 of an hour: from whence it may be in 
 fome meafure gueffed what quantity will 
 be yielded by one tree in a feafon, and 
 the fugar that may be extracted from it, 
 as it is ufually computed that twenty pints 
 of juice will yield a pound of fugar *. 
 
 The 
 
 * If, with a view to make a calculation of the profits 
 that might be reaped from this article, we fuppofe, that 
 inftead of running one pint in a quarter of an hour, it 
 fliould at a medium run only one pint in four hours, this 
 would be fix pints in twenty-four hours ; and if we fup- 
 pofe that the feafon for colleding it fhould only be fixty, 
 inftead of feventy-five days, the whole quantity collected in 
 a feafon from one tree would be 360 pints, which, at the 
 ordinary proportion, would yield eighteen pounds of fu. 
 gar, which, at 6d. /fr pound, amounts tu 9 s. fterling. 
 
 Z 2 Now, 
 
iSo OBSERVATIONS 
 
 The juice, as it flows from the tree, is 
 clear and linnyid as the piirefl water, cool 
 and rcfrcniing to the tafte, leaving upon 
 tlie jKilaLe an agreeable fwectiOi taflc, that 
 from the maple being fweeter than the 
 -plane, but the juice of the plane more a- 
 grecablc than that from the maple. If the 
 juice is drank as it comes from the tree, it 
 is extrcn^ely wholefome, never occalion- 
 ing the fmallcfl inconvenience, not even 
 ^^ hen drank by a perfon extremely warm. 
 
 Now, as an acre of ground will contain 540 trees, if plant- 
 ed at ten feet diftance from each other, if we were to fup- 
 pofe that each of thefe fliould yield the fame, the value of 
 an acre would be 243 1. fterling per annum ; but if it (hould 
 be thought that thefe trees would be too clofc upon one an- 
 other, on that account we fliall fuppofe them planted at the 
 diftancc of twenty feet ; ftill the value in this cafe would 
 amount to upwards of 60 1. fterling per annum ; which is 
 a profit fo immenfe as can fcarce be believed pofTiblcj yet 
 as the above fa^s are related by Mr Du-Hutnel, (fee his 
 Trait e des Jrbres et Arbujles, article acer), it mud be 
 fuppofcd that they are founded upon fafts, and clearly 
 prove that the profit might become very confiderable. 
 
 and 
 
ON PLANTING. i8r 
 
 and covered over ^vith Iweat. Towards 
 the end of the fealbn, however, when the 
 fap begins to afcend, this iligary juice ac- 
 quires a kind of herbaceous tafte, which 
 renders it far lefs agreeable ; nor is it fo 
 eafily evaporated to drynefs as before, and 
 therefore ought to be fet apart for inferior 
 ufes. 
 
 After a fufficient quantity of this juice 
 is obtained, it is put into large caldrons, 
 and boiled upon the fire, to evaporate the 
 moidure ; the perfon who has the charge 
 of it being very careful to ftir it during 
 the whole time ; but more efpecially to- 
 wards the end of the operation, to pre- 
 vent it from acquiring a burnt tafte, which 
 it nioft certainly would do if this opera- 
 lion was omitted; they likewife take care 
 to {kim off from time to time any impuri- 
 ties which may arife on the furface. When 
 it hath acquired the confiftence of a thick 
 fyrup, it is taken from the fire, and put 
 
 into 
 
x82 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 into moulds, in which it gradually hard- 
 ens as it cools, and becomes at length a 
 reddifli brown fugar, extremely agreeable 
 to the tafte, if it has not been too long 
 kept upon the fire during the operation ; 
 but if that has been the cafe, it acquires a 
 tafte fomewhat refembling that of melaf- 
 fcs, which is far from being agreeable. 
 
 As I once obtained a fmall quantity of 
 this fugar, by the favour ot a triend who 
 came from Canada, I doubt not but your 
 readers will be better pleafed with a de- 
 fcription of that as it appeared to me, than 
 any other that I might copy from other 
 writers. It was in the form of a pretty 
 large thin cake, of a reddilh brown co- 
 lour, and femi-tranfparent ; in this parti- 
 cular nearly refembling brown fugar-can- 
 dy ; only it was of an uniform texture 
 throughout, and muchfofter, and more unc- 
 tuous to the touch than any kind of fugar 
 with which I am acquainted : it is likewife 
 
 extremely 
 
ON PLANTING. 183 
 
 extremely apt to attrad moifture from the 
 air, fo as readily to deliquefce, or run into 
 a fyrup, if not kept in a very dry place ; 
 but the fyrup is not fb adhefive or glue^j 
 as that of common brown fugar ; and 
 the lumps are eafily broken, like fugar- 
 tablets. With refpc(fi: to tafte, it feems to 
 have far lefs of that acid quality which af- 
 feds the throat with a fort of fiery rough- 
 nefs, than any other kind of fugar; be- 
 ing more mild and bland, and having a 
 mod agreeable balfamic fweetnefs. It is 
 greatly recommended in all the places 
 where it is known, as of great u(e in 
 colds, being extremely mild and foften- 
 ing for the bread. I employed it for that 
 purpofc with myfelf and fome others, and 
 all of us thought that it well deferved 
 the character it had obtained ; but whe- 
 ther our imagination might not, on ac- 
 count of its novelty, help to make us at- 
 tribute to it greater effeds than it really 
 
 deferved. 
 
i84 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 defcrved, I \vill not pretend to lay: ac 
 any rate, I think it is tally as agreeable as 
 any other kind of fugar ; and if it were 
 refined, it would probably be more fo, the 
 inhabitants in that country being content 
 with it in its firft ftatc, without fceking 
 to refine it, excepting that in fome cafes 
 they clarify the (yrup with whites of eggs, 
 which renders it more beautiful and plea- 
 fan t. 
 
 A tree will continue to yield juice for 
 a very long time, without being in any 
 meafure hurt by it, if only one hole is 
 made at a time; but if too great a num- 
 ber arc opened at once, it hurts the tree 
 a good deal, and Ibmctimes makes it even 
 perifli entirely. It is always ncccfTary to 
 make a frcfh hole each year, as there is ne- 
 ver any juice flows from it but that year 
 when it is m:ulc. Young trees aftbrd a 
 greater quantity of juice, but that obtained 
 
 from 
 
ON PLANTING. 185 
 
 from old trees is of a richer qualitjt and 
 yields a greater proportion of fngar. 
 
