ANCIENT WOODS. 21 



good reason, depart from, by which, during the 

 period that the crop of oaks is being taken, the 

 stock of underwood shall gradually be acquiring 

 strength and vigour, and getting well hold of the 

 soil ; as well as that, they shall be so equally dif- 

 fused over it, as fully and beneficially to occupy 

 the ground, when the oaks are all gone. All 

 these calculations, and many more, which it is 

 impossible to enumerate, will suggest themselves 

 to the mind of a man well-skilled in the manage- 

 ment of woods ; but there are very few indeed, 

 who either see the necessity of making, or will 

 give themselves the trouble to make, any calcu- 

 lations at all. In the oversight of woods, &c. 

 much more is included than is generally supposed. 

 He who imagines, as too many do, that when 

 woods have been cut, they may be safely left to 

 themselves ; and that when the period comes 

 round again for felling, they will do all that could 

 be expected from them, has a very imperfect 

 knowledge of the subject, or, rather, no knowledge 

 at all : and further ; he who does not know that 

 woods will ultimately pay well for the highest 

 degree of care, attention, and culture, is not a 



