[ i8o ] 



tion of Porfmouth yard, and in the other maritin:ie 

 counties nearly fufficient for all the reft of the yards. 

 But a great deal of oak in diftant parts of the king- 

 dom, will now find its way to the fea-ports, by 

 means of the many canals in the kingdom, which 

 formerly were confumed only in the domeftick ufes 

 of the county where it grew, while thofe fame canals 

 will bring back deal at a cheaper price to fuppfy 

 thofe domeftick ufes. 



The ufes of oak leflen tvtry day. Houfes were 

 formerly built almoft entirely with oak timbers biit 

 ■ now the innumerable new houfes in Bath, Briftol, 

 London, Manchefter, Birmingham, &c. have very 

 little oak in them. Deal anfwers the purpofe at a 

 much cheaper rate.* The great fear would be, 

 provided that oak was only wanted for fhip- build- 

 ing, that the price of it would fink fo low as to 

 make it hardly worth growing. Even now it would 

 be difficult to find almoft any kind of timber, that 

 does not pay better for planting than Oakj but 



* In confcquence of the numerous buildings alluded to, or from 

 an increafed foreign demand, or fcarcity in the Northern countries, 

 or perhaps fix)m a combination of all thofe caufes, fir timber is now 

 fo much advanced, that the cultivation of oak, with a view to build- 

 ing ufes, lecms to prefent itfelf again as an objeft. And it is pro- 

 babl'. ihat the beft fpecies of fir, which growfafter, will notberaifed 

 lAvarn for the common ufes of home confumption. 



luckily 