 Such is the method of obtaining, and 
 fuch the quality of the juice of the maple. 
 With regard to the birch, it yields its 
 juice in the fame manner as the other; 
 but I never have heard that fugar has 
 been hitherto extra(iied from it. Whe- 
 ther this is becaufe it is incapable of be- 
 ing made to yield this, or becaufe it 
 never hath been fairly tried, I cannot fay, 
 as I myfelf have never had an opportuni- 
 ty of examining this fo particularly as the 
 importance of the fubjecl would feem to 
 deferve. But however that may be, it is 
 certain that it has been hitherto only em- 
 ployed as a pleafant cooling drink, which 
 almoft every one who has ever tailed it is 
 exceedingly fond of, defcribing the tafte 
 of it nearly in the fame terms as the Ca- 
 nadians defcribe that of the maple-juice, 
 faying, that it has a pleafing fweetnefs, 
 
 A a with 
 
iS6 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 M'kli a rcfrcfliing coolncfs, (b as to be as 
 agreeable as can well be imagined. 
 
 I have not heard that either the hirch' 
 luinc, (as it is commonly called), or the 
 maple-juice, has ever been fermented, al- 
 though there is the highefl probability that 
 either of thefe would afford a vinous li- 
 quor of a very refrefliing kind, if they 
 were fubjcL^ed to this operation ; nor can 
 there be any doubt, but that they would 
 be fufceptible of fermentation by a proper 
 management, as it is now fufficiently well 
 known, that every faccharine juice is na- 
 turally difpoled to run into the vinous 
 fermentation, if put into proper circum- 
 llances. I would therefore recommend it 
 to thofe who may have a proper opportu- 
 nity of doing it, to try this, feeing it is 
 fo highly probable that they may thus ob- 
 tain a wine of a very pleafant kind, at a 
 very moderate expence. The probability 
 indeed is, that this juice would be fo 
 
 ' much 
 
ON PLANTING. 187 
 
 much diluted as to be incapable of afford- 
 ing a wine of a flrong body ; but this de- 
 fe6l might be in fome meafure remedied, 
 either by boiling the juice for fome time 
 before it was fermented, or by adding a 
 little fugar to it to render it richer, which 
 feems to be the mod eligible method ; as it 
 is always found, that much boiling checks 
 fermentation extremely on all occafions. 
 Where a more ordinary fort of drink were 
 wanted, it might be made by the help of 
 a little melaffes, or even malt, in very 
 fmall proportions, might be employed for 
 the fame purpofe. 
 
 It is a pity that we are as yet fo little 
 acquainted with the fugar-maple of Ame- 
 rica ; and it were to be wiflied, that thofe 
 perfons who are employed to colled: Ame- 
 rican feeds for fuch gentlemen as fubfcribe 
 for that purpofe, were ordered to fend o- 
 ver a much larger quantity of the feeds 
 of this and other ufeful trees, than they 
 
 A a a ufually 
 
i83 O BS ER VATION S 
 
 iifually do, which would be of greater u- 
 tility to the nation than that indilciimi- 
 iiate nictiiod that Teems to be obferved 
 at prclcnt by thole gentlemen, who feeni 
 to lend as large quantities of tiie feeds of 
 ufflcfs, as of valuable plants and trees. If 
 this were done, we might, at a very mo- 
 derate expencc, get over fuch large quan- 
 tities of thcfe feeds as would render the 
 trees much more common here than they 
 are at prefent : and as it is not to be 
 doubted but they would thrive, we might 
 in a (hort time encreafe them to fuch a 
 degree as to reap confiderable advantages 
 from them. 
 
 In the mean time, let us try if any other 
 tree can be found which will yield a juice 
 that might be employed for funilar pur- 
 poles; and as it is found that trees of the 
 ia:ne clafs are very often poifcired of fimi- 
 lar qualities, let us begin our experiments 
 ^^ith the common maple, ufually called 
 
ON PLANTING. 189 
 
 plane-treey and the alder or aller, as it is 
 commonly called. The firft of thefe is fo 
 nearly allied to the maple, as to render it 
 extremely probable that it will yield a 
 juice in fome refpefls refembling it ; and 
 the fecond being of the fame family with 
 the birchi may very probably be pofTefled 
 of virtues fomewhat finiilar to it *. Next 
 
 to 
 
 * I never have heard that any experiment has ever been 
 made upon tlie juice of the alder ; bat I find, by confuliing 
 Ibmc old writers, that the juice of the ^lane-tree has beea 
 fometimes tried with this view, and found to be fully as 
 good as that of the birch-tree. As I had an opportunity 
 laft fpring, I caufed one or two fmall plane-trees to be bo- 
 xed, and obtained from them a confiderable quantity of the 
 juice, which had a pleafant fweetilh talte as it came from 
 the tree. I evaporated a little of this, which foon became as 
 fweet as a thin fyrup of fugar, and was very pleafant. I in- 
 tended to have tried to brmgit toa folid fugar, to have fer- 
 mented it alone, and with fugar, melafles and barley, all fepa- 
 rate from each other ; but being unluckily engaged very much 
 in other affairs, and called from home, thefe experiments 
 •were neglected ; but from the little that I tried, I had very 
 good reafon to hope for a favourable conclufion from them. 
 
 A 
 
190 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 to thele the oak claims our attention ; for 
 every one knows that the leaves of this 
 tree, in the end of May or beginning of 
 June, are very frequently covered over 
 in the morning with a thick clammy fub- 
 ftance, remarkably fweet to the tafte. 
 Whedier the juice would be of the fame 
 nature or not, experience alone fliould 
 determine. The beech and elm Icem like- 
 wife to be impregnated with a mild and 
 
 A confiderable quantity of the juice was put by in bottles, 
 •which were left unftopped; and upon examining the liquor 
 now, (June 26.), I find, that inftcad of being vapid or 
 mufty, as I expcded, it has now acquired a pleafant acid 
 tafte ; which plainly fhows that it mud have undergone 
 the vinous fermentation, although it could not be expcded, 
 that in thefe unfavourable circuniftances it could have re- 
 mained long in the vinous, but mufl have quickly hurried 
 forward to the acetous ftate. I intend to repeat my ex|)C- 
 riments next year ; and if any of uiy readers fhould, from 
 thefe hints, be induced to try the fame, I muft caution them 
 againft ufmg earthen vcflcis of any fort for colleding the 
 juice at the tree; for as thefe mull be left abroad all night, 
 they run a great rifle of being broke if it ftiould come a 
 froft before morning, as I have experienced to my coft. 
 
 bland 
 
ON PLANTING. 
 
