A Difcourfe of Foreft-Trees. 7 ' 



Laftly, I (hall conclude with fome more ferious obfervationi iti 

 reference to the main Dejign and project of this Difcourfe, as it 

 concerns the Improvement o£ His MajeSiies Forefis, for the honour 

 and fecurity of the whole Kingdom. 



CHAP. XXVIL 



Of Copfes, 



I. ^Tlva dedua is as well Copfe to cut for Fevpel as for ufe of Copfix. 



i^' Timber -^ and we have already ftiew'd how it is to be 

 rais'd, both by "Sowing and Planting. Our ordinary Copfes are 

 chiefly upon Hafel, or the ^/Vf A ^ but if amongft the other kinds 

 ftore of -Afl) and Sallow (at leaft one in four') were fprinkled in the 

 Planting, the ;7r<?^it would (bon difcover a difference, and well re- 

 compence the Indufl;ry. Others advife us to plant (hoots of Sal- 

 low, Willow, Alder, and of all the fwift growing Trees, being of 

 feven years growth, floping off both the ends towards the ground 

 to the length of a Billet, and burying them a reafbnable depth in 

 the earth. This will caufe them to put forth feven or eight bran- 

 ches, each of which will become a Tree in a (hort time, efpecially 

 if the foil be moift. 



2. Copfes being of a competent growth, as of twelve or fifteen 

 years, are efteem'd fit for the^x^ but thofe of twenty .years 

 (landing are better, and far advance the price. Some of our old 

 Clergy Spring-woods heretofore have been let reft till twenty five 

 or thirty years, and have prov'd highly worth the attendance 5 

 for by that time even a Seminary of Acorns will render a confide- 

 rable advance, as I have already exemplified in the Northampton- 

 fiire Lady. And if Copfes were fo divided as that every year there 



might be Ibme fell'd, it were a continual and a prefent profit .* 

 Seventeen years growth affords a tolerable Fe//;,fuppofing the.Copfe 

 of feventeen Acres, oQe Acre might be yearly fell d for ever 5 and 

 fo more, according to proportion. 



3. As to what Numbers and Scantlings you are to leave on every 

 Acre, the ^r<zf«?e/ are our generall ^«/<^ej', at leaft the legal. It is 

 a very ordinary Copfe which will not afford three or four F/>^j-,that 

 is, Bejis-j fourteen Seconds-^ twelve ihirds -^ eight Wavers, Sic. 

 according to which proportions thefzes of young Trees in Copfing 

 are to fucceed one another. By the statute of 35 Hen. 8. in Copfes 

 or Vnder-woods fell'd at twenty four years growth, there were to 

 be left twelve Stand/Is, or ^ores of O.?^ ^ upon each Acre j in dcfcft 

 of fo many Oaks, the fame number of Elms,Ap, Ajp, or Beech :, and 

 they to be fuch as are of likely Trees for Timber, and of fuch as 

 have been fpar'd at fome former Felling, imlefs there were none, 

 in which cafe they are to be then left, and fo to continue without 

 Felling till they are ten inch fquare within a yard of ground. 



Copfes 



