TIMBEll. 



eafy-tapering ufeful piece of timber, inllead of a coarfe- 

 gi-ained, lliort, fudden-tapering trunk, witii a quantity of 

 bougl'.s and knots. 



The foregoing rules, direftions, and obfervations, are 

 meant, it is faid, to apply to fir-timber only, but to a 

 certain extent they may be applied to other timber ; though 

 by no means in the fame degree or age. But if had recourfe 

 to as far as the firft fourteen years of their growth, and 

 then fuch cutting and fide-lopping be altogether omitted, 

 and the thinning out very much increafed, any collcftion 

 of fuch timber -trees would, it is thought, be rendered much 

 more valuable than if left to nature. 



The firft of the above writers has, however, already Hated, 

 that the general effefts of fide-cutting or lopping the 

 branches of fir, and probably fome other timber-trees, are 

 of a correfpouding nature with that of culture ; that is, to 

 jncreafe the quantity of timber produce. And that the 

 particular manner in which it docs this, is by direAing the 

 greater part of the lap, which commonly fpreads itfelf in 

 the fide -branches, into the main ftem. This muft, of courfe, 

 necefl'arily enlarge that ftem in a more than ordinary degree, 

 by increafing the annual layers or circles of wood. 



Now if the tree happen to be in a worfe foil and climate 

 than thofe which are natural to it, this will, it is fuppofed, 

 be of fome advantage, as the extra incrtafe of timber will ftill 

 be of a quality not inferior to what would take place in its 

 natural ftate ; or, in other words, it will agree with that 

 ftate of quahty and quantity of timber which the nature of 

 the fpecies, or fort of tree, admits of being produced. But 

 if the tree be in its natural ftate, the annual increafed pro- 

 duce of timber occafioned by this cutting or lopping the 

 fide-branches, muft necefiarily injure its quality, in a degree 

 correfpouding with the increaled quantity. And if the 

 tree be in a better climate and foil than that which is natural 

 to it, and at the fame time the annual increafe of wood be 

 promoted by fuch cutting means, it is evident, it is faid, 

 that fuch wood muft be of a very indifferent quality from 

 that produced in its natural ftate. 



Confequently, although it might, in fome degree, it is 

 fuppofed, be fhewn from vegetable anatomy, and the ana- 

 logy of what takes place in herbaceous vegetables, it is 

 preferred to deduce, from the fafts ftated above, this propo- 

 fition : that whatever tends to increafe the wood in a greater 

 degree than tvhat is natural to the fpecies or kind when in 

 its natural ftate, muft injure the quality of timber. Cutting 

 or lopping the fide-branches tends to increafe this in a con- 

 fiderable degree ; and, therefore, it muft, it is thought, be 

 a pernicious praftice, in fo far as it is ufed in thefe cafes. 



It has been (hewn, it is faid, in a very ftriking manner 

 by Mr. Knight, that timber is produced, or rather that the 

 alburnum, or fap-wood, is rendered ligneous, by the motion 

 of the tree during the defcent of the true fap. It is fuffi- 

 ciently known, too, to all who have attended to the phy- 

 fiology of vegetables, and greatly confirmed by fome expe- 

 riments not long ago communicated to the Royal Society 

 by the fame writer, that the folid texture of the wood 

 greatly depends upon the quantity of fap, which mutt 

 iieceftarily defcend, and likewife on the flownefs of its 

 defcent. Now both thefe requifites are, it is contended, 

 materially increafed by fide-fhoots or branches, which retain 

 a large quantity of fap, and by their junftion with the ftem 

 occafion a contraftion and twifted direftion of the vcfTels, 

 that obftructs the progrefs of this juice. That this is true 

 in faft, is well known to thofe accuftomed to make wine 

 frorn maple or birch trees, as in this bufinefs it is found 

 that thofe trees which have the fevveft fide -branches, bleed 

 more freely than the others, but during a much (horter 



fpacc of time. Thefe hints, confequently, afford additional 

 evidence againft the practice of cutting or lopping the fide- 

 branches of timber-trees, and efpecially againft that of 

 ufing it for fir-trees, which, as the above writer juftly re- 

 marks, it is faid, have larger veffcls than moil others, and 

 therefore, when in an improved foil and cUmate, fide-branthes 

 for the above purpofes are cftentially iieceffary, if folid, 

 refinous, and durable timber be the object in view. 