 19T 
 
 bland juice *, and ilierefore defervc our 
 attention. In lliort, as it is impoflible a 
 "priori to determine what may be the cafe 
 with regard to any tree, it is proper that 
 they fliould all be particularly examined ; 
 and after this is done in a fair and fa- 
 tisfadory manner, we will at lead be cer- 
 tain that we do not lofe through negli- 
 gence any thing that could be of ufe to 
 us : and it is highly probable, that by a 
 
 * I am fenfible that fome of the trees above mentioned 
 do not bleed in the fpring when wounded, like the hirch and 
 maple ; and therefore their juices, if obtained at all, would 
 require to be collected in a manner different from that 
 which is pradifed with regard to thefe. What that parti- 
 cular method may be, or whether any method already has 
 been, or ever will be, difcovered for doing this, I cannot fay ; 
 but we have already feen, that every one of the coniferous 
 trees affords fome kind of refinous juice, although this 
 muft be extradcd from each particular kind of tree by a 
 different procefs ; and it is not Impoflible but that there 
 may be other methods of obtaining the juices from fome 
 particular kinds of deciduous trees, different from that 
 which has been hitherto pradifed. 
 
 careful 
 
192 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 careful examination of this fubjccV, wc 
 might make feme difcoveries which woulci 
 be of real confequcnce to ourfelvcs and 
 the community, of which we are a part; 
 which, if it could be accompliflied, would 
 afford a fenfible pleafure to 
 
 Agricola. 
 
 •»• I find that the Canadians Hkcwife obtain a fugar 
 from a particular kind of Walnul-tret. This ought to be 
 an additional incitement to our induflry. 
 
 LETTER 
 
LETTER Tenth. 
 
 Of the Bark of the Oak, and other Trees 
 ivhich can he of Ufe in Arts, &c. 
 
 SIR, ^^g^^ft 22. 1771. 
 
 NOT only the wood, the aflies, and 
 the native juices, but even the bark 
 of trees, is, on many accounts, of lingu- 
 lar ufe to mankind, and may, on many 
 occafions, yield a very confiderable reve- 
 nue to the planter. Not to mention the 
 different kinds of bark, which are of ufe 
 in medicine or d^ingy I (liall here chiefly 
 confine myfelf to take notice of thofe 
 kinds which are employed for tanning lea- 
 ther, as this is the only manufadure which 
 
 B b could 
 
194 
 
 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 could confume Co much as to become of 
 confequcncc to ihe improver. 
 
 The only tree, whofe bark is univerfally 
 employed for this purpofc, is the oak ; 
 but there are many others \vhich are n(cd 
 for the fame purpofe in different parts of 
 the globe ; and probably there are many 
 more that might be of great utility in 
 this way, which have not hitherto been 
 examined. I have already obferved, that 
 the bark of the young larix is faid to be 
 employed for this purpofc in thofe parts of 
 the /lips where this kind of tree is mod 
 commonly cultivated : It is likcwife aflert- 
 ed, that the fime ufe is made of the bark of 
 the pinc-trcc ; and, in feveral parts of Ger- 
 maii'j and America^ it is likewifc faid, that 
 the fprucc'fir is employed for the fame pur- 
 pofes. The fime may be faid of the al- 
 der, the fumachy and the con'arin, or myr- 
 tle-lcaved fumachy which is eflecmed pre- 
 ferable to the oak: but as I have never 
 
 heard 
 
ON PLANTING. 195 
 
 heard of any of thefe having been tried ia 
 this ifland with that accuracy that would 
 be neceflary, I know not exaclily how 
 much credit is to be given to thefe re- 
 ports. Be this, however, as it may, it is 
 certain, that, in feveral parts of Britain, 
 the bark of the birch-tree is as conllantly 
 ufed for tanning leather as that of the oaky 
 and fells at nearly as high a price * ; while, 
 at the fame time that this is done in one 
 corner of our fmall ifland, the ufe of the 
 bark of this tree is fo little known in other 
 parts of it, that I fliould not be furprifed 
 if fome of my readers fliould doubt the 
 fa6l, and laugh at my credulity for belie- 
 ving it ; however, if any of thefe fliould 
 chance to be acquainted with the Earl of 
 Jboyfie, let them aflc at him, whether he 
 makes any profit from this article ; who 
 
 * The common price is 10 s. per boll, reckoning eighteen 
 ftone-weight, Amfterdam, a-boll. 
 
 B b 2 will 
 
196 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 will Toon latisfy them of the truth of what 
 I now advance. 
 
 It is really furprifing that mankind 
 fliould, in many cafes, be fo flow to open 
 tlicir eyes to their own intereft. One would 
 naturally have imagined that the high 
 price o^ oak-bark in this country, and the 
 very great difficulty of procuring it in 
 many places, would have long ago indu- 
 ced ionic pcrlbn of enterprize to have tried 
 if any other fubftance could be found that 
 would anfwer as a fuccedanewn to it; but 
 unlefs it befomc hints that we have lately 
 feen in the news-papers, that Dr M'BriJe 
 in Ireland had made fome capital difcover- 
 ies on this head, I have never heard that 
 any perfon has attended to it in the leaft. 
 What thcfc difcoveries of his may be, the 
 public are not as yet informed ; but if it 
 be really true that this ingenious gentle- 
 man has turned his attention to this fub- 
 jcct, and fcrioufly made any experiment 
 
 upon 
 
ON PLANTING. 197 
 
 upon it, I have not the fmallefl: doubt but 
 that he mufl: have difcovered fome things 
 that would be new to us, and of confe- 
 quence to the public, as there is undoubt- 
 edly a great variety of vegetables that 
 are pofTefTed of the fame quality by which 
 the oak becomes of ule to the tanner ; al- 
 though, perhaps, thefe may pofTefs it in 
 very different degrees, fome more, and o- 
 thers lefs powerfully than the oak. 
 
