TIMBER. 



In what relates to the moft proper forts of trees for 

 putting in hedge-rows, in diOerent cafes, it may bf further 

 noticed, that when the foil is good and deep, according to 

 the firll of tlie ab ^ve writers, tlie oak and Scotch elm may 

 be the moft fuitable ; in ftrong land, the afh ; in poor foils, 

 the beech, fycamore, and birch ; in cafes of moiil foils, as 

 meadows and fuch like places, the Lombardy poplar, 

 which, befides its timber produce, forms, when in rows, a 

 clofe, ereft, narrow hedge, fifty or fixty feet high, in a few 

 years. Such hedges are, however, of no very great value, 

 whether the trees be cut low, or allowed to rife to their full 

 height. The oak and the above fort of elm profner better, 

 it is faid, in hedge-rows than in any other fituations ; their 

 roots have a free range in the adjoining inclofurcs, while 

 their tops flioot out vigoroufly on every fide, thus often pro- 

 ducing excellent filip-timber. More remarks of this nature 

 may be met with in Kent's hints, and Marfhal's work on 

 planting. The beech, it is thought, is peculiarly fuited 

 for thin foils and expofed fituations. When put out about 

 ten or twelve feet afunder, it affords excellent flielter, and, 

 at th' fame time, a very confiderable quantity of timber. 

 The afh and the fycamore will rife and grow ereft on the 

 moft expofed upland fituations, or near the fea. When 

 put out in good foils, they (hould generally be trained to 

 one ftem ; in which ftate, their timber produce is the moft 

 valuable and ufeful. The refinous tribe and the evergreen 

 forts of trees are, for the moft part, improper for being fet 

 out in hedge -rows. In the different cyder diftrifts or 

 counties in the fouthern parts of the kingdom, fruit-trees 

 are not unfrequently introduced into the hedge-rows ; the 

 praftice of which might probably be advantageoufly had 

 recourfe to in many other diilrifts and counties in the fame 

 part of the country, as well as in feveral more to the north. 

 In many different fituations they would be a valuable acqui- 

 fition, without doing any injury, or taking up the more 

 ufeful part of the land. 



In a great number of diflrifts and places where hedge- 

 row timber exifts, the fituation is often improper, and the 

 management wretchedly bad and negligent ; in confequence 

 of which, it has frequently become an injury to the farmer, 

 without yielding any advantage to the proprietor. Two 

 more glaring inftances of this cannot, it is thought, be 

 given than in the tall naked elms, and pollarded oaks, which 

 prevail in many places in the fouthern parts of the ifland : 

 the former, by improper lopping and cutting, are worth 

 nothing ; and the latter, by being cut over at the height of 

 eight or ten feet, form ugly bufhy-headcd trees, which 

 do great injury and mifchief to the farmer, and yield no- 

 thing to the owner. In defence of fuch praftices, it has 

 been faid, that fuel alone is the intended produce ; but cer- 

 tainly it would be much the beft method, in fuch cafes, it 

 is thought, to allot a fpace or portion by itfelf for the pur- 

 pofe of raifing fuel, and devote the hedge-rows to the more 

 important ufes of producing timber. The fuel part of the 

 land might be rented by the fanner, and the hedge-rows 

 belong exclufively to the proprietor. Keeping each fort of 

 woody colleftion ftriftly charafteriftic of its kind is, it is 

 thought, as beneficial in the raifing of trees, as the divillon 

 of labour is in political economy. There is a great num- 

 ber of fituations and places in the more northern parts of the 

 ifland, as well perhaps as in fome others, where hedge-row 

 timber might be cultivated to the advantage of both the 

 landlord and tenant, and the great ornament of the country. 

 Suppofe, it is faid, an eftate of two thoufand acres, divided 

 into fields of ten acres each, and the hedge-rows planted 

 with trees at fifteen feet apart ; this would be above the 

 rate of eight trees upon the acre, or fixteen thoufand trees 



m the hedges only. At the end of thirty years, if well 

 m.-inaged, they would be worth from twenty to forty fhil- 

 ings each ; but fay only thirty [hillings each, this would be 

 iixtccn thoufand pounds : a very confiderable fum, it is 

 laid, for a proprietor of only two thoufand .icrcs to receire 

 every thirty years, above the annual rent of his eftate. 



Thcfc hints and obfervations place the utility and import- 

 ance of iiedgc-row planting, where it can be done with 

 propriety, in a ftnking point of view. 



TiMBKU-/«/^a7or, a term applied to a pcrfon who is ap- 

 pointed to infped and examine the ftates of timber-woods, 

 plantations, and forefts in any diftrift or place. It has been 

 fuggefted by the writer of the correftcd account of the ftate 

 of agriculture in the county of Devon, that, as it is evident 

 that the timber in tliat county is wafting in a very alarming 

 manner, (and the fame is the cafe in many other timber-wooded 

 diftrids.) It is necen"ary that an ordinance ftiould be made, 

 tiiat in future no timber-tree fliould be cut down, or legally 

 expofed for fale, without having the mark of the timber- 

 mfpeftor of the diftrift affixed to it, and a certificate ac- 

 companying it. This fort of officer fliould, it is thought, 

 be appointed and paid by government, and to whom annual 

 returns ftiould be made of all matters and circumftanccs ap- 

 pertaining to his duty, which ftiould alfo extend to the in- 

 fpeftion and examination of all young timber-plantations, 

 Sic: where it ftiould be required that he ftiould not only fee 

 that a certain number of young trees is planted for every 

 timber-tree that is cut down, but that the fame young trees 

 and plantations are well fenced in and protected. That on 

 his obferving fuch timber woodland fences infufficient for 

 their fafety, and their owners perfiftingly unmindful of the 

 report he has made, he ftiould be empowered to order and 

 diredt the neceflary repairs to be done, and to be enabled to 

 recover the amount of fuch expence, by levying an imme- 

 diate diftrefs upon the moveables on the premifes of the 

 parties. 



It would unqueftionably be of great utility and advantage 

 in increafing the quantity, and improving the quality of 

 timber, to have fuch infpediors in all timber-wooded diftriftt 

 of every defcription. 



TlMBER-P/an/ation, that fort which is made fimply for the 

 purpofe of raifing and producing timber. Several points 

 and circumftaiices are necelfary to be attended to in the 

 performance of this bufinefs, in order to render fuch planta- 

 tions the moft expeditioufly and abundantly produftive, fuch 

 as the proper choice of foil, fituation, and expofure, as well 

 as proper fencing in, thinning, training, and pruning, all of 

 which are noticed and explained under their appropriate 

 heads. See Plantation, Planting, Pruning, Thin- 

 ning, Timber, &c. 



TiMBE}i-Ref>a'ns, fuch as are done by fome fort of 

 timber, to be cut down on eftates, &c. Rough timber is 

 inoftly allowed for repairs to be done by tenants, and it is 

 commonly the cuftom of this country to permit the top- 

 wood of the trees to be taken by them for their trouble 

 and cxpences in various ways with fuch timber. In fome 

 cafes, however, the contrary mode takes place, fuch top- 

 wood being charged to them at a moderate rate or price. 

 And, in all cafes, it is thought by the writer of the work on 

 " Landed Property," that the tenant ftiould be charged for 

 the bark of oak-tii.iber, which is now become fcarce and of 

 great value, he teing allowed for peehng and for carriage to 

 market, or other places. 



It is advifed that the neat value of the bark and the top- 

 wood, where it is charged in thefe cafes of repairs, fhould 

 be made a fair cftimate of when the timber is marked, and 

 charged to tenants in a fum certain. By this means they be- 

 come, 



