Cultivation of Grafs Land. Munagtmcut of J Foods Cutting of. 6\5 



and the ufes to which the \vood is to be applied when cut. In the article of un 

 derwood, not only the intereft of money, but the lofs of the fucceeding growth, 

 tell againft the value of (landing wood after it is fit to cut, and make it doubly 

 the advantage of the owner to cut his underwood as early as it is fuleablc. As 

 Toon, therefore, as any kind of wood is fit for the ufes of the country, it fhould 

 then be cur, unlefs it can be made appear that it will pay compound int. .-re ft for 

 (landing longer, or, in other words, will pay not only the fimple intercftof the firft 

 value, butalfo the lofs of fo many years growth of the wood, as fo far advanced 

 towards another crop. Wood merely for fuel can fcarcely be cut too young. 

 Hazel is ufually fit for hurdles and dead hedges, from nine to twelve years old ; 

 afli for flicep cribs, at the fame age ; and afli and other woods for hop-poles, from 

 eleven to fourteen years old ; while afli for carpenters and other large ufes,. alder, 

 birch, and willows for rafters, turners ufes, pattens, clogs, and coal-pit ufes, fhould 

 fland from fix teen to twenty years before the poles are large enough for their 

 refpeclive purpofes.&quot; 



The bufincfs of cutting wood ufually commences in November, and may be 

 carried on through the winter months till February or March ; but fhould be 

 completed before the beginning of April, except where the wood is to be barked ; 

 in which cafe the beginning of May may be the moft proper, as it will then general 

 ly run the beft. 



Opinions have differed much, Mr. Davis obferves, &quot;refpecting the moft proper 

 time of the year for cutting underwood ; but there is one rule which, on the feller s 

 part, is without exception, viz. that the older the wood is the later in the fpring it 

 ihould be cut. When old wood is cut early in the winter, and a hard winter fol 

 lows, the damage done to the flocks is very great ; young flourishing wood wilj; 

 bear cutting at any proper feafon. But on the part of the buyer it is allowed that 

 all woods are more durable when cut in the moft ftagnant ftateof thefap ; and in all 

 ufes where bending is required, fuch as hurdles, hoops, and. even dead hedges, 

 the wood cannot be cut too early in the winter, being, if cut when the fap is 

 rifing, brittle, and unfit for thofe purpofes. * Oak underwood, as bark fells at 

 prefent, may pay well for {landing till the fap is up for barking, and the flocks 

 \vill feldom be much hurt by the practice. 



The work of cutting wood is moftly performed by meafare, or what is fome- 

 times termed tale. The wood is differently managed in different diftricls ; in. 



VOL. ii. 4 L 



