46 



it may probably appear that the scarcity of such knowledge is 

 in a considerable degree the true cause of the scarcity of 

 timber. " Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas." 



It is many years since the subject first engaged my atten- 

 tion, when I resorted to books, from which I derived nothing 

 but perplexity and disappointment, and it appeared evident I 

 could obtain little assistance from that quarter. From books 

 I turned to woodmen, and, with some exceptions, with similar 

 success. I then had recourse to nature and reason, from 

 which I have collected all I know with any tolerable certainty 

 on the subject. Evelyn, in his Silva," says that owners 

 appear to have paid no attention to this subject, though it is 

 their interest so much to do." It has been said that timber 

 is only an excrescence to pay people's debts with, and no 

 doubt many woods have been cut down for that purpose. 

 Few writers appear to be fully aware of the importance of 

 the subject, and the generality of managers appear, by their 

 works, to be no better informed as to the rate at which timber 

 increases in value, though Evelyn has given them broad hints 

 of it. He says that country people know that trees consist 

 of roots, stems, boughs, and leaves, &c. &c., but cannot give 

 any account of the species, virtues, or further culture, than 

 making a pit or hole, and treading in the earth ; and they 

 seldom plant trees till they grow old, and find by experience 

 the prudence and necessity of it ; and there is no part of 

 husbandry which men more commonly fail in, neglect, and 

 have cause to repent of, than that they did not begin to plant 

 betimes, without which they cannot expect much fruit from 

 their labours. 



In all the books I have read on the subject of arbori- 

 culture by Evelyn, Duhamel,, Pontey, Boutcher, Monteath, 

 &c., instructions are given to enable planters to know 

 what trees to plant on particular soils and situations ; various 

 experiments as to the strength, growth, and qualities of 



