842 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



as to a variety of other valuable 

 purposes. If mixed with strong 

 infusions of fine young heath, and 

 given to them, not oneof a thousand 

 of the cattle in Scotland would die 

 in a severe winter, or spring, that 

 but too frequently do. 



The maple-tree, fortunately, is 

 not in the least hurt by tapping. 

 On the contrary, the oftener it is 

 tapped the better. A yearly dis- 

 charge of sap from the tree, in- 

 stead of hurting it, is found to im- 

 prove its growth, and make it 

 yield the more. This is proved by 

 experience, as well as by the su- 

 perior excellence of those trees 

 which have been perforated in a 

 thousand places by a small wood- 

 pecker that feeds on the sap. 



Nor is this all. From the sac- 

 charine matter they contain, the 

 leaves and twigs of the maple tree 

 are calculated to afford food for cat- 

 tle. In America, when they are be- 

 ginning a farm, or when a sufficient 

 stock of hay has not been laid up for 

 the winter, cattle often live on the 

 leaves and twigs of the maple. 

 Hence, in more points of view than 

 one, this species of wood seems 

 worthy of attention and room ; 

 particularly in those districts where 

 the breeding and rearing of cattle 

 is the principal object. 



Owing to the rugged nature of 

 the ground, the want of roads, and 

 of water-carriage, in many of the 

 interior and highlands of Scotland, 

 wood is often of no value at all. 

 In the county of Bann, for in- 

 stance, where I resided several 

 years, I have seen trees sold at a 

 shilling each, that in the vicinity 

 of water-carriage, of a good road, 

 or, even of a small village, would 

 liave brought ten times that sum ; 



and I have known trees, that in 

 the vicinity of any tolerably large 

 town, or village, would have been 

 worth four or five pounds each, 

 that scarcely brought as many shil- 

 lings. The truth is, the difficulty 

 of removing wood is such that, 

 though fully grown, and of the 

 very best qualitj', yet it is not worth 

 the felling. Now, as there are 

 thousands of acres of wood in si- 

 tuations of this kind, in many dif- 

 ferent parts of Scotland, might not 

 such be burnt or otherwise de- 

 stroyed, and maple planted in its 

 stead? Being yearly bled, the 

 maple would produce a considera- 

 ble degree of nourishment both for 

 man and beast ; and, consequently, 

 be an advantage to the country at 

 large, as well as to the landholders. 

 Were there a want of hands in 

 the country, there would be some 

 excuse for neglecting improvements 

 of this kind ; but this is not the 

 case; as there are many, in va- 

 rious parts, that know not what 

 to do, nor where to look for em- 

 ployment. But itisnottoo late; 

 and it is to be hoped that some- 

 thing will be done for them, in the 

 way of finding them employment. 

 There is such a thing as being lost 

 amidst the fervour of fanciful dis- 

 coveries, and of being carried away 

 by an imagination guided only by 

 vanity ; and there is such a thing, 

 I know, as experimental trifling ; 

 yet 1 think I may venture to say, 

 that if, along with the instructions 

 of the Board of Agriculture, and 

 the Highland Society, the cultiva- 

 tion of the maple-tree, and the va- 

 rious uses to which fine young 

 heath might be applied, were at- 

 tended to, many of the tracks of 

 heath and glens in Scotland would 



soon 



