310 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



I am persuaded, is the only method 

 of raising timber, which will an- 

 swer on a smaller scale. I once de- 

 voted near thirty-acres toa plantation 

 of every species of fir and forest- 

 tree ; they were planted at two 

 years old ; but I found my planta- 

 tion sustained so much injury, from 

 sheep being put in secretly in the 

 night time, and from the depreda- 

 tions of other cattle, that I preferred 

 drawing my trees, and letting the 

 land at 12s. per acre. I am appre- 

 hensive, that government will find 

 themethod theyhave takenof plant- 

 ing theNew Forest, attended with 

 a very precarious success. At the 

 same time, the minister's intention, 

 I doubt nor, was highly patriotic 

 and laudable. 



Within these last twenty years, 

 several varieties of the poplar have 

 been introduced into Middlesex. 

 The Lombardy, or Po poplar, is 

 much cultivated, as an ornamental 

 plant, in the neighbourhood of Lon- 

 don. As a timber-tree, it is but of 

 inferior value, not being able to 

 bear exposure to the weather. For 

 packing-cases, however, and other 

 purposes, where duration of wood 

 is not required, it may prove a 

 cheap and useful substitute for deal. 

 Its growth far exceeds that of any 

 other timber-tree. It is sujiposed 

 that tliere are few in England 

 whose age exceeds forty years. ]t 

 flmirishes best on the sides of rivers, 

 and has acquired its name from its 

 long-ftimed situation on the banks of 

 the P(i. 



Of the white and black poplar, 

 the white is most frequent in Mid- 

 dlesex, but the black yields the best 

 timber. The wood of the latter, I 

 can pronovuice, f-om experience, to 

 be excellent for common floors, it 

 is much used for the purposes of 



deal in the midland counties. In 

 Worcestershire they reckon that it 

 pays the owner Is a year, from the 

 time of its being first planted. 

 When converted into a pollard, the 

 loppings are used for hop poles. 

 The boards of the poplar are so 

 slow of taking fire, that the flames 

 of a house on firchavebeen sioi'ped 

 at that part of the building, where 

 the timber of the poplar had been 

 used- 'I'hey are observed to smoke 

 a long time before they burst into 

 a flame. 



Osiers. 



There are Fome flourishingosier- 

 grounds near London, on tlie banks 

 of the Thames- Thequick growth 

 of these nquatics, allows them to 

 be cut every year. The cuttings 

 are sold to the basket-makers, in 

 bundles measuring 42 inches in 

 circumference, at Is. and Is. 6d. 

 per bundle. Tr:e basket-makers 

 will willingly give 5). an acre rent, 

 for a good osier ground, thought si- 

 tuated at the distance of ten or 

 twelve miles from F^ondon. But 

 the produce of a good bed will fre- 

 quently amount to lOl. per annum. 

 Considering the small expence ne- 

 cess^r^• for supporting the osier-bed, 

 and that neither tine plough norma- 

 nure are required to produce an an- 

 nual crop, there is reason to believe, 

 that land adapted to the growth of 

 aquaiics, will ensure a larger profit 

 when planted with osiers, than in 

 any common mode of cultiva- 

 tion. 



The salix vitellina, or golden wil- 

 low, and the salix vimhialis , or gvcen 

 osier,- are the sorts used by the 

 basket-makers. The annual growth 

 of these will frequently exceed six 

 feet. 



Rivers 



