TIM 



pepper, and other dry goods. It is reckor.ed at ten facks, 

 or five pikuls : another mcafure is called kuiack, and weighs 

 75f cattis : 7 kulacks make Oiie timbang, liquid meafiirc. 



TIMBER, in Geography, a river of Pruirian Lithuania, 

 which runs into the N»moiiin ; 4 miles N.E. of Wipe. — 

 Alfo, a town of Pruffian Litliuania, 6 miles W. of In- 

 .fterburg. 



T I M 



but where fometimcs wet, and fometimcs dry, it rots 

 prefently. 



The ufes of timber are fo many, and fo great, that the 

 procuring of a fnfficient fupply of it extremely well de- 

 ferves the care of every (late ; as it muil be a great dif- 

 advantage to it to be obliged to have recourfe to lU neigh- 

 bours, and purchafe, at a vi-ry conliderable and continually 



TlM^KV., OT Timber-Trees, \n Rural Ecotwmy, X\i3,l ^ort oi renewed expence, what migiit, by an eafy economy, be 

 wood produce which is ufful and proper for the purpofes fufficiently iupplied at home. 



of building, the conftruAion of tools, implements, carri 

 ages, Sec. ; or fuch large trees of different forts as have 

 reached their full or fuitable Hates of growth, and are in 

 fituations tit for b^ing cut down for ufe. The various 

 kinds of trees which are the mod ufefnl and important in 

 this intention, have been 'loticed and confidered in fpcaking 

 of the nature of common and other plantations and plant- 

 ing ; but they are chiefly the different forts of pines, the 

 larch, the birch, the common afh, the mouatain-alh, the 

 beech, the fycamore, the elm, the oak, the horfe and 

 common chefnuts, the alder, and the poplar. However, 

 in general, the oak, the afh, the elm, the larch, and the 



This economy, however, mull be applied in time; for 

 our natural indolence, our love to reap the advantages of 

 every thing ourfelves, and our little care for pofterity, give 

 great room to fear fucceeding ages will want wood, both 

 for private and pubhc exigencies. All our arts fhould 

 be employed on this fubjeft, with two views, the one 

 to preferve and cherifh our growing wood, the other to 

 renew the trees which have been, and are continually cut 

 down. 



The quantity of acorns which the oak bears, has made 

 many people fuppofc, that Nature has taken care for a re- 

 newal for us ; and that of this vafl quantity of feed, which 



Scotch pine, are by much the moll ufeful and valuable for annually fall, there will be always an over-fufBcient fupply 

 " ■' ' "^ '^ '^ ' of young trees, which will grow up in the place of the 



old ones : but experience proves, that this is by no means 

 the cafe. The greater number of thefe fallen acorns is 

 devoured by many different animals, for whofe nourifhment 

 Nature has provided that abundance of them : and of thofe 

 which efcape this fate, we are to confider how few can 

 come to good, from the natural accidents they are unavoid- 

 ably expofed to ; they fall on a covered ground, where 

 dead leaves, and decayed parts of branches of trees, ufually 

 prevent their touching the earth, into which they are to 

 (hoot ; or, if they can fhoot here, it is merely from the 

 furface, where they are, in their flow growth, hable, while 

 very tender, to all the inclemencies of frolls ; and add to 

 this, that it is very difficult for fuch tender plants as the 

 young feedlings of thefe to fijid room for growth or 

 nourifhment among the every-way fpreading roots of other 

 trees ; and the co.itinual (hade and want of free air, muft 

 render them very weakly and irregular in their growth, 

 even fuppofmg them to get over all the other difficulties. 



It is very certain, that timber-trees of oak aie frequently 

 met with among the underwood of forefls ; but we (haU 

 always find this to be the cafe, not in the clofe places, but 

 in certain fpots, where there has been a vacancy or opening ; 

 and that ufually, where there are not, nor have at any time 

 been, oaks in the neighbourhood of the fpot. The acorns 

 that fall from the oaks ufually come to nothing from the 

 before-mentioned accidents ; and thefe trees which grow at 

 diflances, are owing to the acorns brought thither by birds, 

 and accidentally dropped there. This is an in fiance fami- 

 liarly verified, by obferving, that there are frequently little 

 bufhes near woods, which, though of white-thorn or other 



all the different ufes of this nature. 



We (hJl here mention from Evelyn's Sylva, &c. fome 

 of thofe kinds of timber that ai"e mofl ferviceable, and give 

 a brief view of the ufes to which they are applied, referring 

 to their feveral denominations and other collateral articles 

 for a further detail. 

 ^ I. Oak, the ufes of which need no enumeration ; to en- 

 dure all f.'afons and weathers, there is no wood like it : 

 hence its ufe in pales, fhingles, pods, rails, boards, &c. 

 For water-works, it is fecond to none ; and where it lies ex- 

 pofed both to air and water, there is none equal to it. 



2. Elm : this, felled between November and February, 

 is all fpine or heart, and no fap ; and is of Angular ufe in 

 places where it either is always wet, or always dry : its 

 toughnefs likewife makes it of ufe to wheelwrights, mill- 

 wrights, &c. ; nor muft it be omitted, that its not being 

 liable to break and fly in chips, makes it fit for dreffers and 

 planks to chop on. 



3. Beech : its cfiief ufe is in turnery, joinery, upholflery, 

 and the like, as being of a clean, white, fine grain, not 

 apt to bend nor flit; it has been fometimcs, efpecially of 

 late, ufed for building-timber, and if it lie conftantly wet, 

 is judged to outlaft oak. 



4. yljh : its ufe is almoft univerfal ; it is good for build- 

 ing, or other occafions where it may lie dry : it ferves the 

 carpenter, cooper, turner, ploughwright, wheelwright, 

 gardener ; as alfo it is ufed at fea for oars, handfpikes, &c. 



5- Fir, commonly known by the name of eleal, is of late 

 much ufed in building, efpecially witliin doors, for flairs, 

 floors, wainfcot, and mofl works of ornament. 



6. Walnut-tree: this is of univerfal ufe, excepting for 



the outfides of buildings ; none is better for the joiner's ufe, trees, are ufually furrounded and ornamented with young 



it being of a more curious brown colour than beech, and oaks ; the jays and the hke granivorous birds are the au- 



kfs fubjedt to worms. ' thors of this crop ; for bringing the acorns from the ad- 



7. Chefnut-tree, next to oak, is the timber mofl fought joining woods, to eat under thefe bufhes, they drop many 

 fior by joiners and carpenters. It is very lafling. by the way, which they do not trouble ihemfelves to look 



8. Service-tree, uf d in joinery, as being ot a delicate for oji the ground, and which having here a freer ground to 



grain, and fit for curiofities : it alfo yields beams of con- 

 liderable fize, rroper for building. 



9. Poplar, abel: this and afpen, differing very little from 

 une another, are much ufed of late inllead of fir : they look 

 as well, and are tougher and harder. 



10. Alder, much ufed for fewers or pipes to convey 

 water ; when kept always wet, it grows hard like a (lone ; 



9 



ftrike root into, and an open air to gr )w in, feldom fail of 

 coming to good, unlefs d 'flroyed when young. 



In order to the prefervation of our growing timber -trees, 

 it would be a very ulcful law, tliat all w!io cut down any 

 number of oaks, (hould alfo leave a number in good con- 

 dition for after-cutting ; and that no timber ihould be cut 

 down, but at a proper age, in regard to the nature of the 



foil; 



