THE SEARCH AND FINDING. 9 



its praises why not from a man s own ground ? 

 There is no farmer but feels a commendable pride 

 in feeding his own grain, in luxuriating upon his own 

 poultry, in consuming his own hay why not burn 

 wood of his own growing ? It is not an extravagant 

 crop. Thirty years of rocky, wild land, else unser 

 viceable, will mature a good fire-crop ; and if there be 

 chestnut growth, will ensure sufficient size for farm 

 repairs and fencing material. A half acre of average 

 growth will supply at least one roaring winter s fire, 

 beside the chestnut for farm purposes. And thus 

 with twenty acres of wood, cut over each year, half 

 acre by half acre, I have forty years for harvesting 

 my crop ; and then, the point where I entered upon 

 my wood field is more than ready for the axe again. 

 Indeed, considering that thirty years are ample for the 

 growth of good-sized fire wood, I have a margin of 

 ten years extra groAvth, which may go to pin money ; 

 or may be credited to some few favorite timber trees 

 that stand upon the edge of the pasture, and pay 

 rental in the picture they give of patriarchal grace, 

 to say nothing of an annual harvest of chestnuts. 



Woodland, again, gives dignity to a country place ; 

 it shows a crop that wants a man s age to ripen it ; a 

 company of hoary elders conservatives, if you will 

 to preside amid the lesser harvests, and to parry the 

 rage of tempests. Mosses plant their white blight, as 

 1* 



