FOR 



FOR 



155 



ducing wood. Each farm of any 

 considerable bigness, should have 

 a forest to afford a supply of fuel 

 and timber. In clearing farms in a 

 new country, due regard should be 

 had to preserving a perpetual for- 

 est. Some have mistaken their in- 

 terest so much, as not to leave a 

 sufficient quantity of land unclear- 

 ed. So that they are put to the 

 disagreeable necessity, either of 

 buying their fire-wood, or else of 

 going some miles after it. That 

 part of a t'arm should be set apart 

 for this purpose, which is least 

 adapted by nature for tillage, or 

 grass. Land which is swampy ,with 

 a very thin soil over a sandy bot- 

 tom 5 land that is rocky and moun- 

 tainous, or which will but poorly 

 bear a dry season, or even the most 

 sandy or gravelly heights, or steep 

 declivities which cannot be plough- 

 ed, may answer well for a forest. 

 Forest trees having long roots, 

 some of which penetrate deeply, 

 will find sufficient nourishment in 

 places where corn and grass can- 

 not be cultivated to advantage. So 

 that it is very bad economy to suf- 

 fer any such places to be destitute 

 of growing trees. For if they do 

 not produce wood they are in a 

 manner useless. Or if they pro- 

 duce any grass, trees will not hurt 

 them for pasturage, but in some 

 cases make it better. 



The quantity of ground that 

 should be set apart for this use, 

 must vary according to the large- 

 ness of the farm it belongs to, and 

 according to the demand for wood, 

 the quality of the soil, and the na- 

 ture of the climate. If the climate 

 be hot, the forest may be smaller. 



A small farm cannot so well ad- 

 mit of a large lot for wood as a larg- 

 er one. Some intelligent farmers 

 in this country have thought they 

 could make a lot of ten or a dozen 

 acres answer the purpose of sup- 

 portmg one constant kitchen fire. 

 But it certainly will not, unless the 

 soil be uncommonly fruitful, and 

 the trees be such as are of the 

 quickest growth. If land be poor 

 and dry, it will require twenty 

 acres or more, to supply one single 

 fire, and keep the stock of trees 

 undif^jni'ihed. 



To thicken a forest, or to pre- 

 vent its becoming too thin, cattle 

 should be kept out at all seasons, 

 I that all the trees which spring out 

 of the ground may live and grow 

 up to maturity. And when it is 

 found needful, acorns, or other 

 seeds, should be planted, so that 

 none of the ground may continue 

 unoccupied. 



In our most southern climates, I 

 find that hard wood is more rapid 

 in its growth than in the northern. 

 And sprouts oftener grow up from 

 stumps of trees that are felled. — 

 The trees that grow up quickest in 

 general should be most cultivated. 

 Those of these kinds should be 

 more generally left standing than 

 others ; such, for instance, as the 

 red and grey oaks, ash, white ma- 

 ple, &;c. 



When a number of suckers spring 

 up from a stump, all,excepting one 

 or two, should be taken away as 

 early as possible ; then the remain- 

 ing ones will grow with rapidity. 

 Those are to be left which are tal- 

 lest, and most rapid in their 

 growth. 



