JNEW ENGLAND FAIiMER. 



PUBLISHED BY THOMAS \V. SHF.PARU, ROGERS' UUILDINGS, CONGRESS STREET, (TOURTH DOOR KROM STATE STREET.) 



Vol. I. 



BOSTON, SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1823. 



No. 42. 



From the Mass. ^^gruidlurat Hcpuiitort/. 

 The foUowinj^ letter from the Hon. .rotin Welles, lo 

 Corresponding; Secrct.iry, on Forest Trees, relates 

 .1 subject of the greatest importance to the State of 

 issachusetts, a State destined to become very popn- 

 is by its industry, its capital, and its superior advan- 

 ces of all descriptions for extensive manufactures. — 

 le best mode of preserving; our wood-lots from decay, 

 11 be ascertained only by extensive and frequently 

 peated experiments. No man in New England has 

 joyed greater opportunities than Mr. Welles, of inak- 

 ^ and witnessing such experiments. 



I some time since, in a communication to the 

 griculturat Sociotv, made some observations 

 pon the growth and culture of the apple tree, 

 Vo. 1, vol. G) with a view of stating from ex- 

 eriment how the natural disadvantages of soil 

 light be counteracted. 



It is now my intention to resume the subject, 

 If the purpose of leading to a more general 

 nquiry as to the laws which govern and rSgH- 

 ite vegetable life, as well in tiint majestic pro- 

 uction of nature, the Forest Tree, as in the 

 uit-bearing tribes. 



How then amongst us is vegetable life affect- 

 i!J by climate ? How, by other causes ? and what 



tiie duration of the several kinds of Trees? 



That these questions may be rightly answer- 

 d, known facts are to be collected from the ob- 

 ■rving; and such results must be obtained as 

 lay lead to the most accurate decision of which 

 le subject is susceptible. Thus, whilst in this 

 leat process of nature, general knowledge is 

 ilarged, it becomes the immediate source of 

 1 actical utility. Or in other words, experi- 

 ice, gathering strength as lime passes by, bc- 

 imes our unerring guide. Much has already 

 een done by the publication of extracts from 

 lichaux, relating to the varieties in the Amer- 

 ;an Ibrest. But if with a like zeal we can ob- 

 lin from others of the present time, whose in- 

 jrmation is competent, known facts as to the 

 ■Xc of trees ; there is no doubt sufficier.t knowl- 

 ilge might be had, to establish a general sys- 

 eni accurate enough for every wished for pur- 

 pose. 



And why should not the laws which influ- 

 nce vegetables, be as detinite as those which 

 overn animal life ? What one generation can- 

 lOt do, let two eflect. And as to exceptions, let 

 t be remembered, that they do not disprove 

 )ut establish general laws. 



A time will come (especially if coal is not 

 ound more abundantly with us) when from the 

 ncrease of our population and our manufac- 

 ures, the cutting off and the re-growth of our 

 orests, or to use a more appropriate term, our 

 " vood lots, will lorm an important subject of 

 alculation. It will be desirable to estimate 

 ivith precision, at what period the earth will 

 again present a renewed growth ; as well as 

 he most beneficial time and mode of using the 

 i\e. Some indeed may be so favored with 

 length of days as to avail themselves of this la- 

 bor of the earth more than once. But if not 

 to their successors and to the community, the 

 ■subject is highly important and replete with 

 interest. The diversity of opinion on these 

 topics, and the occasional and scattered in«taii- 

 ';es of the great longevity of trees, while they 



Irender the subject more intricate, make it also 

 ;inore essential as a topic of enquiry. These 

 i variations from the general law in this country, 

 [ \s well as other similar ones in past ages and in 

 i he present times, should form no impediment 

 I the general rtde. 



I As relates to our forests or wood land, it is a 

 fact generally known, that where they are cut 

 off and a renewed growth is wished for, if they 

 are of hard wood, they should be cut when the 

 sap is down, or the leaf off the tree. This be- 

 ing mostly in the winter season, is most conven- 

 ient to our husbandmen. It is considered as 

 ivery essential by European writers as well as 

 ■ome of our own country, that trees should be 

 Mit as near the ground us possible, as a means 

 )f throwing back the suckers more toward the 

 •oots. This practice is dictated also by ec.ino- 

 ny as a saving of the best part of the wood and 

 imber. In the publications of the Scotch Ag- 

 ricultural Board, Sy Sir John Sinclair, it is ob- 

 served, " that of the trees which being cut 

 Jown send forth no shoots, are the beech and 

 the whole family of the pines." They are 

 considered in Europe " as limited to one gen- 

 eration." There is a mode here, however, as 

 lo the latter tree which has the effect of pro- 

 ducing a succession. After cutting off a pine 

 ot, the plough is introduced, a crop of rye is 

 iibtained beneficially, and the seeds of the pine 

 vhich were on the surface being thus buried 

 in the soil, a new and rapid growth is produced. 

