J\EW EUTGL-AJ^D FARMER, 



AND GARDENER' S JOURNAL 



I'URLISHEI) BY GEORGE C. BARRETT, NO 52 NORTH MARKFT STRrrT /a ~Z 



, nw. oi INUKIH MAKKbT bPKEET, (Agricultcral Warehouse.) — T. G. FESSENDEN, EDITOR. 



VOT.. XIII. 



BOSTON, AVEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 22, 183.5. 



NO. 41. 



MR MOSELEY'S ADDRESS 



BEFORE THE 



;SSF. X COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETV, 



At tlie Annunl Catde Show, at New Rowley, 



September 95, 1834. 



[Oonlinueil Irom p.ige 315.1 



In England, as in tliis country, the management 

 ■f forest trees and wood lots is left wholly to the 

 liscretion of their respective owners, with this 

 .xception, that in England the government claim 

 right to certain large timber for purposes of 

 aval architecture. In France, the whole forests 

 f the kingdom, whether royal domains or pri- 

 ate i)roperty, are under the du-ection of com- 

 lissioners of the forests, and no individual can 

 nt down an acre of his wood without permission 

 f government. Such is the character of the 

 ws, and the rigid system of inspection, that it is 

 ilculated the forests of France, and tlie supplies 

 " wood from them, will never diminish, and that 

 lere will always he sutficient for domestic con- 

 miption, for fuel as well as for civil and naval 

 chitectnre. Even during the revolution, when 

 e, property, and the dearest rights of man were 

 sregarded and involved in one general ruin, 

 hen havoc and plunder sought every thing 

 hich time and habit had rendered valuable, her 

 eat and extensive forests were sacredly preserv- 

 . England is abundantly supplied with miner- 

 coal for domestic purposes, and for her exten- 

 'e niaimfactories, while in France, wood is used 

 nost exclusively. It is, therefore, highly im- 

 rtant that she should have laivs, and those 

 ictly enforced for preserving her forests and 

 )ods. — Nor is it less important in our own comi- 

 '. I could wish all our forests and wood lots 

 der the control of commissioners like those of 

 ance, although it might operate severely upon 

 vate rights. But, as in many other cases, these 

 vate rights might be yielded "up for the j)ublic 

 3d. r would require every public highway in the 

 Timouwealth to be lined, on each side, at the 

 tance of two or three rods, with the elm, but- 

 i-wood, maple, ash, oak, or some other forest 

 B. This would not only afford a delightful 

 de for the traveller, but it would produce a 

 hly valuable growth of wood. I have often 

 a surprise that onr farmers should i>ot more 

 lerally cultivate trees, about their houses, for 

 de and ornament. This might be done with 

 expense, but a few hours of labor, and it would 

 der their habitations more pleasant and give to 

 m a great additional value, should they have 

 asion to sell ; or should the estate descend to 

 ir heirs, these trees would be a living monu- 

 it to their memories, while that raised by the 

 d of affection may have crutnbled to the (lust. 

 .h what feelings of veneration <lo we often see 

 majestic elm, spreading its mighty branches, 

 throwing its cooling shade around the humble 

 ision of some former personage. Such trees 

 y with them lessons of instruction to gencra- 

 s which never heard the voice of him who 

 ited them. 



Perhaps no country in the world is so highly 

 favored iu the beauty, variety, and utility of her 

 forest trees as the United States ; or perhaps I 

 should say North America. Monsieur Michaux. a 

 French gentleman, of much science and a distin- 

 guished botanist, made a voyage to this country 

 in 1802 for the purpose of examining our forests, 

 and in 1806 he was employed by the French gov- 

 ernment to undertake another voyage underthe 

 orders of tlie administration ofFrench forests. 

 He devoted .several years to obtain a knowledge 

 of the properties, variety and utility of various 

 sorts, as api)lied to the arts. He states, that the 

 number of sorts of American forest trees, whose 

 growth amounts to thirty feet at least, and of 

 which he has given a description, amounts to 137, 

 of which ninetytwo are employed in the arts. In 

 France there are only thirtyseven which grow to 

 that size, of which eighteen only are found in 

 their forests, and seven only of these are employ- 

 ed in civil and maritime architecture. 



There is one subject, connected with forest 

 trees, upon which there appears to be a diversity 

 of opinion, aud which I wish to present to your 

 consideration, that you may compare it with your 

 own experience. It is, as to the best time to fell 

 timber, with a view to its durability. To me, it 

 IS a matter of much surprise, that the opinions of 

 practical men are not uniform and settled upon 

 this subject — a subject so important to almost 

 every man in society, and particularly to those 

 who have any interest in civil and naval architec- 

 ture. The subject appears to be as unsettled in 

 Europe as in this country, or rather the prevailing 

 opinion in both countries is probably erroneous. 

