III.] 



FORESTRY. 



51 



i 



the South of France and in other countries, which, 

 though long celebrated for their fertility, were rapidly 

 becoming valueless. The change in the nature of the 

 soil, consequent upon the partial drying up of all the 

 sources of water supply, was proved to 

 have commenced when the trees had 

 been removed. At the same time, cases 

 are known of districts where there had 

 previously been a deficiency of water, 

 until the extensive planting of trees re- 

 medied the defect.* 



It would seem that the fine trees 

 found in forests and elsewhere, whether 

 it be natural to them to have straight 

 stems or curved ones, have not always ll|||||((f/fi/i/)l|l||l||l 

 been so fair looking or so symmetrically 

 shaped as we find them when of an age 

 and size fit for felling, but that in early 

 life they have not unfrequently assumed 

 a wavy, rambling, or, it may be, unsightly 

 appearance, which was only improved 

 upon as they attained to greater strength 

 and approached maturity. This suppo- 

 sition will, I think, be readily allowed by 

 any one who has passed through a copse, 

 or maiden forest, in search of a straight 

 sapling for a walking-stick, and expe- 

 rienced the difficulty of finding one suitable for the 

 purpose. 



A short time since a piece of Oak timber of moderate 



FIG. 7. 



* The reader will find more details concerning these matters, and the 

 direct and indirect utility of forests, in Dr. Schlich's "Manual of Forestry" 

 (Bradbury, Agnew, & Co.), and in Nisbelt's "British Forest Trees" (Mac- 

 millan). 



£ 2 