 To point out all the vegetables which 
 may have a chance of being ufeful in this 
 refpedi, would be, in fome meafure, fo- 
 reign to my prefent purpofe, as well as 
 beyond my power to perform, feeing that 
 I have never been in a lituation that 
 enabled me to profecute any experi- 
 ments on this fubjed:; yet, in order to 
 give fome affiftance to fuch as may have 
 inclination and convenience to profecute 
 this ftudy, I fhall beg leave to inform 
 them, that there is the highefl: rcafon to 
 
 think, 
 
198 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 think, that the bark of tlie grcatefl: num- 
 ber of trees or flirubs that are known, 
 might be oijofue life in this refpe<5l ; — for, 
 as the oak'bark is ufeful in tanning, only 
 bccaufe of its afiringent quality, which 
 helps to contraci the pores of the leather, 
 and make it impervious to moifture, we 
 may naturally conclude that every other 
 vegetable that is pofTeflctl of an aftrin- 
 gent quality, will be ofufc in this refpecft, 
 in proportion to its degree of allringcncy ; 
 and, as this is a quality for which the bark 
 of trees /// general are peculiarly remark- 
 able (as there are very few which do not 
 poflefs it in a lelFer or greater degree), we 
 ought to try to difcover the degree of allrin- 
 gcncy that the bark of every kind of com- 
 mon tree poircflcs, and compare it with 
 that of thf oak ; which would Ihew at once 
 the comparative value of each of thefe in 
 this relpccl. Now, as it is by means of 
 this fame aftringent quality that vegetables 
 
 become 
 
0N PLANTING. 199 
 
 become fitted to ftrick a black colour with 
 vitriol of iron, we are farniflied with a 
 ready mean of difcovering the degree of 
 this quality by the dcepnefs of the colour, 
 that an extracl of any bark in water 
 gives, when mixed with a folution of vi- 
 triol ; and may fafely conclude, that every 
 fubftance which can be employell by the 
 d^er to produce a black colour, would 
 like wile be of very great utility to the tati' 
 ner: And although the gall-nut, fo necef- 
 fary to the dyer, could never be produced 
 in quantities fufficient to be of any ufe ia 
 tanning ; yet as the oak-bark, fo univer- 
 fally ufed by the tanner, does not feem to 
 be fufEciently aftringent for the purpoles 
 of the dyer, while fiimach is every day 
 employed by the latter, %ve ought to con- 
 clude, that this would be of greater power 
 in tanning than the bark itfelf. The fame 
 might be faid of the bark of many other 
 trees, which are found to be ufeful in dy- 
 ing? 
 
200 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ing ; fucli ns the nUcrf the leaves and 
 bark of the walnut , the a/I.^rree, the pear- 
 rrcfy and many others, which evidently 
 difcover, by the flightefl: trials, a confider* 
 able degree of aflringency, and therefore 
 deferve to be particularly examined ; and 
 among thefe, feveral fjiecies of the tribe 
 of luillo'lvs bid fair to hold a diflinguiflicd 
 place. What a pity Is it then, that this 
 nicful inquiry Oiould have been fo much 
 neglecfled? more efpecially when we con- 
 fider, that the method required for afccr- 
 taining the degree of this quality is Co 
 iimplc, and for the purpofc of the tanner, 
 at tlie fame time fo exac'l : I fay, for the 
 pirpofc of the tannery exafl ; becaulc, how- 
 ever imperfect every chemical analyfis, e- 
 ven the mofl: fimplc, mufl be for difco- 
 vering the medical properties of bodies ; 
 which, when applied to the human frame, 
 that wonderful nice machine, compofcd 
 of fuch an immenfe variety of tubes and 
 
 fluids 
 
ON PLANTING. i(^ 
 
 fluids circulacing through thcfe, and poC- 
 fefTed of that delicate fenfibility peculiar 
 to animal life, by which the vital powers 
 are often difturbed from caufcs impercep- 
 tible even to the fenfes themfclves ; when 
 thefe, I fay, are applied to this exceeding 
 delicate frame, their latent and impercep- 
 tible qualities very often difturb the ani- 
 mal oeconomy fo much, as to counterba- 
 lance the effedls which we might have ex- 
 pecfled from their other more powerful 
 and perceptible properties. But, however 
 cautious the phyfician ought to be in truft- 
 ing to his experiments, it feems probable 
 that the tanner may proceed with greater 
 boldnefs and confidence ; for as all his o- 
 perations are confined to the lifelefs ani- 
 mal fibre, which is incapable of any de- 
 gree of irritability, he may rationally con- 
 elude, that it can only be by the mofl 
 ftrong and obvious properties that they 
 can produce any effeft at all; and that 
 
 C c the 
 
102 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 the more latent and imperceptible quali- 
 ties which they may be pofTcfTed of, may 
 be in a great degree, if not entirely, dif- 
 regarded by him, fo that he may in a 
 great meafure reft fatisfied, that fuch fub- 
 flances as dilcover the marks of aftrin- 
 gency by the ufual chemical tefts applied 
 for this purpofe, will be ufcful to him in 
 proportion to the degree of it which they 
 difcovcr. 
 
 With this view, then, let him take a 
 fmall quantity of the dried bark of the 
 oak, and an equal quantity of the dried 
 bark of any other tree that he would wiQi 
 to examine ; infufe each of thefe for an 
 equal length of time in an equal quantity 
 of water taken from the fame place; then 
 take an equal quantity of each of thefe 
 folutions, and put them into tranfparcnt 
 glafs-vellcls of the fame fize and form, 
 and dropping into each of thefe a drop 
 or two of the fuhition of green vitriol, if 
 
 they 
 
ON PLANTING. 203 
 
 they are polTefTed of any degree of aflrin- 
 gency, it will be immediately changed in- 
 to a bluifh-coloured liquor, and the deep- 
 nels of the tinge which each takes will in 
 fbme degree point out the proportional 
 aftringency of each. 
 
 After he has thus difcovered which of 
 them promife bed, he may dien try them 
 upon leather ; and a very little attention 
 will difcover whether they will anfwer his 
 purpofe or not. 
 
 If any of my learned readers have ac- 
 cefs to Dr Prieftly's Eflays, he will there 
 find many experiments made upon this 
 fubje^l with a medical view, which may 
 be of much greater ufe to /;/;«, when con- 
 fidered in this light, than they can be of 
 to the phyfician. 
 
