TREES. 



The immenfc quantity of timber confutned of late years 

 in fhip-building and other pui-pofcs, has diminifhed in a very 

 great degree the quantity produced in this country-. On 

 this account, many gentlemen who wifti well to their country, 

 alarmed with the fear of a fcarcity, liave ftrongly recom- 

 mended it to government to pay fome attention to the cul- 

 tivation and prefervation of timber. 



It appears, on the authority of Mr. Irving, infpedlor- 

 general of imports and exports, that the (hipping of 

 England in 1760 amounted to 6107 in number, the ton- 

 nage being 433,922 ; and the {hippingin Scotland amounted 

 to 976 in number, the tonnage being 52,818. In 1788, 

 the whole fliipping of Britain and Ireland and tlieir colonies 

 amounted to 13,800, being 1,359,752 tons burden, and 

 employing 107,925 men. The tonnage of the royal navy in 

 the fame year was 413,667. It alfo appears, from the 

 report of the commiffioners of the land revenue, that the 

 quantity of oak-timber of Englifh growth, delivered into 

 the dock-yards from 1760 to 1788, was no lefs than 768,676 

 loads, and that the quantity ufed in the merchants' yards in 

 the fame time was 516,630 loads ; in all 1,285,306 loads. 

 The foreign oak ufed in the fame period was only 137,766 

 loads. So that after deducting the quantity remaining in 

 the dock-yards in 1760 and 1788, and the foreign oak, there 

 will remain about 1,054,284 loads of Enghfh oak, confumed 

 in 28 years, which is at an average 37,653 loads per annum, 

 befides from 8300 to 10,000 loads expended annually by 

 the Eail India Company within the fame period. 



A writer in the Bath Tranfaclions, cited in the Ency- 

 clopa:dia Britannica, article Tree, fays, that the aggregate 

 of oaks felled in England and Wales for 30 years part, has 

 amounted to 320,000 loads in a year ; and as this ftatement 

 feems to differ from that above given, under the authority of 

 the commiffioners of land revenue, we think it neceflary to 

 point out the realon of this difference. This we are enabled 

 to do, by the liberal communication of the ingenious Samuel 

 Purkis, efq. whofe diligence of refearch and accuracy in 

 making the neceifary calculations, and fidelity in reporting 

 the remit of his inquiries, muft be admitted by all wlio 

 knew him without hefitation. He informs us, that the 

 calculation was made by himfelf and a friend at the requeft 

 of Mr. Pitt, then prime-minifter, in order to afcertain whe- 

 ther there was a fufficient quantity of oak-timber in this 

 country to fupply the probable demand for many years. 



The calculations were made from documents furni(hed by 

 government, and upon principles which could not fail to 

 afford an accurate refult. This refult was communicated 

 by Mr. Purkis to Mr. South, a man of fortune and re- 

 fpedabihty in Hampfhire, and was pubhfhed by him in the 

 Bath Tranfaclions. The difcrepancy above-mentioned is 

 merely apparent, and not real. For the commiffioners of 

 the land revenue only Hated the annual confumption in the 

 royal navy, and by the Eaft India Company ; whereas 

 Mr. Purkis's llatement comprehended the annual confump- 

 tion of the whole kingdom; ror had they the means which he 

 pofletred of making the latter eftimate. 



The building of a 70-gun (hip, it is faid, would take 40 

 acres of timber ; and though this may feem to be an ex- 

 aggerated eftimate, it fliould be confidered, that, according 

 to the prevailing opinion of experienced furveyors, it will 

 require a good foil and good management to produce 40 

 trees on an acre, which, in 100 years, may, at an average, be 

 computed at two loads each. Reckoning, therefore, two 

 loads at 8/. iGs., one acre will be worth 350/. and confe- 

 quently 40 acres will be only worth 14,200/. The building 

 pf a 70-gun Ihip is generally fuppofed to coft 70,000/. ; and 

 as (hips do not lail many years, the navy continually re- 



12 



quires new (hips, fo that the forefts muft be ftripped in a 

 century or two, unlefs young trees are planted to fupply 

 their place. 



