NATURAL 
thirds of the price, and decay in 
half the time. 
For gates and hurdles it is equal- 
ly good ; and being less heavy than 
oak, is another great recommenda- 
tion to it, as it is removed from 
one place to another with greater 
ease. To these and many other 
purposes, chesnut, trained and cut 
as underwood, is peculiarly adapt- 
ed; and, in point of beauty, no 
wood surpasses it, as it admits of 
close planting, runs straight in its 
branches, and always appears florid 
and healthy. 
I shall next consider the value of 
the Spanish chesnut for timber, in 
which (except for the unrivalied 
purposes of ship-building) it will be 
found for most uses equal to the 
oak ; and in buildings and out-door 
work much superior. 
In 1676, an ancestor of the pre- 
sent Mr. Windham, of Felbrigg, 
in Norfolk, had the merit of being 
a considerable planter of chesnut. 
In the space of fifty years, it is pre- 
sumed these plantations required 
thinning, as his successor, about 
that time, began to apply this tim- 
ber to useful purposes upon his es- 
tate. 
The first account is, of the branch 
or limb of a chesnut, about thirteen 
inches square, which, in the year 
1726, was put down as a hanging- 
post for a gate, and carried the gate, 
without any alteration, fifty-two 
years, when, upon altering the in- 
closures of the farm where it stood, 
it was taken up under my direction, 
and, appearing to be perfectly sound, 
was put down for a clapping-post 
in another place. 
In 1743, a large barn was built 
with some of this timber, and is 
now as sound in every part, beams, 
principals, and spars, as when first 
Vou. XXXIV. 
HISTORY. 
the barn was built. About the same 
time several chesnut-posts and rails 
were put down, which I have since 
seen removed ; and, after standing 
thirty or forty years, generally ap- 
peared so sound, as to admit of be- 
ing set up in some other place. 
The last instance [ shall mention, 
though notof so longa date, will shew 
the great superiority of this timber 
over ihat of oak in fences. In the 
year 1772, the present Mr. Wind- 
ham made a large plantation in his 
park, which was fenced with posts 
and rails, converted from young 
oaks and chesnuts of the same age 
and scantlings, such as were picked 
out of a place where they stood too 
thick. Last year, upon Mr. Wind- 
ham’s enlarging this plantation, it 
was necessary to remove this fence ; 
when the chesnut-posts were found 
as sound as when they were first put 
down; but the oak were so much 
wasted just below the surface of the 
ground, that they could not be used 
for the same purposes again, with- 
out the assistance of a spar to sup- 
port them. 
To these modern proofs of its 
utility and durability, we may join 
the authority of Evelyn, an author 
of established reputation, who as- 
serts, it is good for “ mill-timber ~ 
and water-work ; and that great 
part of our ancient houses in the 
city of London were built with it; 
and that it does well for table and 
other furniture.” 
As a candid quoter of Evelyn, hows 
ever, I admit that he says, in another 
place, that he ‘‘ cannot celebrate 
this tree for its sincerity ; it being 
found (contrary to oak) that it will 
make a fair show outwardly, when 
it is all decayed and rotten within ; 
but that this is in some sort recom- 
pensed, for the beams have the pra- 
perty 
385 
