620 Cultivation of Grafs- Land. Management oj JVoods. Underwocds. 



tions a very profitable thing, to have woods for the purpofe of cutting for the ufc 

 of thefarm, or with the view of fale ; but in either intention it is abfolutely necefTary 

 that they be kept in a good flate of prefervation from the deftructive browfing or 

 croppings of cattle, by proper fences, and well flocked with the moft ufeful forts of 

 wood that are capable of being grown to advantage on the peculiar foil and fituation, 

 as, without due attention in thefe refpects, from moft of the flocks that afford the 

 wood &quot; being in fact only pollard trees growing underground, it is obvious that the 

 produce of fuch flocks mufl, like the (hoots of pollard trees, be themofl abundant 

 when the parent flocks are in the greateft perfection ; that until they attain that 

 perfection it mufl be finall j and that, when paft that perfection, they gradually 

 decline ; the moots from them become weaker and fewer every fuccefiive cutting, 

 and the flocks finally decay and die^ To prevent the decay of woods it is neceffary 

 of courfe from time to time, to renew them by raifing new flocks to fupply the 

 place of thofe which gradually wear out or are deflroyed. But bcfides the regu 

 lar decay of age, to which all woods are liable, there are other injuries to which 

 they are expofed, and which fpeedily and prematurely bring on their decay, unlefs 

 prevented by proper means. One is the pernicious cuflom of fuffering cattle to 

 feed in woods, under an idea that, after they are of a certain age, as feven years, the 

 (hoots are grown out of the way, and cannot be hurt. In flrong thriving woods, 

 it is poffible that cattle may do but little harm to the underwood, after it is feven or 

 eight years old; but all the young plants, which either fpring up fpontaneoufly 

 or are planted in them, mufl be liable to be cropped and kept down, and few of 

 them can come to perfection. And in weak decaying woods, there is always a 

 great deal of the underwood fo low as never to get out of the reach of cattle, but 

 conflantly liable to be cropt and kept down by them, and the decay of the flocks 

 confequently much haflened. Another caufe of the early decay of woods, is the 

 want of draining fuch parts of them as are fubject to be moift and damp ; nothing 

 being fo prejudicial to wood as too much wet. This begins to be well underflood 

 in mofl draining diflricts, and has been practifed with fuccefs. A third caufe of 

 decay, is the cuflom of fuffering woods to grow too old before cutting, whereby 

 the flrong fhoots fmother the weak ones, and, by their dropping, kill the flocks on 

 which they grow. And to this may be added the practice of permitting the buyer 

 to cut the wood &amp;gt; thereby making it his interefl to deflroy every fapling, and to 



