12 MR. moseley's address. 



has in past time found much employment in ship building, and 

 if it be true, as has been asserted, that a ship of the line requires 

 all the good wood which can be usually found on fifty acres of 

 well wooded land, our prospect is alarming. From present ap- 

 pearances this business must soon be abandoned, from the want 

 of suitable timber. A good wood lot is even now considered a- 

 mong our most valuable lands. What then must be its value in 

 future time, if we go on in our present wasteful use of fuel ? — 

 Shall we have less need of it in time to come for our fires, fen- 

 ces, buildings and ships. Certainly, every year is rapidly re- 

 ducing the quantity of wood, and shall we adopt the strange pol- 

 icy of the man, who would do nothing for posterity because pos- 

 terity had done nothing for him ? Our ancestors, when they 

 landed on these shores, found themselves surrounded by dense, 

 impenetrable forests, where now are our cities, towns, villages 

 and fields smiling with plenty ; and they bestowed their greatest 

 labour to subdue those impenetrable forests, and convert them to 

 cultivated fields. There was then no need of economy. The 

 very ashes were of more value than the wood, and some of ihe 

 remaining fire-places show with what improvident profusion they 

 supplied their fires. 



In order to increase our wood lots we must direct our attention 

 to two objects. First, to preserve those which now remain, and 

 second, to raise new plantations. I believe there has been a 

 difference of opinion among our farmers as to the best course of 

 proceeding to preserve our forests. Some recommend selecting 

 out the old and decaying trees for fuel, letting the younger 

 growth stand, while others advise cutting clean, in the winter 

 season or when the sap is down. The latter is probably the 

 most general and perhaps the better opinion. It is recommend- 

 ed to cut as near the ground as possible, in order that the new 

 shoots may be thrown out near the roots. Particular care should 

 be taken to exclude catde, to prevent their cropping the young 

 shoots. It is supposed the trees will attain a sufficient growth in 

 about forty or fifty years to cut again. 



For the purpose of increasing our wood lots it will be necessa- 

 ry to turn our attention to raising new plantations. In this coun- 



