DIVISION THE SECOND.

CHOICE OF TIMBER TREES.

SECTION THE FIRST.

CONSUMPTION OF TIMBER.

TIMBER is the great and primary object of planting. Ornament, abstracted from utility, ought to be confined within narrow limits. Indeed, in matters of planting, especially in the taller plantations, it were difficult to separate, entirely, the idea of ornament from that of use. Trees, in general, are capable of producing an ornamental effect; and there is no tree which not be said to be more or less useful, But their difference in point of value, when arrived at maturity, is incomparable; and it would be the height of folly to plant a tree whose characteristic is principally ornament, when another, which is more useful and equally ornamental, may be planted in its stead.

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THEREFORE, previous to our entering, at large, upon the business of planting, it will be proper to endeavour to specify the trees most useful to be planted. In attempting this, we must look forward, and endeavour to ascertain the species and proportional quantities of TIMBER which will hereafter be wanted, when the trees, now to be planted, shall have reached maturity. To do this with a degree of certainty, is impossible: Customs and fashions alter, as caprice and necessity dictate. All that appears capable of being done, in a matter of this nature, is, to trace the great outlines, and, by observing what has been permanently useful for ages past, judge what may, in all human probability, be useful in ages to come.

SHIPS,
BUILDINGS,

MACHINES, and
UTENSILS,

have been, are, and most probably will continue to be, the consumers of TIMBER, in this country. We will, therefore, endeavour to come at the principal materials made use of in the construction of these four great conveniences of life. Indeed, while mankind remain in their present state of civilization and refinement, they are necessaries of life, which cannot be dispensed with; and are consequently objects which the planter ought not to lose sight of, as they include, in effect, every thing that renders plantations useful; FENCE WOOD and FUEL, excepted.

1. SHIPS are built chiefly of OAK: the keels however, are now pretty generally laid with ELM, or BEECH; and part of the upper decks of men of war is of DEAL: but these woods bear no proportion, in respect of the quantity used, to the Oak. The timbers of a ship are principally crooked, but the planking is cut out of straight pieces. In a seventy-four gun ship, the crooked and straight pieces used are nearly equal, but the planking under water is of FOREIGN OAK: therefore, of ENGLISH OAK, the proportion of crooked to straight pieces is almost two to one. Masts and yards are of DEAL. The blockmakers use Elm, LignumVitæ, Box, and other hard woods. Upon the whole, it may be said, that, in the construction of a ship, OAK is the only ENGLISH WOOD made use of; and that, of this English Oak, nearly two thirds are requisite to be more or less CROOKED.

II. BUILDINGS. In the metropolis, and towns in general, DEAL is the prevailing wood made use of by the house carpenter: some OAK is used for sashes, also for window and door frames, and some for wall plates; but in places situated within the reach of water carriage, DEAL is becoming every day more and more prevalent: nevertheless, there are many inland parts of the country, where the house carpenters still continue to work up great quantities of OAK and ELM. The VOL. 1.

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joiner scarcely uses any other wood than DEAL, except in some inland and well wooded districts, where OAK is still in use for floors and staircases. Through the kingdom at large, perhaps three fourths of the timber used in the construction of buildings are FOReign Deal.

III. MACHINES. This class comprehends MILLS and other MACHINES of MANUFACTORY, CARRIAGES of burden and pleasure, IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY, with the other articles necessary in rural affairs.

THE millwright's chief material is ОAK, and some CRABTREE, for cogs*.

THE waggon

and cartwright uses OAK, for bodies; ASH, for shafts and axles; ELM, for naves, and sometimes for fellies and linings.

THE plowright's sheet anchor is ASH: in some counties BEECH is substituted in its stead, for every thing but plow beams.

THE Coachmakers use Asн, for poles, blocks, splinter bars, &c. ELM, for naves; generally

* As to the implements, utensils, and machines of manufactory, they are infinite; and various kinds of wood are worked up in making them.

Asн, for spokes and fellies; and RATTAN*, for pannels.

Gates and Fences are made of OAK and DEAL; sometimes of ASH, ELM, MAPLE, &c. but posts are, or ought to be, universally of Oak, CHESNUT, or LARCH;

Ladders, of DEAL, ALDER, WILLOW, OAK, &c.

Pumps and Water Pipes, of OAK, ELM, Alder;

Wooden Bridges, River Breaks, and other Waterworks, principally OAK; some ELM and ALDER under water +.

IV. UTENSILS. Under this head we class FURNITURE, COOPER'S WARE, MATHEMATICAL INSTRUMENTS, TRUNKS, PACKING CASES, COFFINS, &c. &c.

THE cabinetmakers' chief woods are MAHOGANY and BEECH; next to these follow DUTCH OAK (Wainscot), DEAL, ELM; and lastly, WALNUTTREE, CHERRYTREE, PLUMTREE, Box,

* The mahogany of the Bahama Islands.

BEECH has lately been found to lie long under water; but for waterwork of every kind the LARCH is found to excel.