E 7 1 



Ihould determine its fate ; in fomc foils the oak 

 never vegetates freely, becomes Hunted and dead- 

 topt in its 50th or 60th year 5 to let fuch ftand, even 

 though of ten feet meetings only, is folly ; and to 

 cut thriving trees of meetings fo very fmall, is 

 madnefs in the extreme. It is, when of this fize, 

 that they begin to pay beft for {landing; they then 

 yearly improve both in quantity and quality of their 

 contents j the blee leflens as the fpine increafesj the 

 arms become meafureable one after the other, and 

 though the body may not increafe in circumference 

 quite fo much annually*, as it had done when 

 younger ; the length and bulk 6f the limbs will add 

 confiderably to the contents .and value of the tim- 

 ber. If this, bir, Ihould prove acceptable to the 

 gentlemen of the fociety, I have minutes of another 

 famous oak, meafured twice by myfelf, and can 

 trace, I think, the rate at which it proceeded. 



I am. Sir, your very humble Servant, 



Bojftngton, Hants, T. SOUTH. 



I O^. a, 17^0. 



• That accurate obferver, Mr. MaHham, finds that oaks do not 

 in the fecond century increafe fo niuch annually in circumference, 

 as they did in the firft j notwithftanding which, they increafe much 

 more in folid contents yearly, as I am prepared to demonflrate. 



B 4 Dimenfions 



