Penjylvania, Philadelphia. 135 



to-day j but if it be ufeful one way, it does 

 a great deal of damage in another ; all the 

 young moots of feveral trees were burnt 

 with the dead leaves, which diminifhes the 

 woods confiderably ; and in fuch places 

 where the dead leaves had been burnt for 

 feveral years together, the old trees only 

 were left, which being cut down, there 

 remains nothing but a great field, without 

 any wood. At the fame time all forts of 

 trees and plants are confumed by the fire, 

 or at leaft deprived of their power of bud- 

 ding ; a great number of the plants, and 

 moft of the graffes here, are annual ; their 

 feeds fall between the leaves, and by that 

 means are burnt : This is another caufe of 

 univerfal complaint, that grafs is much 

 fcarcer at prefent in the woods than it was 

 formerly ; a great number of dry and hol- 

 low trees are burnt at the fame time, 

 though they could ferve as fewel in the 

 houfes, and by that means fpare part of the 

 forefts. The upper mould likewife burns 

 away in part by that means, not to men- 

 tion feveral other inconveniences with 

 which this burning of the dead leaves is 

 attended. To this purpofe the govern- 

 ment of Penfyhania have lately publimed 

 an edict, which prohibits this burning; 

 jievcrthelefs every one did as he pleafed, 

 I 4 



