VALUE OF TIMBER. 12 j| 



grafs, on account of the fhelter afforded to the 

 lands by the plantations ; but, likewife, that cat- 

 tle which have it in their power, in cold feafons, 

 to indulge in the kindly fhelter afforded them by 

 the trees, feed better ; becaufe their bodies are 

 not pierced by the keen winds of fpring and au- 

 tumn ; neither is the tender grafs deftroyed by 

 the frofty blafts of March and April. But, in- 

 deed, fhelter is iiot more ufeful in cold feafons, than 

 the {hade of trees is gratifying to cattle in hot 

 ones. In an expofed, open field, under a burn- 

 ing fun, the torture which cattle often endure is 

 truly diftrefling. 



It may be argued, that the defirable effe&s of 

 fhelter and made may both be obtained, by fimply 

 planting fmgle rows of trees in the divifion lines, 

 or around the fides of fields. This is granted, in 

 many cafes, where the land is good^ but in fitu* 

 ations more expofed, even with tolerably good 

 foil, the rearing of fmgle trees is a matter of great 

 difficulty. But it may juftly be faid, that, even in 

 the beft of lands, by planting a ftripe or belt of a 

 moderate breadth, and keeping the fields of a 

 good fize, there would not, ultimately, be any 

 ground loft to the purpcfes of hufbandry. When 

 the trees were pad being injured by the browfing 

 of the cattle, the fences might be thrown open ; 

 and, the plants being properly thinned out, the 

 pafturage under them would be found early, and 



the 



