Of Woods. 475 



come, with as much certainty as arable land ; and that when 

 sold, every pains be taken to procure their full value. By 

 these means, and the reservation of an adequate share of 

 large timber, the proprietor will generally have a safe, and 

 perhaps an improving treasure at his command ( 534 ). 



In Scotland, it is the general practice of wood holders, to 

 reserve, at every cutting, a certain number of trees, of the 

 most beautiful and promising appearance, to become timber 

 at a future period. At the first cutting, about the age of 

 24 or 30 years, between 3 and 400 trees per acre, are gene- 

 rally reserved. At the second cutting, when they are 48 

 years standing, the number is considerably diminished. They 

 are still farther reduced when they are 72 years old, and the 

 process is sometimes extended to a longer period, when 

 timber is obtained of a considerable size, and applicable to 

 various domestic and naval purposes. The abstraction of 

 nourishment, and the droppings of a large tree, will, in a 

 considerable degree, affect the young shoots in the neigh- 

 bourhood ; but the injury thus sustained, must perhaps be 

 borne, because, in a public point of view, the possession of 

 large timber is an object of national importance ( 535 ). 



The trees principally grown in woods are the oak, the 

 beech, and the birch. 



1. Some of the best English oak is naturally produced in 

 the Weald of Sussex, and underwood is there considered to 

 be its best screen or nursery, contributing greatly to the 

 growth of the trees mixed with it, by its shelter and protec- 

 tion. The standards in Sussex produce about 5s. per acre 

 per annum ; and the underwood, while it grows, at the same 

 rate ; which brings both to a par with the arable and grass 

 land in the neighbourhood, as they rent at about 10s. per 

 acre. But the trees, when they increase in size, do mischief 

 to the underwood, and when the timber is left standing for 

 100 or 120 years, the underwood is effectually destroyed. 

 Lord Sheffield sold 30 acres of wood for L.1400 or L.46, 13s. 

 per acre, which divided by 100, when the oak arrives at 

 perfection, is 9s. per acre per annum, besides the profit of 

 the underwood, while it remained productive ( 53<J ). Some 

 of the best thriving woods on the Petworth estate, yield of 

 gross produce, at the rate of 20s. per acre per annum, and 

 of net profit about 12s. ( 537 ) The profit from timber, how- 

 ever, in other places, was so inconsiderable, that the income 

 produced, was less from woods, than from arable, or pas- 

 ture lands, of similar quality : and this disproportion exist- 

 ed, though timber has increased, within the last 15 years, 



