44 S Y L V A BOOK i 



8. There are other rules concerning the situation 

 of trees ; the former author commending the north- 

 east-wind both for the flourishing of the tree, and 

 advantage of the timber ; but to my observation in 

 our climates, where those sharp winds do rather 

 flanker than blow fully opposite upon our plantations, 

 they thrive best ; and there are as well other circum- 

 stances to be considered, as they respect rivers and 

 marshes obnoxious to unwholsom and poysonous 

 fogs, hills and seas, which expose them to the 

 weather ; and those sihifragi venti, our cruel and 

 tedious western-winds ; all which I leave to observa- 

 tion, because these accidents do so universally govern, 

 that it is not easie to determine farther than that the 

 timber is commonly better qualified which hath 

 endur'd the colder aspects without these prejudices. 

 And hence it is that Seneca observes, wood most 

 expos'd to the winds to be the most strong and solid, 

 and that therefore Chiron made Achilles's spear of a 

 mountain-tree ; and of those the best, which grow 

 thin, not much shelter'd from the north. Again, 

 Theophrastus seems to have special regard to places ; 

 exemplifying in many of Greece, which exceeded 

 others for good timber, as doubtless do our oaks in 

 the Forest of Dean all others of England : And much 

 certainly there may reasonably be attributed to these 

 advantages for the growth of timber, and of almost 

 all other trees, as we daily see by their general im- 

 prosperity, where the ground is a hot gravel, and a 

 loose earth : An oak, or elm in such a place shall 

 not in an hundred years, overtake one of fifty, plant- 

 ed in its proper soil ; though next to this, and 

 (haply) before it, I prefer the good air. But thus 

 have they such vast junipers in Spain ; and the ash 