 This is aided if one or two middle sized seed- 

 bearing trees are left on an acre. It is said that 

 in some parts of our country there is a change 

 or a succession of ditTerent growths, even of 

 different genera or families. Upon this seem- 

 ing incongruity 1 cannot reason, from want of 

 experience. 



As to the important principle, at what age or 

 how otten it is best to cut off our wood, we 

 should on the whole be disposed to name a pe- 

 riod between 40 and 50 years, as most favora- 

 ble for what is termed hard-wood trees. The 

 writer here refers not only to a variety of facts 

 as to lots in diflerent parts of this state, but to 

 opinions of many judicious farmers. This is 

 corroborated by a number of experiments, 

 where portions of a lot have been cut ofT at the 

 period of time above stated, and the product of 

 which considerably exceeded that of other 

 parts of the same lots, which had been left 

 standing, in the aggregate quantity upon an 

 acre. This was the more discernible where 

 the ground had been cut clean ; a practice 

 which cannot be too highly recommended. 



By the agricultural reports before alluded to, 

 it appears that in the lots reserved for wood 

 (called coppices) it is considered as most profit- 

 able to cut off the growth every 40 years. It 

 will be perceived that for this country a long- 

 er period is inclined to. 



As to the pine, that called the pitch pine, 

 {Pinus Rigida,) is the prevailing growth in this 

 State. The general opinion is that it may be 

 cut to advantage once in about 40 years. 



Though trees may shoot up in heighth by 

 standing longer, yet the period of most rapid 

 Tegctation is mostly over, and by this means 



much of the under growth is necessarily dc- 

 strojed. 



It may be here remarked, that those trees 

 which took their start in the earlier stages of 

 vegetation on our soil, and have grown separ- 

 ate, have put at a distance all competition. 

 Having the advantage of extent of ground, air, 

 light, &.C. besides lieing more valuable as tim- 

 ber, they have attained greater age and size 

 than has bet^n since known. 



One observation will tend to the vindication 

 of our country from that censure, which ha* 

 been bestowed upon us by some superficial 

 travellers. We have been condemned as evin- 

 cing a want of taste in cutting off our forests 

 without leaving what it would take a half cen- 

 tury to produce, a shade near where it is pro- 

 posed to erect buildings. The fact is, that 

 trees of original growth have their roots most- 

 ly in the upjier stratum of earth and near the 

 surface. A tree acts upon its roots, and is act- 

 ed upon by the wind, sustaining in common 

 with the whole forest the force of this element, 

 and it becomes accommodated or naturalized lo 

 the pressure. But when left alone or unsus- 

 tained, it is borne down by the first gale, often 

 to the injury of property, and even of life. It 

 is true wisdom therefore, that induces the set- 

 tler to cut or girdle the whole growth, that a 

 danger so serious may be avoided. 



Considering the oak as the monarch of the 

 wood, we begin where this tree predominates. 

 From a careful examination of several lots of 

 considerable extent, which have been cut clean, 

 and where tnere could be little doubt that the 

 growth was, as it were, primeval ; not more 

 than seventy rings could be discovered. As the 

 outer rings were not very distinct, it may be 

 fairly inferred, that many years might have 

 passed by without this indication of increase. 

 The result seems sufhcient, more especially if 

 it shall be confirmed by coincident facts, to es- 

 tablish the preceding hypothesis ; that it is gen- 

 erally most beneficial to cut off our ivood lots 

 at some period between forty and lit'ty years ; 

 varying the rule somewhat as circumstances 

 may dictate. 



Where lots are left for a much longer period, 

 or where the old trees arc gradually selected 

 as wanted by the proprietor, the growth be- 

 comes more and more feeble. 



The English writers generally lay down a 

 different result from what aiqienrs to be the 

 fact in this country as to the growth of wood. 



First they assert, that after a period of about 

 fifty years the fotPst trees will not shoot anew 

 after being cut over. This is so far from be- 

 ing the case here, that it is believed th-at scarce 

 an instance has occurred, where lots are fenced 

 and catlle are kept out, but that a new growth 

 has rewarded the owner of the soil. In sever- 

 al lots of old growth upon Blue Hill in Milton, 

 it was predicted that there would not be a new 

 growth. The wood was cut off in about 1800, 

 and there is now a tine vigorous succession of 

 the same sort of trees. 



Old lots, when the wood is taken therefrom, 

 are too often left exposed as pastures or in com- 

 mons ; the roots are surcharged with sap ; the 