 I might here mention feveral other 
 kinds of bark which are employed for 
 many valuable purpofes, particularly that 
 of the Canadian birc/Hree, fo ufeful tor 
 
 C c 2 conftrucfting 
 
 n 
 
204 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 conftruc^ing thcfe light canoes fo much 
 employed by the Americans. I might here 
 alfo take notice of the nfe which they make 
 of the bark of the fame tree in Siberia 
 and other northern countries, for cover- 
 ings to their houfes, 6cc. ; but as I am but 
 little acquainted with the manner in which 
 thefe are employed, and think that there 
 is little chance of their being much em- 
 ployed in either of thele ways in Britain, 
 I fliall not tire the reader by infilling any 
 further upon them here. 
 
 Perhaps fome may tiiink, that the fame 
 excufe will not be admitted with regard to 
 the cotk-trecj whofe bark is of fucli cxten- 
 jive ufe, and for which fuch large fums of 
 money are fent out of this country every 
 year. But although it is probable that c- 
 vcry tree which can furvive the winter- 
 cold in France, will do the fame in Bri- 
 tain, and that every tree whofe produce 
 does not depend upon the maturity of its 
 
 fruit, 
 
ON PLANTING. 205 
 
 fruit, may be cultivated with as great pro- 
 fit here as in France, and that therefore 
 the probability is, that the cork-tree could 
 be raifed here to advantage; yet left fome 
 (hould think that I approached too near 
 the regions of romance (hould I recom- 
 mend this lubje^l to the attention of the 
 fober part of my countrymen, in order 
 to avoid giving offence, I (liall not do it, 
 notwithftanding the favourable opening 
 that the tree in Chelfea garden affords me, 
 which, in Ipite of the daily wounds that 
 it receives, has been preferved alive for 
 fuch a great number of years. 
 
 I have thus, Sir, in a curfory manner, 
 pointed out fome of the principal ufes to 
 which the fever al parts of which trees are 
 corapofed may be applied, independent of 
 the value of the wood, that every one who 
 
 intends 
 
2o6 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 intends to make a plantation may have it 
 in his power to reap every benefit from his 
 trees that the nature of his fitnation will 
 admit of. The value of the wood of each 
 of the different kinds of trees is in general 
 •well known to every one in his own par- 
 ticular fituation, which mufl: vary fo much 
 according to different circumftances, as to 
 be in foine places of very great value, 
 and in others of almoft none at all: but I 
 prcfume it would be impoflible to point 
 out a fituation where fome one or more of 
 the products above mentioned would not 
 render a plantation of trees extremely va- 
 luable, and in the end would prove of 
 very great benefit to the country in gene- 
 ral, as well as of ineftimable advantage to 
 the proprietor in particular ; and therefore 
 I mufl: once more recommend this fubjecl: 
 to the fcrious confideration of every gen- 
 tleman of property, who wiflics well to 
 his country or his family. Whether it is 
 
 more 
 
ON PLANTING. 207 
 
 more honourable for a man to turn his at- 
 tention to fuch rural fcenes as thefe, which 
 naturally tend to calm the mind, and in- 
 fpire it with a peaceful tranquillity ; to 
 cherifh the feeds of every virtue, and ex- 
 pand the heart with generous and difin- 
 tcrefted fenfations ; to make the innocent 
 pleafures of domeftic enjoyments be re- 
 lifhed as they ought to be by every fobcr 
 mind, and to fecure affluence and inde- 
 pendence, and along with it that genuine 
 fpirit of liberty, its conftant companion ; 
 whether, I fay, it is more honourable to 
 purfue this plan of life, or to enter into 
 the buftle of court-intrigues, to fpend a 
 genteel fortune by dangling after the 
 great, or becoming the defpicable tools of 
 fadlion, and fubjed to the nod of fomc 
 mercilefs delpot, or cringing at the feet 
 of fom'e powerful villain, who would have 
 been fpurned away with horror, as a rep- 
 tile which deferved to be trodden under 
 
 foot^ 
 
2o8 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 foot, had the generous fenfe of a noble 
 independence (till kept poircffion of the 
 
 foul, But I flop. — The humane mind 
 
 would wifh to draw a curtain over thefe 
 fccncs of iniquity, and hide them as much 
 as polfible from the eye of innocence. 
 Such of you, my dear countrymen ! who 
 know lead about thefe tumultuous fcencs, 
 I heartily congratulate; long may you 
 continue to enjoy the calm delights which 
 a happy obfcurity, that fcreens you from 
 the notice of all but thofe united to you 
 by the tender ties of friendlhip and cor- 
 dial amity, mod naturally affords. And 
 if thefe my defukory fpeculations can in 
 any way contribute to add to your felicity, 
 I fhall think myfclf abundantly repaid ; 
 or if I could flatter myfclf with the hopes 
 that I might perhaps contribute any thing 
 towards refloring eafe to any one who may 
 be threatened with the fear of want, or pre- 
 fciTing the independence of any family 
 
 whicli 
 
ON PLANTING. 209 
 
 which might be hi danger of having their 
 minds enilaved, — that moft abjecft ftate of 
 flavery tiiat can be imagined, it would 
 ever infpire with the moft: conftiant glow 
 of pleafure, the breafl: of 
 
 Agricola. 
 
 P. S. Since Writing the above, I exa- 
 mined the following trees, in the method 
 above recommended, excepting that I u- 
 fed the bark undried, with a view to dlf- 
 cover the degree of afl:ringcncy of their 
 bark: viz» 
 
 i. Oak 7. Lime 
 
 2. Birch 8. Laburnum 
 
 3. Broom 9. Crab 
 
 4. Beech 10. Hornbeam 
 
 5. Rawn-tree 11. Afli 
 
 6. Service 
 
 12. A green willow, with a leaf refem- 
 bling that of the Huntingdon wil- 
 low. 
 
 D d 
 
 13. Com- 
 
210 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 13. Common hoop-willow, with long nar- 
 
 row leaves, uhitifli on the under- 
 fide. 
 
 14. Green willow, with rweet-fmelling 
 
 leaves, commonly called Bdywil-- 
 low, 
 
 15. Wild branching willow, with a grey 
 
 bark and round leaves, of a light 
 greyilh colour. 
 
 16. True bafket-oficr 19. Silver-fir. 
 
 17. Larix 20. Spruce ditto 
 
 1 8. Scots fir 
 
 Their degree of aftringency, upon try- 
 ing them, was as under: 
 
 1. The onkf which flruck a deeper tinge 
 
 than any of them. 
 
