IfOREST-TREES. 



49 



I CUT them again in fix years more, which, being ftrongcr 

 thaii the former, I fold for fifty fliiUings. 



In fix years after this, I again cut them over, and though thefe 

 were much the largeft flioots, I fold them at the fame price as 

 the laft. 



There remained now twenty trees on the whole ground, in- 

 tended to ftand for timber, ten of which grew amongft the copfe 

 I had fold. My meaning was not to touch thefe till the decline 

 of my life, that I might leave to poflerity what obfervations I 

 was able to make, of the profit a man who begins to plant when 

 young, may reap from it in his own time : But the crofs events of 

 fortune difappointed me ; for, becoming fecurity in confiderable 

 fums for others, who failed in their affairs, I was obliged, by 

 rigid creditors, to fell my land, at which time my neceffities 

 alfo conftrained me to fell my trees of ail kinds. I hope the rea- 

 der will excufe this digreffion, which I believed neceffary, to re- 

 move the jufl reflection every judicious planter would make 

 againft me, for cutting down hopeful trees at fo early and un- 

 profitable a period, if I could have avoided it. Thofe trees I 

 fold, of twenty-three years growth, at feven iliillings a tree, to a 

 cart-wright, which was L.3 : los. for the ten trees on the copfe 

 ground I had cut and fold three times before. 



Thus it appears, that an acre of indifferent ground (for mine 

 was very bad) planted with Alh trees in the manner defcribed, 

 near, or eafily carried to any populous town, will yield, in 

 twenty-three years time, L.i i 5 : 10 s. without any other expence 

 than digging the ground for the firff five or fix years, and cutting 



G 



