The Ash. 



per hundred would make the acre of ground yield two hun- 

 dred and ninety pounds in poles in the course of tlie ten 

 years ; the price of the hoops varies greatly according to 

 the local situation; hut, on an average, they could scarcely 

 be worth less than two pounds a thousand, which makes 

 eighty-seven pounds more; and, of course,' the total amount of 

 the produce of one acre in the space of ten years, three 

 hundred and seventy-seven pounds. The costs would consist 

 of rent, taxes, fencing, cutting down, and trimming. The 

 labour would very nearly be paid by the faggot wood ; and 

 I have no idea of any annual expense for fencing, and for 

 cultivation in the early stages of the plantation, to exceed 

 four or five pounds an acre. In short, I think, I can defy 

 any man to show that all the costs upon the acre, rows 

 eighteen inches apart, and plants six inches apart in the 

 rows, would exceed a hundred pounds in the course of the 

 ten years, including every charge of every description, and 

 allowing the land to be worth a rent of three or four pounds 

 an acre. Here then, in the first ten years, there would be 

 gain greater than can possibly be derived in the ordinary 

 way in the course of four or five times ten years. 



126. But, this is not all ; for, the poles once cut down, 

 there would come up from the stems another crop ; not, 

 I verily believe, equal to the first ; but, probably, three 

 times as great as ever was yielded by a common plantation; 

 and, if the near distances of the plants should cause a tailing 

 off in the rapidity of the growth, the plantation might be 

 grubbed up ; tbe roots all taken out; it might have a year 

 or two in turnips or other roots, and then be planted with Ash 

 again. If the plantation were in a part of the country where 

 hop-poles were not wanted, the poles would be wanted for 

 other purposes. If let stand till they be twelve, fifteen, or 

 sixteen years old, they would be fit for wheelwrights, and for 