 2. ylf!) and hornhcav:. — Thefe two were 
 
 nearly equal, and not much inferior 
 to the oak. 
 
 3. Green ii^illovjy No. 12. and hnykaved 
 
 ditto, No. i4» — Thefe were a de- 
 gree 
 
ON PLANTING. 211 
 
 gree weaker than the former, but 
 very little. 
 
 4. Hoop-willow, No, 13. 
 
 5. Grey ditto. No. 15. 
 
 6. B/r^:^. — The gradations between the 
 
 oak and Z'//t^ were alnioft equal 
 through each of thefe fteps, 
 
 7. Rawn or fnountain-ajlj, and rr^^ or apple- 
 
 tree, — Very little inferior to the birch, 
 
 8. Lime, 
 
 ^. Beech. — The tindlure was now but very 
 flight, but ftill fufficiently percep- 
 tible. 
 10. Bajket'ofier, No. 16. Larix, common 
 frf fp^^i^^ ditto, Jilver ditto, and 
 broom. — All of thefe difcovered a fniall 
 degree of aftringency, although but 
 very little. — The two firft: fliewed 
 rather more than the otliers. 
 The laburnum did not difcover the fmall- 
 efl: degree of aftringency ; but 
 
 The fervice {liewed a confiderable de- 
 
 D d 2 grcc 
 
2T2 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 grcc thereof; but as the infufion was very 
 thick, and of a brown colour, I could 
 not know exatflly in what part to place ii, 
 as I could not compare it with the others ; 
 but I think it may be confidercd as equal 
 with the rawn-tree. 
 
 From this experiment we may draw (e- 
 vcral ufeful corollaries. 
 
 ly?, As the birch bark is found by expe- 
 rience to afford a valuable taiiy we may 
 conclude, that all thofe placed above ic 
 will afford a more valuable Hill.- 
 
 Sf///, As we icct by this experiment, 
 th;it different fpecies of willows difcover 
 very different degrees of aftringency, fome 
 of them approaching very near to that of 
 the oaky while others fcarce difcover any 
 at all, it is not inipollible but that fome 
 may be found among the great variety of 
 this kind of trees, which may approach 
 flill nearer to the nature of the oak tiian 
 any of thofe that 1 had an opportunity of 
 examining; therefore fuch pcrfons who 
 
 have 
 
ON PLANTING. 213 
 
 have a greater variety of thefe, ought to 
 examine each of them with attention. 
 This kind of trees ought to be attended to 
 more particularly than any other, not on- 
 ly becaufe they difcover a great degree of 
 aftringency, but alfo becaufe the bark of 
 thefe could be more eafily procured in 
 confiderab^e quantities in any part of the 
 country than that of any other tree what- 
 ever. I recommend it to the bafket-ma- 
 kers to caufe the bark which they peel from 
 their wands be tried by the tanner, as it 
 appears that the hoop-willow, mod com- 
 monly employed for making large bafkets, 
 is poffefled of a great degree of aftringen- 
 cy, although the fmalleft bafket-ofier pro- 
 mifes to be of little or no ufe at all to the 
 tanner. — But, 
 
 3^/y, I find, fincc writing the above let- 
 ter, by a memoir among thofe of the 
 French Academy for the year 1766, that 
 
 j^j. — found, that common broom 
 
 could 
 
214 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 could be employed with advantage for tan- 
 ning leather, and recommends it to hi3 
 countrymen for that purpofc, after having 
 made trial thereof. Now, if broom is pof- 
 fefTed of fo much aftringency as to be ufe- 
 ful to the tanner, we may conclude, that 
 the bark of every one of the trees which I 
 examined, except the laburnum, would 
 be fl-ill of greater ufe, as they all difcover- 
 cd greater degrees of aflringency, and 
 might therefore be employed on particu- 
 lar occafions in great emergencies. 
 
 Upon the whole, this experiment may 
 ferve as a guide to the tanner, to enable 
 him to felecl fuch trees for the fubjec^ of 
 his experiments as promifc bell to repay 
 his trouble. Perhaps, he may difcover, 
 that fome of thofe which appear equal in 
 this trial, may be more or lefs proper for 
 his purpofe from fome properties which 
 they may pofltfs that I have not attended* 
 to, I (hall only further add with regard 
 
 to 
 
ON PLANTING. 215 
 
 to this experiment, that I found, in peel- 
 11 g the branches, that the birch yields the 
 thinnefl bark of any: the oak does not af- 
 ford a great deal ; the beech could never be 
 employed, as it is next to impolfible to 
 get the bark feparated from the tree : the 
 afh affords a large proportion of bark, as 
 do all the fpecies of wilio-wf, which is al- 
 fo more eafily feparated from the wood 
 than that of any other tree. 
 
 After thefe experiments were finifiied, 
 having recolleded, that, when a boy at 
 fchool, I had frequently eat the young 
 flioots of brambles and briers, which I had 
 obferved to have a very peculiarly aflrin- 
 gent tafle, I refolved to try thefe fubftances 
 alfo ; and having prepared a freQi parcel 
 of oak-bark, I took an equal quantity of 
 the bark of the bramble, and another equal 
 quantity of that of the fweet-briar, and 
 having infufed each of thefe leparately, 
 and added to each an equal quantity of 
 
 the 
 
2i6 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 the foliuion of copperas, I i'oiind that botli 
 of thefc fliewed a degree of aftrlngency as 
 great as the oak-bark. 
 
