TIMBER. 



ward diroAion, as where the parts arv left in any way rug- 

 ged or uneven, they are liable to catch and detain the wet 

 and moilhire, and conduct it to tlie hearts of the trees, by 

 which they are not only greatly hurt in their growths, but 

 often much fpoiled as timber-wood, 'nietliinning ot the trees 

 for timber (hould be performed at diflerent iuitable periods, 

 fo as to prevent too much crowding, and afford proper 

 room for the full growth and increai'e of their wood, on the 

 principles laid down above. Sec PiiUMNG and Tjiinnixc;. 

 Sir Humphrey Davy has remarked in a late work, that 

 trees poffefling the firmell and the lead porous heart-wood, 

 arc the longcll in duration. That, in general, the quantity 

 of charcoal afforded by woods, offers a tolerably accurate in- 

 dication of their durability : thofe moil abundant in char- 

 coal and earthy matter are moll permanent ; and thofe that 

 contain the largell proportionofgafeous elements are the moff 

 dellruclible. That, amongft our own trees, the chefnut 

 and the oak are pre-eminent as to durability ; and the chefnut 

 ,-iffords rather more carbonaceous matter than the oak. That, 

 in old Gothic buildings, thefe woods have been fometimes 

 millaken one for the other ; but they may be eaiily known 

 by this circumllance, that the pores in tlie alburnum of the 

 oak are much larger and more thickly fet, and are eafily dif- 

 tinguilhed : whilll the pores in the chefnut require glaffes to 

 be feen diftindlly. That, in confequence of the flow decay 

 of the heart-wood of the oak and the chefnut, thefe trees, 

 under favourable circumffances, attain an age, it is faid, 

 which cannot be much fliort of a thoufand years. The 

 beech, the a(h, and the fycamore, moft likely, never live 

 half fo long. 



It is noticed too, that the oak and chefnut decay much 

 fooner in a moift fituation than in a dry fandy foil ; and 

 that tlieir timber is lefs firm. The fap-veffels, in fuch cafes, 

 ;ire more expanded, though lefs nouriffiing matter is carried 

 into them ; and the general texture of the formations of 

 wood neceffarily lefs firm. Such wood, it is faid, fplits 

 more eafily, and is more liable to be affefted by variations in 

 the ftate of the atmofphere. 



The lame trees, in general, are likewife much longer 

 lived in the northern than in the fouthern climates. The 

 reafon of which feems to be, it is thought, that all fermenta- 

 tion and decompofition are checked by cold ; and that at 

 very low temperatures, both animal and vegetable matters 

 altogether refift putrefaftion : and in the northern winter, 

 not only vegetable life, but likewife vegetable decay mull 

 bQ at a (land. 



The antiputrefcent quality of cold climates is, it is faid, 

 fully illuftratcd in the inllances of the rhinoceros and mam- 

 moth lately found in Siberia entire, beneath the frozen foil, 

 in which they moft probably have exilled from the time of 

 the deluge. 



Trees that grow in fituations much expofed to winds, have 

 harder a«d firmer wood than fuch as are confiderably (hel- 

 tercd. The denfe lap is determined, by the agitation of the 

 fmallcr branches, to the trunk and large branches ; where 

 the new alburnum formed is confequently thick and firm : 

 fuch trees abound in the crooked limbs fitted for forming 

 knee-timber, which is neceffary for joining the decks and 

 the fides of (hips. The gales in elevated fituations gradually 

 act fo as to give the tree the form beft calculated to refill 

 their effefts. And the mountain oak rifes robuft and 

 Iturdy ; fixed firmly in the foil, and able to oppofe the full 

 torce of the tempeft. 



