1 88 FORESTRY IN NEW ENGLAND 



importance of this industry by granting in 1663 to Mr. Griffin, 

 two hundred acres in consideration "that he was the first that 

 perfected the art of making pitch and tar in those parts." These 

 materials were in great demand for the uses of the British navy 

 as well as for shipbuilding generally. They commanded a ready 

 sale at high prices, and were nearly the only articles allowed by 

 England to be exported. The town of Enfield and probably 

 others granted the privilege to box a certain number of trees, 

 but this grant did not convey the land nor the trees. The 

 record of such grants reads as follows: 



"July, 1705. Mr. Joseph Sexton is posesed of so many pine 

 trees as may aford three thousand boxes which are a littel south- 

 ward of or south est of buk horn and ye same sid of wedow 

 glesons medow, these afored trees are bounded on every with 

 common land." The industry was so important that we find an 

 act in the Pubhc Records of the Colony of Connecticut providing 

 for inspection of all barrels of tar and turpentine. In 1709, the 

 inhabitants of Hartford voted "if any persons shall box any pine 

 trees within the bounds of the town of Hartford, either on the 

 comons, or undivided lands, he shall forfeit to the towns use the 

 sum of five shilhngs for every tree so improved." This act of 

 restriction probably marks the beginning of the end, such 

 measures usually coming after a scarcity has begun to be felt. 



The settlement of Massachusetts was so rapid that most of 

 the lumber was required for domestic purposes, but a great ex- 

 porting lumber business grew up in Maine at an early date. By 

 1682, there were twenty-four mills in the territory now known as 

 Maine. The most important lumber-shipping port of the colonies 

 during the seventeenth century was that of the Piscataquis 

 River. During the ten months ending April 12. 1681, according 

 to statements made by the King's Council to the Lords of Trade, 

 there were entered at that port "twenty-two ships, eighteen 

 ketches, two barkes, one scallop, and one flyboat, — in all forty- 

 seven." . . . "The Trade of the province is in masts, planks 

 and staves and all other lumber." Pine for masts and oak and 

 tamarack for shipbuilding were cut not only on the Piscataquis 