 But finding that it would be difficult, in 
 large works, to get the bark peeled from 
 the ftirubs, on account of their prickles, 
 I refolved to try if they would produce 
 the fame effcdl if the pith (for it docs not 
 deferve the name of wood in the young 
 flioots) and bark were taken together, as 
 the bark alone ; and with this view I brui- 
 fcd fome of the young flioots of each of 
 thefe flirubs, and cut them fmall, and in- 
 fufed them feparatcly, and upon trial 
 could find no difference between thefe 
 and the bark alone. But that I might be 
 dill more certain of this fadl, I took fome 
 flioots of the bramble which had been flrip- 
 ped of their bark, and, upon trial, found 
 that thefe difcovered as great a degree of 
 aftringency as either of the others. From 
 the whole of this experiment, then, we 
 
 may 
 
On planting. 217 
 
 may conclude, that the bramble promifes 
 to be the beft faccedaneum for the bark of 
 the oak, as it is equally good with the fweet- 
 briar, and could be more cafily reared ; 
 and as the whole of the plant is ufeful, not 
 only the expence attending the prepara- 
 tion of this behoved to be much more in- 
 coniiderable than what the preparation of 
 the oak-bark requires, but alfo the quan- 
 tity produced upon an acre of ground 
 would be annually fo much greater than 
 could pofTibly be got of the other, that ic 
 could be afforded at a much eafier rate. 
 How much cheaper this might be afford- 
 ed, it is impolfible to fay, without having 
 made the trial; but I am perfuaded diat 
 it could not amount to one tenth of the 
 price of oak-bark, as this plant will grow 
 in any foil, and, if annually cut, would 
 fend out flioots of furprifing vigour. The 
 effeds which fuch an improvement would 
 produce upon this branch of our manu- 
 
 E e fad u res 
 
2i8 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 facliircs need not be pointed out ; but 
 they promife to be fo great as at lead to 
 claim the attention of all thofe \vho may 
 be more immediately concerned in it : and 
 ns every tanner has it in his power to pro- 
 cure a fufficient quantity of this plant for 
 giving it a fair trial, I fliall think it a re- 
 fle(flion upon the fpirit of my country- 
 men if none of them attempt it. I myfelf 
 am totally unacquainted with every thing 
 that relates to the practice of this art, 
 rife I fliould have favetl them the trouble 
 of this. 
 
LETTER Eleventh. 
 
 On the proper Method of pruning Deciduous 
 
 Trees. 
 
 SIR, OBoher 14. 1773. 
 
 HAVING the pen 111 my hand, I fliall 
 embrace this opportunity of fulfil- 
 ling a promife I made long ago, of offer- 
 ing a few obfervations on what appears to 
 me the moft fuccefsful method of pruning 
 fuch trees as are not coniferous, when 
 they are intended to be let ftand for tim- 
 ber : and, to fave the trouble of repeating 
 a great many particular precepts, I (liall 
 premife a few general obfervations on the 
 growth and oeconomy of that particular 
 
 E e 2 fpecies 
 
i2o OBSERVATIONS 
 
 fpccics of plants, by atteiulin;^ to which, 
 any man of judgment and difcrction will 
 know how to vary his mode of manage- 
 ment as circumflances may require, with- 
 out being perplexed with cafes and di- 
 ftin(flions, that it might be difficult, on 
 many occafions, to difcriminate or re- 
 member. 
 
 The leaves of trees are by nature in- 
 tended to attract: the juices of plants from 
 the earth, and to ferve as organs of per- 
 fpiration, by means of which the fupcr- 
 iluous juices arc thrown off into the air: 
 and as thefc leaves are always found at the 
 cxtrcniliics of the branches, and as the 
 juices, in flowing to thcfe extremities, de- 
 pofit in their paffage that matter which is 
 gradually formed into wood, and ferves 
 to augment the fize of the tree, it neccf- 
 farily follows, that as all the juices that 
 flow towards every branch of the tree 
 pafs through the undermofl: part of the 
 
 flem, 
 
ON PLANTING. 221 
 
 flem, below the origin of all the branches, 
 that part of the (lem will be fader encrea- 
 fed in fize than any other part ; for, as 
 every branch carries off from the flem, at 
 the place where it diverges from it, all the 
 juices that are pumped up by the leaves 
 upon it, that proportion of the juices can 
 no longer (erve to augment the iize of the 
 (lem above the infertion of that particular 
 branch. Hence therefore it follows, that 
 the (tern of the tree will be more or lefs 
 taper, according to the number, fize, and 
 poiltion of the branches. 
 
 Now, as it is in general a defireablc 
 tiling to have a tree rather to have a item 
 of (bme confiderable magnitude, than to 
 confifl: entirely of limbs and branches, it 
 will be prudent in general for the man 
 who has planted trees of this kind, to look, 
 over them from time to time, and where 
 he fields any branch that bears too great a 
 proportion to the fize of the flem, inftant- 
 
 ly 
 
222 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ]y to lop it off; for it is not with thcfc, as 
 ivith coniferous trees, that, when the lead- 
 ing flioot is broke off, fonie one of the la- 
 tend brandies naturally advances above 
 the reft, — afllimcs a more erecft pofition,. 
 and becomes of its own accord the lead- 
 ing ftern. For, among this clafs of trees, 
 fiiould the above-mentioned accident hap- 
 pen, each of the branches would encreafc 
 in fiLc in proportion to the bulk that it ori- 
 ginally bore, till the tree arrived at perfec- 
 tion ; every twig continuing to make new 
 ilioots, and encreafing in fize, without 
 ncceffarily pruning itfclf, as the conife- 
 rous trees do. 
 
 Few who have planted deciduous trees 
 iccm to have omitted to make this obfer- 
 vation ; and many have drawn a corol- 
 lary from it that fecms to be extremely 
 natural, although it leads to an erroneous 
 practice. It is this. Since, fay they, every 
 branch that fprings from the ftem draws 
 
 off 
 
ON PLANTING. 223 
 
 off a part of the nouriftimcnt from thence ; 
 and as the ftem is the principal and mod va- 
 luable part of the tree, it follows, that if all 
 the fide-branches (hall be cut off, the whole 
 of the fap will be determined to the flem 
 and top-fhoot, which will of confequence 
 advance much fafter than it would other- 
 wife do. This, I honeflly own, was the 
 manner in which I reafoned in the early 
 part of my life, and pradlifed according- 
 ly ; — but unfortunately I did not find the 
 effecH: to anfwer my expe^lations. The 
 tree, for want of a fufficient number of 
 leaves, did not pump up fuch a quantity 
 of juices as it otherwife would have done, 
 fo that the top made no extraordinary 
 progrcfs ; and as the flem, by being thus 
 deprived of the means of being augment- 
 ed in fize towards the root, continued too 
 fmall in proportion to its height; and as the 
 whole of the leaves and new flioots were at 
 the top, the wind had fuch a power over it 
 
 as 
 
224 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 as to bend and drain it lb niucli, as greatly 
 liindcred the free afcent of the fap, and 
 in a fliort time made the tree become 
 ftinted and covered with mois ; and if it 
 chanced to be a quick-growing tree, with 
 flexible branches, like the common Scots 
 elm, the top became too weighty for the 
 flcndcr (Icm to be able to fiipport, and it 
 fell down to the ground, fo as to make 
 the mofl diftorted and extraordinary ap- 
 pearance that can well be imagined. There 
 is a plantation of elms belonging to a gen- 
 tleman in my neighbourhood, who has 
 pcrfiflcd in dripping all the branches from 
 the flem, and leaving only a few at the 
 top, which at this moment has more the 
 appearance of a field covered with large 
 mole-traps, than any thing elfc to which 
 I can liken it. 
 
