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Upon the subject of English Fir Tim-- 

 ber, (the Larch included,) I have been 

 somewhat diffuse, for this plain reason ; 

 the credit of most other sorts of timber 

 is sufficiently established, while the va- 

 lue of English Fir is so little under- 

 stood, that, with many pretended judges, 

 it is still a question, whether it is entitled 

 to any credit at all. To such I would 

 say, continue to doubt, if you please, 

 but by no means commit yourselves, by 

 presuming to influence the opinions of 

 others, or joining in the cry of deprecia- 

 tion, till you are well informed in all the 

 following points, viz. The specific dif- 

 ference which age makes in it, — the mode 

 of improving it by culture, — the time 

 of cutting down, — the manner of sea- 

 soning, — and the proper mode of appli- 

 cation. — Apply these to the case of 

 other timber, and we find all the cir- 

 cumstances, (the second excepted, and 

 who can estimate the loss in conse- 

 quence ?) pretty well understood ; and 



