34 JANUART. 



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 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 sovne stems 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 grent 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 tfleir 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 ex pence- for the person to afford re- 

 pairing ; in that ense, the longer the growth is, the 



greater 



