JAN.] WOOD* 33 



in each fall. The question is, whether such stems 

 draw from the root so much nourishment as to les- 

 sen the young growth as much as the large shoots 

 amount to. From viewing such woods, I have ob- 

 served, that the part of twelve years growth, among 

 which were some of one stem, twenty-four years 

 old, was as good as others, where the whole was 

 only twelve. If so, the additional growth is nearly 

 all profit ; but if not, it certainly makes the wood 

 when cut more saleable, and applicable to more 

 purposes. 



One great point to be attended to in the ma- 

 nagement of woods, and to which too much atten- 

 _tion cannot be paid, is to keep the fences in the 

 very best order possible ; for a farmer or landlord 

 had better let cattle into their wheat, than into 

 their underwood ; because their biting and mang- 

 ling one year's shoot, is doing mischief to the 

 amount of at least three years growth* But if 

 woods are so ill fenced and so extensive, as to be 

 too great an expence for the person to afford re- 

 - pairing ; in that case, the longer the growth is, the 

 greater will be the profit ; for supposing that cattle, 

 upon an average, eat three years growth, then there 

 are three in twelve or fourteen destroyed ; whereas, if 

 the term is twenty-four years growth, still there are 

 but three destroyed ; which is doubly advantageous. 

 These are points which should be well considered ; 

 and^also what is the age at which the various sorts 

 of underwood attain the greatest weight, having 



D always 