As the confumption of oak-timber is fo confiderable, 

 methods (houldj be devifed and diligently prsftifed for pro- 

 curing a frefh fupply. 



Trees are liable to a variety of difeafes and injuries, for 

 the prevention or cure of which various means have been 

 propofed. 



The chevalier de Bienenberg of Prague, we are told, has 

 difcovered a method of effeftually preferving trees in blof- 

 iom from the fatal effedls of thofe frofts wliich fometimes 

 in the fpring deftroy the moll promifmg hopes of a plenti- . 

 ful crop of fruit. His method is extremely fimple. He 

 furrounds the trunk of the tree in bloffom with a wifp of 

 ftraw or hemp. The end of this he finks, by means of a 

 ftone tied to it, in a veffel of fpring-water, at a little dif- 

 tance from the tree. One veffel will conveniently ferve 

 two trees ; or the cord may be lengthened fo as to furround 

 feveral, before its end is plunged into the water. It is 

 neceffary that the veffel be placed in an open fituatiou, and 

 by no means (haded bv the branches of the neighbouring- 

 trees, that the froft may produce all its effetls on the water, 

 by means of the cord communicating with it. — This pre- 

 caution is particularly neceflary for thofe trees, the flowers 

 of which appear nearly at the fame time as the leaves ; 

 which trees are peculiarly expofed to the ravages of the 

 froft. The proofs of its efficacy, which lie had an opportu- 

 nity of obferving in the fpring of 1787, were remarkably 

 ftriking. Seven apricot efpaliers in his garden began to 

 bloffom in the month of March. Fearing that they would 

 fufFcr from the late frofls, he fuiTOunded them with cords 

 as above direfted. In effect, pretty (harp frofts took place 

 fix or eight nights : the apijcot-trees in the neighbouring 

 gardens were all frozen, and none of them produced any 

 fruit, whilft each of the chevalier's produced fruit in abun- 

 dance, wliich came to the greateft perfeftion. See Frost. ■ 



For Mr. Forfyth's remedy, we refer to the article Com- ■ 

 POSITION /or Trees. See alfo Grafting. 



Mr. Ray, and other authors, fpeak of feveral trees of 

 prodigious bulk. 



The jefuit d'Acofta, in his Hiftory of the Indies, hb.ir. 

 cap. 3, mentions a hollow tree at Tlacocharaya, three leagues 

 from Guaxa, in New Spain, nine fathoms withinfide near the 

 ground, and fixteen withoutfide. He adds, that it is under 

 this tree the barbarians affembled to perform their religious 

 ceremonies, dance round their idols, &c. Hen-era mentions 

 another, which fixteen men, joining hands, could not fathom. 

 And F. Kircher, in his Latium, p. 50, affirms that he hai 

 feen a tree, near Gonzano, which would lodge a whole 

 family of twenty-five perfons in its cavity. The common 

 people had a tradition, that this was planted by Auguftus. 



There are forefts of very large chefnut-trees, growing 

 out of the lava of mount jEtna, in Sicily. One of thefe, 

 called the Caftagno di Cento Cavalli, is much the moft ce- 

 lebrated. It meafures 204 feet round, and though faid to 

 be united below in one ftem, it is a bu(h of five large trees 

 growing together. The hollow of one of ihefe chefnut- 

 trees is faid to contain a hundred fheep, and it is alfo re- 

 lated, that thirty people have been in it on horfeback. 

 Brydone's Letters, vol. i. p. 109, &c. See ,£tsa. 



In the Indies there are very large forefts formed from a 

 fingle tree, whofe branches bending to the ground, take 

 root, and put forth new trees : the Indian fig-tree and pa- 

 retuvier are of this kind. 



M. Lonvillcrs mentions trees in Peru, one part of whofe 

 branches produce fruit one half the year, and the other 



part 



