37^2 OBSEftVATIONS ON THE DISEASES, &C. 



Among the more early enquirers, were the Com- 

 missioners appointed by Parliament to examine into 

 the state of the woods, forests, and land revenues 

 of the crown ; who, in the course of their surveys, 

 had perceived a great number of trees in the Royal 

 forests to be materially injured ; and their anxiety 

 to prevent the loss, or farther damage, of so much 

 valuable timber, induced them to honour me with 

 a letter * concerning the effects of injuries done to 

 oak-trees, and the means of preventing or curing 

 defects in timber from various causes therein 

 stated. 



In reply to this inquiry of the Commissioners, 

 I did myself the honour of addressing them two 

 successive letters, t 



Shortly after the date of these letters, the Com- 

 missioners favoured me with a visit at Kensington, 

 to examine the process and mode of cure which I 

 had adopted, as well as the effects which my remedy 

 had produced on trees of various kinds and ages to 

 which it had been applied. Those gentlemen 

 seemed, in a most particular manner, to interest 

 themselves in ascertaining the utility and benefit 

 that might arise from the application of it to many 

 thousand valuable trees in His Majesty's woods and 

 forests, which had received injuries of such a kind 

 as, if left to the unassisted efforts of nature, would 

 occasion a very considerable diminution in the va- 



* See No. I. of the Appendix. 



t See Nos. II, and III. of the Appendix. 