 Being, from thefc obfcrvations, entirely 
 fatisficd of the impropriety of that prac- 
 tice, I have lince obferved, that, to pre- 
 fer ve 
 
ON PLANTING. 225 
 
 ferve a tree in the higheft poflible degree 
 of health and vigour, it is neceflary to 
 train it fo as that the ftem may have a de- 
 gree of flrength fufficient to bear, without 
 being too much bent, the wind to which 
 it may be expofed, and that of confe- 
 quence it may be with fafety more bared 
 in a lituation that is well fheltered, than 
 in one that is much expofed : — ihat, provi- 
 ded the ftem can be brought to a proper 
 figure, the greater tlie quantity of leaves 
 that the tree is allowed to carry, the more 
 luxuriant and healthy it will be ; and that, 
 to effeduate thefe purpofcs, the eafieft way 
 is, from time to time, to prune away the 
 * largcft branches that feeni to threaten to 
 take an over-proportion of nouriflimcnc 
 — to thin the top when too thick, fo as to 
 let in the air among the branches, with- 
 out giving the wind too much power over 
 it — and to leave upon the ftem fmall 
 branches proportioned to the fituation 
 
 F f of 
 
226 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 of the tree, and placed in fiich a man- 
 ner as the particular fliape of the ftcm 
 may require; for ihefc fmall branches 
 and t!ic leaves tluy carry, fervc to aug- 
 ment the fleni, and give to tlie whole 
 tree a degree of vigour that it would 
 not oilurwlfe acquire. To thin, then, 
 juditioudy is the pro|x?r province of 
 the pruner, and not to flrip the ftem 
 bare to a certain height, above wliich no- 
 thing at all is done; than which, I will 
 venture to fay, nothing can be more in- 
 judicious, except in a deep vale very mucii 
 (liekcrcd from the wind, in which the 
 trees are thinly planted ; in which fitua- 
 tion thispradice is far lefs pernicious than 
 in any otiicr. 
 
 The reader will eafily perceive, that, in 
 ficc (liooiing flexible trees, like the elm, it 
 \\\\\ be nccellary to thin the to[) more, and 
 leave more branches upon the trunk, to 
 bring it to a proper degree of flrength, 
 
 than 
 
ON PLANTING. 227 
 
 than upon fuch as grow naturally thicker, 
 as the alh. 
 
 It may not be improper here to obferve, 
 that the oak, although the natural wood 
 of this country, and happily adapted to 
 our foil and climate, has been of late 
 much lefs cultivated than it dcferves, ow- 
 ing to various caules, among which inju- 
 dicious pruning may perhaps be reckoned 
 one. This tree is, in a peculiar manner* 
 the king of the forejl, and is with difficulty 
 reared to perfection in any other fltua- 
 tion. When yoimg, it advances with great 
 vigour, making every year two flioots, 
 one in the month of JiinCy and the other 
 commencing in Aiigiifly which ufually con- 
 tinues to grow till the froft flops it in the 
 end of autumn. This lad flioot is fome- 
 times of great length ; and if the tree is 
 very vigorous, it is fo foft and tender as 
 infallibly to be wholly killed by the frofl ; 
 and as a number of (hoots fet out next 
 
 F f 2 year 
 
228 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 year at the end of the fird flioot of the 
 foregoing finniner, it in a Ihort time be- 
 comes a thick, buHiy, flinted-like fliriib, 
 whicli, by coniinning long within reach 
 of cattle, is often browfed upon by them, 
 in which cafe it never rifes to any thing 
 elfe than a flirub. Now if, with a view 
 to give it a (Icni, we attempt to prune off 
 fome of the branches, as above recom- 
 mended, we give it an additional degree 
 of vigour, make it continue to grow later 
 in v/inter, and of confequence caufe it 
 be infallibly killed down almofl: entirely 
 each fcafon ; whereas, when it grows in 
 the fureft, although it is In the (ame man- 
 ner killed down a little at firft, yet as all 
 the branches that are produced are left 
 upon it, thefe, by being fo numerous, 
 come at len^-th to lofc that hurtful vino- 
 roufncls, and thus get time to acquire a 
 ]>roprr degree of firmncfs, fo as to be able 
 iw rti\([ the frort in winter,- after which 
 
 none 
 
ON PLANTING. 129 
 
 none of them arc ever killed down : and as 
 fomc ftrong fhoot gradually takes the lead 
 of the reft, efpecially if tolerably thick plant- 
 ed, that becomes a ftem, and in that fitu- 
 ation it advances ever afterwards without 
 interruption. This is the natural progrcfs 
 of the oak ; and thus treated, we have few 
 foils on which it will not thrive. 
 
 I doubt much if it be poftible to rear the 
 oak to perfedlion infinglcrows, or detached 
 trees in an expofed fltuation ; and if ever 
 the pruning-knife can at all be applied to 
 a young oak with propriety, it niuft be by 
 doing it in the month of Augtijl or Septem- 
 ber; for, at that time of the year, lopping off 
 any of the branches checks the growth of 
 the tree for that feafon, and gives the 
 tender flioots that are left, time to harden 
 before the frofts come on, in which cafe 
 they are not killed down. This I have 
 tried, for the fake of experiment, feveral 
 times, and never found it fail. Many 
 
 other 
 
330 O B S E R V A T I O N S, 6v. 
 
 oilicr irces, tliat arc apt to lofe their tops 
 in winter, may be prelerved by the lame 
 means, or by dripping off their leaves at 
 tliat fcafon, as I have likewife experienced. 
 Even the aQi-leaved American maple, 
 which, without this care, never fails to be 
 killed down a great way, even in our 
 mildefl winters, I have preferved in the 
 fcvereft winters we have, widiout lofing 
 an inch, by this means alone. 
 
 ACRICOLA. 
 
 The end. 
 
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