A Difconrfe of FovcHi-Trees. 15 



defign a final extirpation 5 for fome have drawn fuehrers even from 

 an o\d Jiuh-root 5 but they certainly perifh by the Adof which in- 

 vades them, and are very fubjeft to grow rotten. P/z»^fpeaks 

 of one Root which took up an entire jicre of Ground ; if fo, his 

 ^r^«z«e»* may hold good, for their growth after the Tree is come 

 to its period. 



15. There is not in nature a. thing more obnoxious to deceit, 

 then the buying of Treesjianding, upon the reputation of their 

 Appearance to the ejie, unlefs the Chapman be extraordinarily judi- 

 cious 5 fo various are their hidden, and conceal'd J^/S-^/i^/ex, till 

 they he fell' d, zv\d fawn out : fo as if to anything applicable, cer- 

 tainly there is nothing which does more perfeftly confirm it then 

 the moft flourifhing out-fde of Trees, Fronti nulla fides. A Tim- 

 ber-tree is a Merchant Adventurer, you (hall never know what he 

 is worth, till he be dead. 



16. Oaks are in fome places (where the foil is ^ecial/y qualified) 

 ready to be cut for Cops in fourteen years and fooner j I compute 

 from the drikjemination ; though it be told as an inftance of high 

 encouragement (and as indeed it merits) that a Lady in Northam- 

 ptonfiire fowed Acorns, and liv'dtocut the Tree j prod uc'd fi-om 

 them, twice in two and twenty years 5 and both as well grown as 

 moft are in |7x?ee« or e/_gA*ee«. This yet is certain, that Acorns 

 fetin He^^^e-r^jvi' have in thirty years born ajiem of a foot diame- 

 tre. Generally, Copps-wood fhould be cut cloje, and at fuch In- 

 tervals as the growth requires; which being feldom conftant, de- 

 pends much on the places, and the kinds, the mould and. the air, 

 and for which there are extant particular Statutes to direft us, of 

 all which more at large hereafter. Oak for Tan-barkjnay be fell'd 

 from April to the laft of June, by a Statute in the i Jacobi. 



17. To enumerate now the incomparable l^jofthis Wood, 

 were needlefs ; But fo precious was the efteem of it, that of old 

 there was an exprefs Law amongft the Twelve Tables concerning the 

 very gathering of the Acorns though they fhould be found fallen 

 into another mans Ground : The Land and the Sea do fufficiently 

 fpeak for the improvement of this excellent material '-, Houfes, ana 

 ships. Cities and Navies are built with it; and there is a kind 

 of it fo tough, and extreamly compad, that our (harpeft Tools 

 will hardly enter it, as fcarcely the very Fire it felf, in which it 

 confumes but flowly, as feeming to partake of a ferruginous, and 

 metallin fhining nature proper for fundry robuft Ufes. That 

 which is twin'd, and a little wreathed (eafily to be difcern'd by 

 the texture of the Bark.) is beft to fupport Burthens, for Tofis, Co' 

 bimns. Summers, ^c. for all which our Englijh Oak^ is infinitely • 

 preferrable to the French, which is nothing lb ufeful, nor compa- 

 rably fojirong ; infomuch as I have frequently admir'd at the fud- 

 den failing of moft goodly Timber to the Eye, which being im- 

 ploy'd to thefe Vfis docs many times moft dangeroufly flie in fon- 

 der, as wanting that native jj^ring, and toughnef, which out Englifl) 

 Oak is indu'd withall. For Shingles, Pales , Lathes, Coopers ware. 

 Clap-hoard, &c. the fmalleft and ftraighteft is beft ; difcover'd 



like- 



