48 



GROWING GOLD, 



The author speaks of facts : in many woods 

 all the timber has been cut, and the few small 

 trees which have arisen by chance are gene- 

 rally bush headed, short stemmed, and show 

 no 3igns of growing to maturity. The chief 

 reliance for a profit appears to be upon the 

 growth of underwood. Profit from the growth 

 of oak seems to be a complete casualty. 



The adoption of the pine class of trees as 

 a substitute for oaks also exhibits an unac- 

 countable absence of inquiry ; previously to 

 so extensive an introduction it ought to have 

 been ascertained whether the quality of the 

 pine timber grown in this country would be 

 equal to that produced in the severer climate 

 of their native regions. Those persons who 

 are intrusted with the care of estates where 

 the oldest pine trees are standing (provided 

 there was an inclination) could answer this 

 question satisfactorily. As the excellence of 

 English-grown fir timber has not been proved, 

 there is reason to believe that it is very inferior 

 to that imported. This is not from the defi- 



