ESSAY ON FOREST TREES. 99 



man, it will for the first year appear very weak, and seem rather 

 inch ned to spread itself out like a creeping vine upon the earth, 

 than to lift itself toward the higher regions. Few whose minds have 

 never been instructed on the subject, would be forward to believe 

 that from such beginnings, such great results were likely to follow. 

 That this fragile plant should grow to be the giant of the wood ! 

 Such, however, are the mighty workings of those innate principles 

 which are calle d the laws of the material world. In cultivation, it 

 becomes of practical importance whether this apparently feeble 

 plant should be suffered to remain till it gathers strength to raise 

 itself upward, or after it has spread out its roots to a considerable 

 extent, and become thereby able to collect a considerable nourish- 

 ment, it may not be wiser to cut it down near the earth, under the 

 expectation justified by many experiments, that it would send out a 

 sprout, which, under these circumstances, would rise up straight 

 and soon attain a greater length even than the original stock that 

 had been taken away. The principal reason urged by those who 

 disapprove of this cutting down, is the alleged fact that sprouts 

 will never or rarely attain the size to which the original stock would 

 acquire, nor would they be so compact, strong or enduring. When 

 the sprouts spring from the stumps or roots of large trees, there 

 can, I apprehend, be little doubt of the validity of this objection, 

 so that if timber is the mark looked forward to, it probably must be 

 unwise to depend on a growth sprung up from the bottom of large 

 trees. If fuel for the fire is the result sought, the objection has 

 less weight, if we feel any regard should be paid to it. It is very 

 likely, indeed, in most instances, that from the great rapidity of 

 growth, that more would be gained fro m the increase in bulk than 

 lost in the want of solidity. In the present case, however, if the 

 cutting process be adopted, the tree is so small and bears so small a 

 proportion to the size of a fully developed tree, I must think the 

 objection has but little force, were it true, as this supposes it to 

 be, that the first shooting out of the tree did actually as time ad- 

 vances, rise up from its recumbent state and stretch its head heav- 

 enward. My own belief is, however, that this is seldom the case. 

 From what observation I have been able to make, I am convinced 

 that the top first thrown out does almost universally die either be- 

 fore or after a new sprout from near the earth starts forth, and that 

 this process of natm'e is only seconded by art when the top of the 



