88 SYLVA FLORIFERA. 



of every daughter, upon his waste grounds, 

 which were, on an average, worth one pound 

 each on her coming of age; thus enabling 

 him to give her a fortune of 1000/., without 

 any extraordinary economy on his part; the 

 regular thinning of the trees, at proper sea- 

 sons, with barking, &c., paying off all the 

 current expences, besides yielding him a small 

 rent for the land." 



This, however, was when WOOL was thought 

 a larger sum for a daughter's fortune than at 

 present ; but by stating some experiments of 

 a later date, it will be sufficiently manifested 

 how much planting of trees, even upon small 

 portions of land, is connected with domestic 

 economy, and which will be found in the his- 

 tory of the fir and the sycamore. 



In Yorkshire, very recently, 5000 oaks 

 were cut down, which yielded the sum of 

 100,000/. ; and as recently, in Somersetshire, 

 the timber of an estate of 2000 acres, was re- 

 fused to an offer of 50,000/. 



The number of canals which have lately 

 been cut, and the excellence of the roads in 

 most parts of the kingdom, must act as a 

 great stimulus towards planting, as by the faci- 

 lity with which timber can now be conveyed 

 from the most inland districts to the coast, the 

 price will be more generally equalized. 



In remote times, when this island was over- 



