a'2 A Difcourfe of Foreft-Trees. 



Spoakj, Naves, Rings, Pales , Spars, c^c. allowing the tva^e for 

 the charges o( Felling, &c. all which you {hall rompute with greater 

 certainty, if youhaveleifure, and will take the pains to examine 

 fome of the Trees either by your own Fathom 5 or (inore accurate- 

 ly) by girting it about with z firing, and lb reducing it to the 

 jquare,^c. by which means you may give a neergueft: or, you 

 may mark fuch as you intend to fell -.^ and then begin yom /ale 

 about Candlemas till the Spring 5 before which you mud not (ac- 

 cording as our Cujiom is) lay the Ax to the Root 5 though ibme, 

 for particular imployments, as for Timber to make TIovps, Carts, 

 Axel-trees, Haves, Harrows, zn&th& Vik/& Husbandry-tools, do fre- 

 quently cut in October. 



Being now entering with your Workcnten, one of the firft, and 

 mofl: principal things is , the skilful disbranching of the Boaloi all 

 fiach Arms and Limbs as may endanger it in the Fall , wherein 

 much forecaft and skill is requir'd of the Wood-man 5 fo many ex- 

 cellent Trees being utterly fpoiled for want of this only confidera- 

 tion ; And therefore in arms of Timber which are very great, 

 chop a nick^ under it clofe to the Boat, fo meeting it with the 

 down-right ftrokes, it will be cut without J[|'/»Vi«g. 



27. Some there are who cut a k§rfe round the body, almoft to 

 the very pitch, or heart, and fo let it remain a while i by this 

 means to drain away the moifture, which will diftill out of the 

 wounded Veins, and is chiefly good for the moiSler fort of Trees : 

 And in this work the very Ax will well tell you the difference of 

 the Sex 'j the Male being fo much harder, and browner then the 

 Female : But here fand wherever we fpeak thus o( Plants) you are 

 to underftand the analogical, not proper diftinftion. Fell as clofe to 

 xht ground as poffible may be, if you defien a renafcency from the 

 roots ; unleis you will grub for a total deuruftion, or the ufe of 

 that part we have already mention'd, fo far fuperiour in good- 

 nels to what is more remote from the Root. Some are of opini- 

 on, that the Jeedling Oak^ihonld never be cut to improve his Boal^ 

 becaufe, fay they, it produces a reddifh wood not fo acceptable 

 to the Work^man ^ and that the Tree which grows on the head of 

 his Mother does feldom prove good Timber : It is obferv'd, indeed, 

 that one foot of Timber neer the Root (which is the proper k§rfe, 

 or cutting place) is worth three farther off •* And haply, the fuc^ 

 ceffor is more apt to be tender, then what was cut off to give it 

 place ^ but let this be inquir'd into at leifure. 



28. When your Tree is thus proftrate, ftripoff the Barkj, and 

 fet \tfo as it may beft dry ^ then cleanfe the Boal of the Branches 

 which were left, and J2n)c it into lengths for thefqnaring, to which 

 belongs the Meafure, and Girth (as our Workc^ien call it) which I 

 refer to the Buyer, and to many fubfidiary Books lately printed, 

 wherein it is taught by a very familiar and eafie Method : A Tun 

 of Timber is forty folid feet, a load fifty. 



29. If you arc to remove your Timber, let the Den>he firft (^/f, 

 and the South-wind blow before you draw it ; Neither fhould you 

 by any means put it to ufe for three, or four moneths after, unleis 



great 



