GROWING GOLD. 85 



lower, and show every symptom of injury 

 from the wmd ; being mutilated and moss 

 grown. These trees make the least possible 

 progress indicative of being alive. A reverend 

 gentleman who has some woods of his own, a 

 few miles distant, is of opinion that the failure 

 of the crop of oak in this place is occasioned 

 by the wetness of the soil. In answer to this, 

 it may be stated that the oak underwood is 

 healthy, the stems bright, clean, and without 

 moss, and the extensive fall of large trees, 

 not quite fifty years ago, proves the soil to 

 be suitable for growing oak trees to perfec- 

 tion. The owner, however, does not give this 

 evidence due attention, by his planting ash 

 for stubs. Possessing some fame as an 

 agriculturist, he is taken as an authority on 

 the cultivation of timber. But there is a 

 wide difference between growing wheat and 

 growing oak trees ; his ability as a farmer is 

 admitted ; but at the same time it is con- 

 tended there is no evidence on his own estate 

 in favor of his knowing anything of the 

 principle of the right cultivation of oak trees. 



