105 



nied them to sufficient extent, as they increase in 

 size they require more, they grow slow, become lan-^ 

 guid, stinted in their growth, at last die. 2d, Their 

 being on an elevated situation, and exposed to every 

 storm that blows, is also much against their growth ; 

 had they been in a less exposed situation, although 

 on the same soil, there would have been less danger 

 of their decay. 3d, It is plain, and must be allowed 

 on all hands, that the more trees increase in size, the 

 more room theyrequire, both above and below ground; 

 but many of these trees having for so long a time been 

 allowed to grow so close together, the storm has 

 lashed them against each other in the tops, and de- 

 stroyed their figure as trees ; and as the roots must 

 make new wood annually below ground as well as 

 above ground, the thinness of the soil and the 

 great number of roots or trees always requiring more 

 room and nourishment as they increased in size, 

 and not receiving either in sufficient quantity, they 

 behoved not only to become, year after year, more 

 languid in their growth, but in the end they die. It 

 is a well authenticated fact, that trees grow faster 

 from the age of twenty years till they be eighty years 

 old, than they do afterwards ; that is to say, they 

 make more timber in every one year, betwixt these 

 ages than they do in every four years after ; this is 

 easily accounted for, as during this age, supposing 

 the soil to be good and not overburdened, and they 

 receive all the nourishment, &c. that they require, 

 the larger they grow they require the more nourish- 

 ment, and not receiving the increasing supplies they 

 require, they must grow slower ; therefore, I say, 

 that notwithstanding the soil and situation, had these 

 trees been thinned properly out in time, they would 



