TO HIS GARDENER 7 



than the trouble was worth by three times. The endeavouring 

 to retrieve this now by sneding what is to be cutt this or next 

 year, is doing more hurt, as the wounds won't be cur'd before 

 it is expos'd to sale. I think a through sneding of a Wood 

 which is to have three years growth after that before it is to 

 be exposM to Sale, will doe it a great deal of real good, but I 

 am entirely against any sneding after that, further than to 

 take off dead wood or to clear up any twigs which may come 

 out in the body of the trees, and therefore I wishd Alex"^ 

 Cokb: you or any other who had been appointed for that 

 business, had upon receipt of my letter, begun to give this 

 through sneding to the wood which is reckon'd to be cutt in 

 Summer 1737, for any thing of a through sneding to any 

 wood to be cutt before that, will doe it no good but will dis- 

 figure it, as the Wounds won't have time to cure neither will 

 the trees have time to take on the growth which they will 

 after such a sneding. Wherefore I am only for putting the 

 White Bridle upon the wood which is to go to Markett and 

 be cutt between this and the Summer 17B7, for I think you 

 will doe hurt in doeing more to itt, and what is then to be 

 putt to Sale for cutting that year, I should advise to be 

 throughly sued up now, and when the Bark will rise upon the 

 Oaks. I am convinced that this management will make a very 

 great Improvement to a Hag of Wood ^ by that time and even 

 beyond what any will Imagine who sees it now, and is not 

 acquented with the growth of a tree unloaded of a great 

 weight of branches and from a root unloaded of too many 

 trees coming from it, and is made thin enough to lett in air 

 and yett not too thin to lett in cold enough to stunt it 

 in growth. This leads me to think that it will be very bad 

 management to sell too much wood at a time. I mean, to 

 Sell this spring Wood to be cutt three or 4 Years hence, for 

 whoever buys itt now will not make allowance enough for so 

 many years growth. A Wood lately thin'd and Sned up as I 

 recommended in one of my former, and as I now have 

 endeavoured to explain, will appear thin, poor and small. 

 Whereas three years hence by the growth of the trees in that 



^ A clump of trees enclosed for the timber by a hedge (Anglo-Saxon haga^ 

 * a hedge '). 



