2 GROWING GOLD. 



quality. The general practice, however, has 

 been, and still is, to grow pines, beech, birch, 

 poplars, alder, sycamore, the Turkish and 

 sessiliflora oaks, &c. and to allow small 

 stunted oak trees to occupy the land with the 

 underwood, instead of cultivating oak timber 

 trees. 



Owners appear to have paid no attention to 

 this part of the subject, although it is certainly 

 their interest to do so. It has been said that 

 timber is only an excrescence to pay people's 

 debts with, and no doubt many woods have been 

 cut down for such purpose. Few writers appear 

 to be fully aware of the importance of this 

 subject, and the generality of managers appear 

 by their works to be no better informed as to 

 the rate timber increases in value, although 

 Evelyn has given them broad hints respecting 

 it, and has distinctly pointed out the cause 

 which principally prevents its growth. He 

 says, " to give an instance of what store of 

 woods and timber of prodigious size there was 

 growing in our little county of Surry (the 



