216 THE PRACTICAL PLANTER. 



of our own island, which has been properly 

 cared for ? Were it even so, should this di- 

 minish our anxiety, or make us less soli- 

 citous about a matter which is of the first 

 national importance ? 



Nevertheless, while I wish to enforce the 

 propriety of planting, and to hold out the 

 profits to view, I would wish to discriminate 

 between extremes. Although, it is probable, 

 that all lands in the kingdom at this day, 

 which lie under healthy timber, and are 

 fully cropped, cannot be occupied to better 

 purpose ; yet it is also probable, that too 

 much land of a certain description might soon 

 be planted. 



It becomes a matter of caution in the pro- 

 prietor of an estate, to weigh well his parti- 

 cular situation, and consider duly of the 

 soil and exposure of his lands, before he 

 proceed to plant ; lest, by chance, he be 

 afterwards disappointed in the expected value 

 of his crop. At the same time, it becomes 

 him to consider probable circumstances, 

 which at a future period might turn to hi* 

 particular advantage ; such as, the possibility 

 of a navigable canal passing "his way ; the 



