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naval^ timber had decreafed in quantity within forty 

 or fifty years y then paft^ to the amazing amount of 

 four-fifths on an average through the kingdom. What 

 an alarming circumftance, to a maritime (late like 

 this ! And the misfortune is, that fuch devaftation 

 ftill continues, both in publick and in private 

 woods. To demonftrate what a heavy lols is fuf- 

 tained by the community >, through the imprudence 

 of private owners, I Hate the following fads, 



Jhe year before lafl, there were fourfcore Oaks 

 felled in this neighbourhood, whofe aggregate con^ 

 tents Jcarcely exceeded twenty tons-, and in 1758, a 

 fingle tree was felled, but a very few miles from the 

 IpOt, which contained in it/pi/ fiuenfy^eight tons. The 

 foil where theie diminutive flicks were produced, 

 was of a nature equally propitious to the growth 

 of oak, as that of Langley-Wood, and mod of 

 them had room to fpread in ; confequently fuch, 

 had they been permitted to remain, would have be- 

 come Naval Timber, Let what encouragement 

 foevef be given to promote private plantations, they 

 muft be long in repairing fuch lofles as thefe. Our 

 modern planters, I fear, purfue the ornamental, 

 more than the ufeful plan. Oaks, being tardy 

 growers, are feldom propagated ; the filver, fpruce, 

 Scotch iirs, and other free-growing trees, are pre- 

 ferred 



