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WERE other wastes of a fimilar nature, lying in different parts of the Inland, particularly the MOUNTAIN BROWs of the ENGLISH HIGHLANDS, in Yorkshire, Weftmoreland, &c. and also the Cornish and Devonshire Mountains, with the Welch and Salopian Hills, together with other barren heights, at prefent merely blank furfaces, which lie a difgrace to the POLITICAL, as well as the RURAL ECONOMY of the kingdom converted to the fame valuable purpose, a supply of foreign timber might, in half a century, become unneceffary; and this, without any, or but an inconfiderable, abridgment of Agricultural produce.

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THE Larch not only flourishes in bleak and barren fites, but ENCREASES with a RAPIDITY UNknown to every other durable wood. In the grounds of BLAIR OF ATHOL, we measured a Larch, which, at five feet high, girted upwards of eight feet, and contained by estimation four tons of timber; which Larch, by the indifputable evidence of a perfon who remembered its being planted, was not, at the time we measured it, 1792, fifty-four years old. And, at DUNKELD, we measured another, of very little more than fifty years old, which girted, at the fame height, eight feet fix inches; its height near a hundred feet, and its contents from four to five tons of timber.

WE

We are not apt to be carried away by novel ideas, and uptart practices; on the contrary, feeing the falfe bafis on which they too frequently reft, we may fometimes, perhaps, remain in doubt, when we ought to decide: but, believing this to be the fafer conduct, we adhere, and mean to adhere, to our principle. Nevertheless, in the multitude of evidences which have occurred to us, in favor of the tree now under notice, we find fufficient ground for decifion; and we think it right to lofe no time, in recommending it to the attention of men of property, in every diftrict of the Island, in which barren heathy lands are found.

SECTION THE THIRD,

COPPICES,

AFTER what has been recommended, in the foregoing Sections, with regard to the raifing of WOODS and GROVES, fcarcely anything remains to be added, here, refpecting COPPICES; the proper culture being fimilar, in the feveral cafes,

THE MODERN COPPICES OF KENT (we speak more particularly of the diftrict of Maidstone), raised for the purpose of hop poles, are chiefly of Afb and Chefnut; which are generally cultivated in N 3.

rows;

rows; the interyals being kept clean, as thofe of hop grounds; and the profits arifing from them is almost incredible,

ONE particular in the Kentifh practice deferves notice. To keep the intervals free from weeds, and the foil mellow, they are thickly covered with "bop bines," the ftalks of hops as freed from the poles, and with good effect. When thefe bines have performed their office, and are become fufficiently tender for the operation, they are dug under as manure. Furze, Broom, or rough bushes, might be used in the fame intention.

IN RAISING A COPPICE, as in cultivating any other species of woodland, the first business is to regulate the plants; to fet them out, at proper diftances, where they are too thick, and to fill up the vacant spaces with the fupernumerary plants,

SOMETHING, too, may afterwards be done, by judicious thinnings; but lefs in coppices, than in the other two fpecies of woodland. However, where the demand of the country calls for the larger articles of coppice ware, many stakes, binding rods, &c. may be cut out, with advantage to the free-shooting plants, left to grow up, to supply the markets of the given diftrict; which will ever determine the SPECIES of COPRICE WOOD. See p. 119, and the SPECIES OF UNDERWOOD, p. 130.

ONE

ONE fpecies of coppice wood, however, requires to be particularly noticed; as its uses are adapted to every district: namely, the OZIER; which, in low moist fituations, may be cultivated, on a small scale at least, with great advantage to every farm; for binders, thatching rods, hurdles, edders, stakes, rake handles, fithe handles, and other utenfils of husbandry, and for poles and rails of almost any length.

In cultivating the Ozier, as a coppice wood, on moist moory fites, the firft ftep is to throw the foil N 4

into

• WILLOW POLLARDS are ufeful in the fame intention; but do not afford such a length and cleanness of ftem, as a close coppice. Nevertheless, they are planted, with great profit, by the fides of brooks and rivulets, paffing through meadowy and marshy grounds, in many parts of the Island; and might, in many others, be planted with equal benefit.

An error, too frequently committed, in planting Willow poles for Pollards, is to fet them within the banks of the rivulet or brook; to the future injury of its channel: a practice which no commiflion of fewers, or manor inquest, should fuffer.

The proper fituation for thefe Pollards is fome feet, not less than half a rod, from the brink of the channel: a fituation, which the Salix tribe in general prefer; the roots foon reach the moisture, and thus gain a double range of pafturage. Is this fituation, too, the trees afford a falutary shade to cattle in hot weather, without danger to themselves, or injury to the channel, or its banks.

into beds, fo as to lay the furface fufficiently dry; the Ozier difliking an unfound fituation.

THIS work fhould be done in autumn, when the foil, having had all the fummer to grow firm in, will stand to the fpade; and the fides of the trenches will then be lefs liable to give way than they would, in the fpring, when the foil is filled. like a fponge with water; which ouzing out, from beneath the beds, into the new-made trenches, their fides become undermined; and can never, afterwards, be made to ftand properly on the contrary, if the trenches be opened in autumn, and the mold which comes out of them be used in filling up the hollows, and laying the furface even and round, the winter's rains will not pass through the foil, but will run off the furface, and rather affift in establishing the beds, than in rendering them tender.

IN March, the beds being firmly established, and their furfaces in good working order, the foil fhould be thoroughly trenched with the fpade, and truncheons inferted.

THE fets fhould be put in, about two feet from each other, and a potatoe plant may be dibbled into the center of each interfpace. During fummer,

the

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