l8oo. A J-jiut Stock Farming Society. 1717 



might not thus be afcertained in the fpace of a few years; 

 and farmers, in future, would liave an invariable flandard 

 to go by, which they might rely on with certainty. 



Fourth Objection. Tkcit the Profits of the propofed 

 Plantations ere overrated. 



It is evidently impoffible to forefee what will be the 

 value of timber 30 years hence, as that mult entirely de- 

 pend on the quantity brought to market, on the demand, 

 and on the flate of credit, and the quantity of nijoney in 

 circulation at the moment. As the price of every arti- 

 ple, however, is progreffively rifing, is there not reafon 

 to imagine, that it will alfo be the cafe with timber i 

 But even if that fliould not be the cafe, fliould timber 

 only fell at its prefent value, the following circumftance 

 will fufficiently prove, that the calculation of profit given 

 in the original propofals, is greatly underrated. The cir- 

 furnftance alluded to is this : — In the neighbourhood of 

 Edinburgh, there is a confiderable wood, amounting to 

 above 300 acres, called the Foreil of Culrofs. It confills 

 of Scots firs, 43 years old. An exa61: furvey has been 

 taken of it, and an eftimate of its value drawn up. Jc is 

 ftated in the advertifement, that there are 3500 cubical 

 feet of meafureable timber, the upfet price of which is 

 (jd. per foot ; and 6000 running feet of pit-timber, at one 

 farthing per foot. The value of both, per acre, would 

 then be as follows : 



t. 3500 cubic feet, at 6d. per foot L. 87 10 p 



a. 6000 running feet, at one farthing per 



loot - - T 6^0 



Total, per acre, L. 93 15 o 

 It is well known, that the value of larch, at 30 years 

 of age, is equal to that of fir at 45 years. There is rea- 

 fon thei^efore to hope, that the 5000 acres of land, pro- 

 pofed to be planted v/ith larcli, v/ould be worth 90I. ptr 

 acre, which, for 5000 acres, would amount to 450,000!. 

 inftead of 2x8,000!., at whicli tlie fale of the timber, 

 the ground, &c. was originally eftimated. What the tim- 

 ber in Cuh"ofs Foreft will really fell for, is not yet known ; 

 but there is every reafon to believe, that tlie price mulh 

 be higher than 6d. per foot, and that the calculation of 

 profit from the propofed plantations, originally ftated at 

 218,000!., will be found "renilv underrated. 



On tlie whole, I hope it will appear, tliat thougli tlicro 

 is no plan, of fo cxtenfive and complicated a nature, ta 



wliidi 