Different ftates of timber are chofeii for different ufes, 

 1)Ut the above writer remarks, that (hip-builders prefer for 

 iheir purpofes that kind of oak-timber afforded by trees 

 *b;!t have had their bark flripped off in the fpring, and 



2 



which have been cut in tlie autumn or winter following' 

 The reafon of the fuperiority of this timber is, it is thought, 

 that the concrete fap is expanded in the fpring in the fprout- 

 ing of the leaf; and the circulation being deftroyed, it is 

 not formed anew : and the wood, having its pores free from 

 faccliarine matter, is lefs liable to undergo fermentation from 

 the attion of moillure and air. 



It mull, however, be confideied as very extraordinary, 

 that in a country where the navy is a matter of fuch vaft im- 

 portance, and in dillritls where the oak, or other forts of 

 timber-wood ufeful for the fame purpofe, may be faid to 

 be almoll the ftaple articles, no complete or fatisfadory 

 trials ftiould have yet ever been made of the means of in- 

 crcafing the duration of fuch timber, which are moftly fo 

 readily practicable, and fo very material in their confequences. 

 Felling ofTlmbsr. — The proper periods or times of cutting 

 down, or making/aZ/j- of timber, as they are often called, 

 muft evidently, in fome meafure, depend upon and be regu- 

 lated by the nature and the differences in the circumftances 

 of the growths of the fame or different kinds of trees. But 

 as in them, as well as other living matters, there feem to be 

 three Itages of growth ; as that of their early rifing, their 

 middle mature ftate, and that of their decline or decay ; they 

 may ferve as more fatisfaftory guides in the bufinefs. In 

 the firft, the growth is moitly loft and rapid ; in the fecond, 

 it becomes firm, ftrong, and perfeA ; and in the lall, it be- 

 gins to become weak and unfound. Mr. Loudon has con- 

 fidered the beginning of the middlemoft of thefe ftages as 

 the moft profitable period or feafon for felling of timber ; as 

 after that time, though the tree may appear found and 

 healthy, its annual increafe is fo little, that the cutting it 

 down and replacing it may be more beneficial than letting 

 it remain. The number of years that a tree may ftand be- 

 fore it arrives at fuch a ftate, muft, it is faid, vary in dif- 

 ferent foils, fituations, and expofures ; but the period itfelf 

 may readily and without difficulty be afcertained, — by the 

 annual (hoots, the ftate of the bark, and by taking the 

 circumference of the tree at the fame place for two or three 

 fucceffive feafons, and comparing the difference. In the view 

 of profit from timber produce, it is of material confequence, 

 it is faid, to cut down fuch coUeftions of trees at maturity, 

 or in their vigour and perfection, which, fome fuppofe, for 

 the oak, where the foil is natural, is from about the age of 

 fifty to fixty or feventy years' growth. Many trees will ftand 

 a half, others a whole century after they are full grown, 

 appear quite healthy, and, at the fame time, make httle or 

 no increafe of timber. There are particular cafes too, de- 

 pending on the nature aud ftate of the markets, in which it 

 may even be more profitable to cut limber before it is ar- 

 rived at a full gro«'th tlian afterwards. 



It may be difficult, it is thought, to fay when timber, 

 which is principally planted for ornament, (hould be cut 

 down. A tree, when young and frefh, is beautiful ; when 

 middle-aged, it is more or lels pifturefque ; when in old age, 

 ilrikingly fo, with a degree of grandeur ; and its greateil 

 height of pifturefquenefs and fubhmity, is when decaying 

 under the preffure of age. Hence it is conceived, that if 

 ornament, or expreflion, which is a more appropriate term, 

 were the fole objeCl in view, trees need almoil never be cut 

 down. But moll perfons have a feeling of what is beautiful ; 

 and though all may be ftruck with grandeur or fublimity, 

 few have fo much enthufiafm as to facrifice the profit of va- 

 luable timber, for the pleafure of enjoying either of thofe 

 charadlers. 



The time and manner of cutting umlerivood and under- 

 gfowlh will be feen under thefe heads. 



There are perfons in this country, who, unqueilionably 



from 



