135 



filling, and ripening sufficiently, and also, 

 has a direct tendency to promote the 

 mildew ; an evil, under which the coun- 

 try is, at this moment, (1805), suiFering 

 severely. 



If required to give an opinion, of the 

 policy of planting trees in such situations, 

 we should say, that it was worthy of the 

 times which gave it birth : we cannot fix 

 the date, but know their character, which 

 was that of extreme ignorance, so far as 

 regarded agricultural pursuits. 



When a timber owner occupies the land 

 himself, the loss falls in its proper place, 

 but not so when, as is much more com- 

 mon, it is let to a tenant, who must pay 

 both rent and taxes. By him these in- 

 mates may be considered as soldiers at 

 free quarters, who will be served first, re- 

 gardless whether any thing is left behind ; 

 while the tenant is put upon doing, what 

 human nature, in its present imperfect 



