OF FOREST-TREES. 



3 



2. To attend now a spontaneous supply of these decayed materials 

 (which is the vulgar and natural way) would cost (besides the inclosure) 

 some entire ages repose of the plough *, though bread indeed doth require 

 our first care : therefore the most expeditious and obvious method would 

 doubtless be one of these two ways, sowing or planting. But, first, it 

 will be requisite to agree upon the species ; as what trees are likely to 

 be of greatest use, and the fittest to be cultivated ; and then, to consider 

 of the manner how it may be best effected. Truly the waste and de- 

 struction of our woods has been so universal, that I conceive nothing 

 less than an universal plantation of all the sorts of trees will supply, and 

 well encounter the defect ; and therefore I shall here adventure to speak 

 something in general of them all ; though I chiefly insist upon the pro- 

 pagation of such only as seem to be the most wanting and serviceable to 

 the end proposed. 



S. And first, by trees here, I consider principally for the Genus gene- 

 ralissimum, such lignous and woody plants as are hard of substance, pro- 



more lines than Virgil's Georgics. The first edition was published in 1562. There are 

 other editions in 1 604<, and 1 672 ; also in 1 710, and 1743, with notes and observations.— 

 Every thing that has a tendency towards the raising and diffusing a spirit for planting, is 

 highly meritorious ; and as our Wooden Walls have been esteemed, for many ages past, the 

 bulwarks of this nation, we may hope from the goodness of our august sovEnEiGN, that 

 he will set an example to the nobility and men of large possessions, by ordering his wastes 

 to be planted with Timber-trees, especially the Oak : 



nourish there 



Those sapling Oaks, which at Britannia's call. 

 May heave their trunks mature into the main. 



And float the bulwarks of her liberty. mason. 



The wants of the nation call for this supply. How many thousand acres of waste land 

 are there in this kingdom, that at this present time produce nothing, but may be profitably 

 improved by planting ! Did men of large possessions but rightly consider this, they would 

 carefully look over their estates, search out every useless bog, and plant it with Poplars or 

 other aquatics. They would examine all the waste grounds, and set apart some for the 

 cottagers, and apply the most barren and useless for plantations. Was such a generous 

 spirit to prevail, we should hear few persons complaining that their ancient Common- 

 rights ate invaded, and that their extreme necessities have obliged them to emigrate to 

 countries far less hospitable than their own. 



H2 



INTROD. 



• Patricius 

 De Repub. 



