MAIVAGEMEN'T OF WOOD LAND. 128 



UCOXOMY OF MANAGING WoOD LaND, SO AS TO MAKE DU- 

 RABLE PROVISION FOR F¥EL. 



The practice of the populous nations of Europe, where 

 forests have been cut off centuries ago, and who are compelled 

 to resort to measures of the strictest economy to supply 1 hem- 

 selves with fuel, ought to have great weight with us. France 

 in an especial manner, ought to be looked up to for lessons on 

 this subject. Her vast and thickly settled population, her 

 numerous manufactures, her poverty in mineral coal, the 

 eminence which she has attained in all economical arts, entitle 

 her to great respect. It is the practice of the French people 

 not to cut off their woods oftener than once -ii twenty or twen- 

 ty-five years, and by law , when they are cut over, the owner 

 is obliged to cut the whole smooth, with the exception of a 

 very few trees which the officers of the government had 

 marked to be spared for longer growth. This example proves 

 that in the opinion of the French scientific and political men,, 

 it is expedient, where wood lands are cut, that they should be 

 cut smooth, in order that the new growth might start ^^gether, 

 not overshaded with other trees of larger growth."* It has 

 been said too, that the practical economists of that country are 

 of the opinion that the young sprouts will spring and grow 

 more rapidly, from the roots of trees which are cut in the full 

 vigor of their early growth, before they have arrived even 

 very near to their maturity ; and that therefore the greatest 

 quantity of wood for fuel may be produced from a given quan- 

 tity of land, by cutting the trees smooth and clean at about 

 their middle size, and the land inclosed, so as to keep off all 

 animals which may injure the growth of the young sprouts. 

 By the system of management which now prevails, (inFrance)it 

 is computed that their forests and the supplies which they fur- 

 nish, will never diminish, and that there wijl be always suffi- 

 cient for domestic consumptien for fuel, as well as for archi- 

 tectural and naval purposes.f 



France, it appears, is the only country in Europe, if not in the 

 world, which has been so long improved with a crowded popu- 

 lation, where fuel is so plenty and cheap, and it is obv-iously to 

 be attributed to their peculiar system of managing their wood 

 i lands, which is entirely different from that which has general- 

 ly hitherto prevailed in the United States of America. 



Here the first object in making new settlements, is to cle^ 



* New England Farmer, title wood land p. h\Q. 

 t M, Micour, on the forest trees of North America. 



