t2 INTRODUCTION.' 



s just caufe of alarm, from the increafmg decay 

 and fcarcity of an article fo eflentially necefiary to 

 the empire, the knowledge of fuch an impending 

 danger would be the ftrongeft incitement to the 

 public at large cordially to concur in every mea- 



ure which Government may think neceflary to 

 ward off fo ferious a calamity. If an example he 

 wanting of the benefit to be produced by the diffu- 

 fion of a knowledge of the ftate of timber in the 

 kingdom, a very ftrong proof is to be found in 

 the effect which was produced by the writings of 

 Evelyn, foon after the Reftoration, which excited 

 a fpirit of planting throughout the kingdom; and 

 the Minifters of that time, alarmed at the defola- 

 tion which had been committed during the civil 

 wars, gave great attention to the prefervation and 

 increafe of timber in the Royal forefts, particu- 

 larly the foreft of Dean* As it is almoft unirer- 

 fally allowed that oak trees, to grow to a fize fit 

 for the navy, require from eighty to a hundred 

 and fifty years, according to the quality of the 

 foil, it is obvious, that the vaft quantities of great 

 timber confumed by our navy, during the prefent 

 reign, were chiefly the produce of the plantations 

 made between the Reftoration and the end of 

 the iyth century, on private property, in almoft 

 every part of England, as well as in the Royal 

 forefts ; and which had been occafioned by the 

 publication of the ft ate of timber ip the kingdom, 



and 



