66 



and Forests is one of more than ordinary responsibility, hav- 

 ing duties attached to it of the greatest possible consequence ; 

 yet, from the reports made to Parliament, I have great reason 

 to fear it is not managed to the utmost advantage. 



Having previously stated that I resorted to books in vain, 

 I will here mention the names of some, in which the authors 

 profess to give calculations as to profit, &c. First, in a book 

 written by a man of the name of James Sawyer, with the title 

 of Growing Gold^ it is said that because the forests in America 

 grow so near each other as to exclude the sun, ours ought to 

 do the same. In page 72, he says that trees should stand 

 close together, and meet at the top." In page 137, he adds, 



the practice of thinning large trees brings destruction to those 

 *' which remain." If trees grow close together, I agree with 

 the author that, having been previously crowded together, no 

 tree could stand when its neighbour was taken away. At 

 page 41, he says that " where tops of trees press against each 

 " other through each wood or plantation, individual trees receive 

 '*but a trifling share of wind, and the outside trees are sup- 



ported, so that few, if any, receive injury in the roughest gales. 

 " This natural defence is a complete answer to the system so 

 "generally practised by modern wood agents, of admitting light 

 **and air to the stems of trees ; it is quite clear that such a 

 "measure is not required." The author states that the outside- 

 trees are supported, but he does not say how. I will inform 

 Mr. Sawyer, that having access to light and air, they are 

 consequently stronger than the rest ; and had all the trees 

 received the same advantages of light and air, they would 

 have been equally strong. He also says, he is surprised that 

 " they who are entrusted with the care of plantations should 

 "have omitted to make themselves acquainted with the manner 

 "in which trees grew spontaneously in the ancient woods, and 

 "should have adopted, without any inquiry, an artificial 

 "system at variance with every principle of nature." Doea 