 It appears to be the more general opinion iu 

 Europe and in this country, and the practice has 

 conformed to this opinion, to fell timber in the 

 winter, or while the sap is down ; or to be more 

 precisely accurate, in the month of February in 

 the old of the moon. In France, by a royal or- 

 dinance of the ye-ar 1669, the time of felling 

 naval timber was fixed from the first of October 

 to the fifteenth of April, in the wane of the moon. 

 Napoleon, having adopted the opinion that ships 

 built of timber felled at the moment of vegetation, 

 must be liable to rajiid decay, and require imme- 

 diate repairs, from the effect of the fermentation 

 of the sap, in those pieces which have not been 

 felled in proper season, issued a circular order to 

 the commissioners of the forests, that the time for 

 felling naval timber should be abridged, and that it 

 should be in the decline of the moon, from the first 

 of November to the fifteenth of March. Commo- 

 dore Porter, of the American Navy, in a communi- 

 cation which appeared in the American Farmer, 

 gives it as his opinion, that the most proper sea- 

 son for felling timber, with a view to its durabil- 

 ity, is in the winter, when the sap has ceased to 

 circulate. He is of opinion that the moon has a 

 powerful influence upon timber, as well as upon 

 many other things. 



Notwithstanding this powerful array of author- 

 ity for felling timber iu the winter, while the sap 



is down, to increase its durability, many experi- 

 ments have been made which seem to establish 

 the fiict that timber cut when the sap is in most 

 active circulation, is most durable. Mr Benjamin 

 Poor, the owner or occupant of Indian Hill Farm, 

 in this county, in a communic.-ition to Gorhani 

 Parsons, Esq. published in the Massachusetts Ag- 

 ricultural Repository, states the following fact as 

 within his own knowledge and observation. His 

 grandfather, in the fall of the year 1812, selected 

 two white oak trees, size, situation, general ap- 

 pearance as lo age and health and the soil, as near 

 alike as possible. In the month of March follow- 

 ing, in the old of the moon, one tree was cut, the 

 timber carried to the mill and sawed into suitable 

 tim-ber and scantling for an ox cart, and put up to 

 .season in the open air. The middle of June the 

 other tree was cut, carried to mill, and sawed as 

 the former, suitable for an ox wagon, and put up iu 

 the ojien air to season, and treated iu every re- 

 spect like that cut in March. In the fall of the 

 year, both parcels of timber were housed and in 

 the spring following an ox cart was made from one 

 and an ox wagon was made from the otlier parcel, 

 both painted, and the work alike in all reipects. 

 They were used principally for hauling stone, and 

 if there was any difference in the service to which 

 they were used, it was that the June timber had 

 the hardest. They were both housed in winter 

 and commonly remained out in summer. Mr 

 Poor says, at this time (1821) the one made of 

 timber cut in March is very much decayed, the 

 sides defective, much bruised, and a general ap- 

 pearance of decay, while that made of timber cut 

 in June is perfectly sound, has not given way nor 

 started iu the joints, or in any respect appears half 

 as much worn as the other, although it has had 

 the hardest service. 



The late Hon. Timothy Pickering, the first 

 President of our Society, who.se zeal and intelli- 

 gence, connected with his long experience and 

 great industry, give to his opinions much value 

 appears to have been of opinion, that the best 



ime for fellingtimber trees for durability, is, when 

 the sap is vigorously flowing. He states the fol- 

 lowing fact, as communicated to him by Joseph 

 Cooper, Esq., of New Jersey, a practical far- 

 mer. Mr Cooper's farm lay u))on the banks of 

 the Delaware, nearly opposite Philadelphia, and 

 was exposed to the ravages of the British armv 

 while occupying that city. Pressed for fuel, his 

 fences first fell a prey to their nt^essilies, and in 

 the month of May, 1778, they cut down a quantity 

 of his white oak trees; but circumstances requir- 

 ing their sudden evacuation of the city, his fallen 

 timber was saved. This he split into posts and 

 rails. The ensuing winter, in the old of the moon, 

 in February, he felled an additional quantity of 

 his white oaks, and split them into posts and rails 

 to carry on his fencing. It is now, said Mr 

 Cooper, twentytwo years since the fences made of 

 the May fallen timber were put up, and they are 

 yet sound ; whereas those made of trees felled in 

 February, were rotting in about twelve years. 



