CHAP, in S YL V A 61 



23. It should be in this status^ vigour and perfection 

 of trees, (which for the oak I take to be about the 

 age of 50, or 'twixt that and 60 years growth, where 

 the soil is natural) that a felling should be celebrated ; 

 since whilst our woods are growing it is pity, and 

 indeed too soon ; and when they are decaying, too 

 late. I do not pretend that a man (who has occasion 

 for timber) is obliged to attend so many ages e're he 

 fell his trees ; but I do by this infer, how highly 

 necessary it were, that men should perpetually be 

 planting ; that so posterity might have trees fit for 

 their service of competent, that is, of a middle growth 

 and age, which it is impossible they should have, if 

 we thus continue to destroy our woods, without this 

 providential planting in their stead, and felling what 

 we do cut down, with great discretion, and regard of 

 the future. 



I know it is an objection, or rather an unreasonable 

 excuse of the slothful neglect of successive and con- 

 tinual planting, upon so tedious an expectation of what 

 is not likely to be timber in our time : But as this 

 is quite otherwise, (provided men would be early at 

 the work) they might have sufficient of their own 

 planting, (nay, from the very rudiment and seeds) 

 abundantly to recompence their patience and attend- 

 ance, living to the age men usually attain, by the 

 common course of nature ; with how much more 

 improvement to their children and posterity ? and 

 this minds me of what's reported of the Emperor 

 Maximilian the lid. That by chance finding an 

 ancient husbandman setting date-stones, asks him 

 what his meaning was to plant a tree that required 

 an hundred years before it bare any fruit ? Sir, replies 

 the good man, I have children, and they may have 