The following conclufions may, of courfe, it is thought, 

 be drawn in refpeft to the management of timber-trees from 

 the above fafts and remarks. Firft, that timber-trees (hoiild 

 be fet out in foils, fituations, and climates, as much as pof- 

 fible analogous to thofe of their natural ftate : and that it 

 is chiefly in this ftate, or where there are fome defcfts in 

 regard to them, that fuch cutting or lopping and culture 

 can be exercifed with advantage. Secondly, that in pro- 

 portion to the fuperiority of the foil, &c. in which trees arc 

 put, over the natural foil of fuch trees ; in the fame propor- 

 tion lopping and cviltivating the foil ought to be avoided, 

 and thinning encouraged. Thirdly, that particular regard 

 fliould be had to the foil and fituation, where either larches 

 or any of the pine tribe are placed out to remain finally for 

 produce as timber : for as the roots of thefe chiefly run 

 along the furface, and as in them the great current of the 

 fap is principally confined to one channel, that is, the trunk, 

 that tribe of trees is, of courfe, peculiarly liable to change 

 when fubjefted to unnatural agency of thefe kinds. Fourthly, 

 that the only way in which oak-timber oi fafe quality can 

 be raifed and provided for the navy of this country, is by 

 inclofing, preferving from cattle, and properly managing, 

 thofe royal forefts where oak is the natural produce of the 

 foil. The negleft of this advice, there is reafon to fear, it 

 is faid, may at fome future day be regretted. For park- 

 oak, as has been feen, is by no means unfrequently much 

 inferior to that of the foreft kind in durability. And that, 

 laftly, as the praftice advifed tends to render trees charac- 

 teriftical of their pecuUar fpecies or kind, it muft confe- 

 quently be the moft agreeable to ornament too, or the 

 principles of natural tafte. 



The neceflity of confidering, thus fully, this branch of 

 the management of timber-trees is, becaufe the matter feems, 

 it is faid, to have been almoft entirely overlooked by prac- 

 tical men, who appear, in general, to think culture and 

 lopping, or cutting-in, of no other utihty than to increafe 

 the produce in the quantity of timber. Though they are 

 not, however, to be difcarded in many other views, yet if 

 folid and durable timber be the objeft, they ought, it is 

 thought, to be had recourfe to with caution, and in a dif- 

 criminate manner. As a contrary plan of proceeding has 

 been attempted to be enforced by fome, as has been feen, it 

 is thought neceftary to aroufe the attention of the country 

 to the raifing and improved management of the important 

 article of timber, efpecially as the confequences of that plan 

 are fuppofed to be more dangerous, as they cannot eafily 

 difcover themfelves until it be too late to apply a remedy. 



In the management of timber-trees of the deciduous kinds, 

 the lopping, cutting-in, and thinning, ftvould be praftifed, in 

 fome meafnre, on the fame principles as the above, but ac- 

 cording to the particular nature, circumftances, and habits 

 of growth of the different forts ; being conftantly executed 

 in fuch a manner, as to prevent any injury or inconvenience 

 arifing by the too extenfive growth of the lateral ftioots or 

 branches, thefe being too few in number for the proper re- 

 tention of the fap ; and without the trees being left at too 

 great a diftance, and too naked and expofed. The trees for 

 timber too are always to be kept clear of all foul wood, and 

 any branches to be removed, taken off in a clean, c«reful, up- 

 4Q ? ward 



