32 WOOD. 



January may be advisable ; but in general the land 

 should either lie till the planting, or at least have 

 only autumnal tillage. In dry soils, upon which 

 weeds have come up since that time, a ploughing 

 now may be right. If the dung designed for the 

 potatoe land is laid in the field ready for it, and the 

 weather happens to be frosty, the first opportunity 

 may be taken for carting it on, especially if the 

 land is wet enough to make a frost necessary. 



WOOD. 



There are not many districts in which woods 

 are profitable to a farmer to hire ; but when he 

 finds them a part of a farm, it is not always that he 

 can have a choice whether to take or leave them, 

 and must therefore apply himself to convert them 

 to the best profit. This month is generally a busy 

 one in felling : the men who do the work are com- 

 monly paid by measure, or tale. In some conn- 

 tries the falls are only cut and laid in rows, and 

 sold in that manner by the rood ; in others, the 

 farmer converts the stuff to the proper use, and 

 sorts it into faggots, poles, hoop-stuff, or hurdles ; 

 and this, I believe, will generally prove the most 

 profitable way. 



In cutting woods there is one point much dis- 

 puted, which is, the number of years growth at 

 which to cut. Customs vary from nine years to 

 twenty -seven, but generally about twelve or four- 

 teen. I have seen many woods, in cutting which, 

 one stem on a stool was left to be of a double age 

 at next cutting, in order to have some large wood 



in 



