PART VIII. PICTURESQUE PLANTING. 



585 



men and gentlemen with their estates. Every proprietor, who 

 does not completely understand the subject of planting himself, 

 should commit the formation and general management of his 

 plantations to some persons of known abilities, who shall give 

 all the leading directions and proper examples respecting plant- 

 ing, cultivating, pruning, thinning the trees, and felling and 

 selling the timber — inspect them occasionally as these opera- 

 tions are going on, — and give in a report of the condition of all 

 the plantations and trees on the estate, and, when necessary, a 

 report of the value of the timber. A person thus employed in 

 different parts of the kingdom, would soon acquire an accurate 

 idea respecting the kind and quantity of wood in the country ; 

 by which he could discern the most economical methods and 

 kinds of trees for each particular place,, both in respect to the 

 growth of trees and the value of timber. His attention should 

 not be directed merely to the extensive plantations, — he should 

 examine every hedgerow and single tree j nor should he con- 

 fine himself to the trees that already exist, but examine every 

 farm — every hedge — every vacant spot, or spare corner, — and 

 observe whether trees might not be planted in some, or all of 

 these, with advantage. A place once fully examined by this 

 inspector, might be managed afterwards with a few visits every 

 year ; and of course his salary would be but a trifling object. 

 It is presumed that an estate, though there were little more 



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