TIMBER. 



TlMBEn-Carriagf, that fort of wheel-carriage which is 

 contrived and conftrufted for the purpofe of conveyinc; 

 heavy and other timber. Carriages for this life are formed 

 in a ilrong firm manner, but in different methods, according 

 to circumilances, and the nature of the timber to be drawn. 

 They are fometimes made with four wheels, but much more 

 frequently only with two. They have occafionally fliafts 

 too, but are more often conilrufted with a pole merely. 



Thefe carriages, the writer of tlie rural economy of 

 Norfolk remarks, are in that diibitt, as in moil other 

 places, of two kinds ; the four-wheeled fort of carriage, pro- 

 vincially " a drag ;" and the pair of wheels, provincially 

 " a gill." The Tail is moil in ufe. Tlie conftruftion of 

 the gill of this county is, it is faid, fimilar to that of the 

 timber-wheels of moil other counties"; namely, a pair of 

 tall wheels, with a crooked axle-tree, furmounted by a 

 block ; to which axle is fixed a pair of fhafts, or fometimes 

 ?. Tingle pole only. But it is noticed, that the method of 

 ufing them there, is different from that which has been ob- 

 ferved in other places ; where the only ufe they are put to 

 is to raife the butt-end of a large timber to be drawn a fliort 

 diftance ; the top-end being fuffered to drag behind upon 

 the ground, to the great injury of the turf, or the road 

 upon which it is drawn. 



In the above county, however, a large ftick of timber, 

 or perhaps three or four fmaller ones, are, it is obferved, en- 

 tirely flung to the axle ; fo that, in drawing, no part of 

 them whatever touches the ground f the top-end or part 

 being generally drawn foremoll, and the end towards the 

 horfes always the heavieft. 



It is ilated, that the method of taking up a piece of tim- 

 ber is this : the horfes being taken off, the wheels are run, 

 by hand, aftride the timber to be flung, until the axle is 

 judged to be a few inches behind the balance-point : or, 

 ■which is better, a chain is firft put round the timber, and 

 the wheels run up to it. It is difficult to afcertain the exadl 

 place of fixing the chain by the eye ; but neverthelefs, a 

 perfon accuilomed to fling timber in this manner, will, it is 

 laid, come very near the truth. Tlie chain hooked, and the 

 axle brought into its proper fituation, the Ihafts, or pole, 

 are thrown back in the ufual manner ; the chain carried over 

 the block, brought round the pole, its ends made fall, and 

 the fhafts or pole brought down again by the horfes ; by 

 which means the timber is lifted from the ground, and 

 fufpended to the axle. If the required point of balance be 

 not hit upon at the firft trial, the fhafts are fuffered to rife 

 again, the chain is unhooked, and (liifted to its proper fitua- 

 tion : the fhafts being then again pulled down, are bound by 

 an iron trace, or fmall chain, clofe down to the timber ; 

 while another fmall chain or trace is faftened round the fore- 

 moft end to hook the horfes to ; the team drawing by the 

 timber, and not by the pole or fliafts. 



It is fuppofed, that the utility of having a fuper-balance 

 of weight forward is two-fold : if the piece were flung in 

 exaft equilibrium, it would, upon the road, be in perpetual 

 vibration ; thereby rendering the pull imilcady, and ex- 

 tremely inconvenient to the horfes : whereas, by throwing 

 the balance forward, the traces are commonly kept down 

 conftantly in their proper place, and the pull becomes uni- 

 form : if, however, too much weight were to be thrown 

 forward, the draught of the horfes would not raife the point 

 of the timber from the ground ; the fridlion would, of 

 courfe, increafe the draught, and the road be at the fame 

 time hurt. It therefore follows, it is faid, that the proper 

 weight to be thrown forward is fuch as is enough to prevent 

 a vibration, but not fo much as to prevent the point from 

 'being raifcd from the road by the draught of the liorlJes 



upon level ground. And that the other advantage, by a 

 fuper-balance forwaril, is gained in going down a hill ; in 

 which cafe, the draught not being wanted, the point, of 

 courfe, falls to the ground, and ferves as a pall to regulate 

 tile motion of the carriage : if the fuper-balance alone be 

 not fufhcient to check tlic too great rapidity of the motion, 

 the driver adds, it is faid, his own weight. I>ikewife, if, 

 in afcending a hill, the balance be lofl ; he, in like manner, 

 feats himlelf upon the fore-part of the load, thereby keeping 

 it down to its proper level. 



It is added, that this method of conveying timber may, 

 it is poflible, be in ufe in other diftrifts ; but the writer has 

 not feen it pradlifed any where except in the above county : 

 and that it is known to be an excellent, but not a common 

 mode of praftice. 



It is of great utility and convenience for timber proprie- 

 tors and dealers to be always provided with good earriages 

 of this fort. 



Timber Hedge-Ro'ui, fuch trees of this kind as are raifed 

 and grown in the lines and rows of the hedges. It has been 

 long a difputed point among the writers on agriculture, and 

 which is not yet fully decided, whether it be admiflible or 

 not to have trees of this fort in the direftions of the hedge- 

 rows : lome ilrongly contending for its utility, on the 

 grounds of the fhelter, fliade, and timber afforded by the 

 pradlice ; while others as fl;rongly oppofe it, on the fcore of 

 the injury which it does to the crops and the hedges under- 

 neath the trees, as well as the obftruftion which it affords 

 in working the land, when in the tillage ftate. However, 

 in many fituations and cafes, there can be no doubt of the 

 advantage of having timber-trees of the hedge-row kind, 

 when under proper and fiiitable management. 



It has been well obferved by an able writer on the means 

 of improving the rural objefts and praAices of the country, 

 that although a few trees growing in a hedge, when con- 

 fidered fmgly, may have little effeft, and be of no great 

 value or coniequence ; yet that a number of hedge-rows, all 

 properly interfperfed with timber-trees, will completely 

 change the appearance of a hilly country or diftrift, improve 

 its chmate, and yield a confiderable quantity of timber to 

 the owners of the lands. The coniideration of the matter 

 muft, of courfe, it is thought, be of great importance to 

 the landed interefl of fome parts of the ifland, efpecially 

 tliofe in the more northern or mountainous diftridls of the 

 kingdom. What is neceffary to be faid on this fubjeft 

 here, may confequently be introduced under the heads of 

 the nature of the lands where timber of the hedge-row kind 

 may be raifed and grown without injury to the farmer ; and 

 the fpecies or fort of trees which is molt proper to be raifed 

 in fuch cafes. In regard to the interejl of the farmer, the 

 lands which are the moft evidently and fuitably adapted for 

 the growth of liedge-row timber-trees arc all tliofe whicli are 

 naked and much expofed, and which are kept for the moll 

 part under palturage ; and in fo far as the beauty of a 

 country or diftrift, the improvement of its climate, and the 

 health of its inhabitants, are concerned, the hedge-rows of 

 the rifing-grounds alone fhould be occupied by trees, ex- 

 cept a few in the vallies, by the fides of public roads or 

 rivers, to form fore-grounds to the reft of the country or 

 diftridl ; and a few near houfes or villages to group with 

 them, and afford a richnefs to their appearance. In low 

 rich vallies between mountains, which are kept in perpetual 

 aration, the hedge-rows fliould not be taken up by timber- 

 trees of this fort. But a country or diftricl wholly level, 

 as many of the counties and diftrifts in the fouthern parts of 

 the kingdom are, may fometimes have the hedge-rows par- 

 tially Cet with trees, without doing any great injury to the 

 4 R 2 farmer ; 



