Cultivation of Grafs- Land. Managc iticui o/ n wds Mocks offiUins ut). 621 



\j ./ o / y_/ o / 



cut the underwood as clofe to the (lock as pofTiblc which in old woods is highly 

 prejudicial to the fucceeding fhoots as well as the cuftom of not obliging the 

 buyers to clear the woods early in the fummer, fo as to prevent the new (hoots 

 from being injured by their cattle, carnages, and other circumftances.* 



In forming or improving woods of the coppice or underwood kinds, it is parti 

 cularly neceflary to pay attention to the nature of the foil as well as that of the 

 afpect; and to adapt the trees and plants to the nature ofthefe as much as poilible, 

 at the fame time taking into the confederation the kinds that are moft ufeful and 

 moft in requeft in the diftrid: or immediate vicinity, as from its bulky nature it is 

 in general the moft profitable when difpofed of without the trouble of much 

 carriage. Various forts of plants and trees, as has been feen above, may be employed 

 in this way, according to the ftate of the foilj but it has beenobferved that &quot;taking 

 the general demand of countries, and the peculiarities of different foils, into confi- 

 deration, there is no kind of vvoodfo generally proper forplanting in this way as afh. 

 This value of am-poles being at leaft one-third more, and frequently as much again 

 per hundred weight, as that of other poles (being applicable at all fizes to fome 

 ufeful purpofe or otherj ; the timber being always in requeft, and faleable 

 at any age or fize, at almoft the price of oak ; and the wood itfelf being as quick a 

 grower as any, and quicker than moft; and above all, there being but few foils from 

 the blackeft and wetteft bogs to the higheft and moft expofed mountains, where 

 it will not grow , are reafons why afh is one of the moft profitable woods to plant 

 in fuch coppices as are favourable to its growth. But in foils and fituations where 

 afh does iwt grow kindly, let fuch other forts of woods be planted as appear ta 

 thrive beft in fimilar foils and lituations in the fame country. Spanifh chcfnut, 

 though not fo general a grower as afh, is a moft excellent wood, either for timber 

 or underwood, and wants only to be more known to be higher in eftimation. It 

 partakes much of the properties of oak, but excels it in two points, viz. that it 

 grows fafter, and that thefap part of the timber is firmer and lefs corruptible.!&quot; 



If it be profitable to plant new woods, it is certainly much more fo to protect 

 thofe that are already planted, to fill them up where thin, and to reftore them when 

 in a ftate of decline. The expenfe in this way is not only leflened by the faving 



* Davis in Bath Papers* i Ibid. 



