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p. S. Since writing the above letter, I have feen 

 large quantities of oak timber in Devon and Corn- 

 wall, cut down merely on accotint of the high price 

 of bark; the buyers of which offered to fell the tim- 

 ber again, asfoon as they hadftripped (viz. barked) 

 it> from 6d. down to 4d. a foot; and yet this tim- 

 ber was fit for building fmall coafting vefTels, for 

 which the demand increafes, as that for fhips of war 

 dccreafes. Does this look like a fcarcity? 



If there fhould be a likelihood that the vafl de- 

 mand for bark, particularly in Ireland, will occafion 

 much timber to be cut in wafte, merely for the bark, 

 the fociety would do fervice to the publick, by 

 offering a very handjome reward for a chemical pre- 

 paratipn, to anfwer the purpofes of oak bark in 

 tanning leather. It has been many times attempted 

 with fome degree of fuccefs; but the principal ob- 

 jedllon has been, that the price would be too great 

 for general ufe ; but when it is confidered that the 

 fame bark which fells in England at 4I. a ton, is now 

 worth more than jl. in Ireland ; a chemical pre- 

 paration which would anfwer as well as bark, after 

 the rate of 61. per ton, would ferve Ireland, and keep 

 the Englifh bark at home (where there is no fear 

 of a demand for it) at the price ap which it is 

 fjpw fold, 



Ahticl? 



