5 



ed in this country when properly attended to, no 

 one will deny. The more fully to explain all this, 

 I send you a copy of my " Forester's Guide, and 

 Profitable Planter," pubHshed in 1824, which, if 

 your time will permit you to glance over the intro- 

 duction, &c. it will prove what I have here stated. 

 Should these few hints, which I am convinced would 

 do good if put in practice, be of any use to you in 

 the present very trying state of the country, I shall 

 bein readiness, should you require it, to make a state- 

 ment of the expense that timber can be reared at, 

 from the nursery to the naval shipbuilding yard ; 

 also, all kinds of timber for other purposes ; and at 

 all times ready to give any farther explanation. 



I have the honour to remain. 

 Sir, 



Your most obedient, and very faithful Servant, 

 ROBERT MONTEATH. 



Stirling y 2th September 1826. 



P. S. — The sum paid by Great Britain and Ire- 

 land for foreign bark is very considerable, as is 

 plain from the above Letter ; but is almost no- 

 thing when compared with that paid for timber, 

 there being no less than L.l, 500,000 sterHng paid 

 annually by Britain and Ireland for foreign timber ; 

 this immense sum, which is provable from unex- 

 ceptionable authority, need by no means stagger 

 the belief of any one who for a moment considers 

 the great number of large vessels constantly em- 

 ployed in importing timber. The one-half of that 

 sum would employ annually and regularly all the 



