76 OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 



At the time of the Restoration the forests of 

 Britain still supplied all the timber and other 

 wood required by the country. But the supply 

 of oak for the king's navy and for the growing 

 mercantile fleet had run so short, that those in 

 authority were much concerned about future 

 supplies. So much so was this the case, that 

 the necessity for doing something to encourage 

 the growth of timber, and especially of oak, 

 was pressed upon the king's notice. The plan 

 resolved on was to get his then recently-founded 

 Royal Society to select some one of light and 

 leading to discourse upon the pleasures and 

 profits of growing timber. The man selected 

 for this purpose was John Evelyn, a younger 

 son of the Squire of Wotton, in Surrey, one 

 of those taking a chief part in the foundation 

 of the Royal Society, the Presidentship of which 

 he thrice subsequently refused. He had all the 

 requisite qualifications for the task proposed. 

 Filling various offices as a Commissioner of the 

 Crown, he was well known and liked in the best 

 society of the town, where he was also already 

 recognised as somewhat of an authority on mat- 

 ters of rural economy. Besides these essential 



