ESSEX AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 115 



acorns, without preparing that field, as to sow corn or potatoes 

 without ploughing, manuring^ and after cultivating the ground. 

 We shall, in another place, speak more particularly of this ; we 

 speak of it now, lest our estimates should appear high. So, in 

 calculating the value of the product, we assume a rapid pro- 

 duction, such as care and cultivation alone will give, and not 

 such as springs up from unassisted nature. We will now sup- 

 pose, that a farmer has a ten acre lot upon his farm, which has 

 run to waste, or for which he has no profitable use. We offer, 

 to his consideration, as the most productive employment of this 

 lot, its conversion to a wood lot ; and, as an inducement for him 

 to attempt it, we state to him the cost of an oak plantation, and 

 its profit and loss for forty years, as follows : — 



Cost of planting, including ploughing, harrowing, 

 manuring, and keeping fence or wall in order, 

 at $25 per acre, .... $250 00 



Thinning, pruning, and weeding, for ten years, at 



$3 jter acre, annually, . . . 300 00 



Interest for ten years, assuming the land to be worth 



$15 per acre. ..... 270 00 



Whole cost, at the end of ten years, . . 820 00 



For the next ten years, the thinnings will fully pay 

 for the cutting and other slight attention. We 

 will, therefore, add to the above, at the end of 

 the second ten years, interest upon interest, &c., 

 &c., ..... . 492 00 



$1312 00 



At the end of twenty years, if the labor which has 

 been charged for, has been faithfully performed, 

 there will remain, say, 1000 trees to an acre, of 

 the average height of 30 feet, worth, at least, 30 

 cents each, or $300 per acre, . . $3000 00 



Deduct the cost, up to the expiration of this period, 1312 00 



And there remains a profit of . . . $1688 00 



after paying interest and expenses. 



