The Locust. 



larly on the planting of Locusts^ has produced several 

 shoots from his plantations of one year's growth from stems 

 that have been cut down, and; amongst these shoots, there 

 was one more than nine feet long, and six inches round at the 

 bottom, coming from the stem of a young tree, which had 

 been cut down, on account of its having been broken by 

 the wind. Mr. Daniel Palmer tells me, that there were 

 eight trees in the clump, where he measured the ninety- 

 two, which were short and unworthy of the rest ; that he 

 took these eight trees up last year^ planted them in another 

 place, and cut them down to the ground at once \ and that 

 they, though just removed, made shoots of six feet long 

 last summer. It is, however, perfectly notorious, that the 

 cutting down of trees causes them to shoot in this vigorous 

 mann^j'. It is impossible, that, when a Locust pole can 

 be had for a shilling, anybody will ever give three pence 

 for any other sort of pole; and, it is also impossible, that 

 any man of sense should not perceive, that this is the most 

 profitable tree that can possibly be planted. Mr. Pal- 

 mer gives me an account of the size and height of the 

 trees in the general in the mixed plantation where the Locust 

 plants stand ; and upon reducing these to an average, as 

 nearly as I have been able, they appear to me to be less 

 than one-third part of the size and height of the Locust ; 

 to say nothing at all about the inferior quality of the wood. 

 Not one penny of profit can come out of that general plan- 

 tation for twenty years yet to come. Three crops of Locust 

 poles, or two crops of Locust posts, may be taken off the 

 ground before you can put an axe or a hook into the rest 

 of the plantation ; and yet, even plantations like that are 

 very desirable things. 



383. I have now left no doubt in the muid of any reader 

 as to the great durability, the various important uses, and 



p2 



