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pact and Firm, that the Ax will not make so great Impreflion as it doth in theSpring, which will also Increase the Price of the Felling some small matter,and it’s Savcing afterwards; but how inconsiderable these things are incompa-rilbn of the great good of this manner of Felling, I think is Self-Evident.
The Grcatest Objection, that I can foresee will he urged here in the South■ against thiä Practicc, is, that if the Umher be not Fell’d till Mid-vointer or Ja-nuary , whcre it grows in Copses and Woods, they cannot perhaps Inclose theiryoung Springs 16 loon as some may imagine needful, and therefore will bebackward to Fell their Timber (16 Growing) at that Season. To which IAnlwer, that the Timber lo Fell’d in the Wood or Copses, may be easily carriedoft before the Second Spring, and 16 the Prejudice small, and the First it multbe therc, whcrevcr it is Fell'd. But fecondly, that which will quite removethis inconsiderable Disticulty is, that perhaps it may be Expedient that noTimber whatsecver-Growing in Woods or Copses, be at allbought intothe KJng'sTtirds, for that Timber Growing in such Shady Places, ond lo feneed from theSun and filnd, as Timber in Woods for the rnoft part is, cannot be s6 goodas that which comes from an expojed Situation , such as it ufually has in For-resis, Parks, Hedge-rovts and Open Fields where too it is indifferent at leait,if not better, for the Proprietor, that it be Fell'd in Winter ( when the Gralsand Corn is gone) than in the Spring it seif; and the Officers alligned forthat Purpole may Buy all their Timber under such Conditionsas tobe Fell’d inWinter, enjoining the Proprietor to take off the Bark > n the Spring in duetime, making him some lirtall Allowance for the Trouble he will have in Peching it Standing.
The Differente IV. It is the Gommon Opinion, that Timber which is Fell'd in Winter isof Timber in stronger and more Lasting, as being more Clole and Firm, than that which‘ s in Summer : But M. Lcuwcnhocss Sentiment i», that there is no
«, iifferent Sea- Diffcrcncc, exccpt in the Bark and outermost RJng of the Wood, which in^"t' xJn' ^ lc Stimmer are Soffer, and so more easily Pierced by the Worm ; Wood con-Tcu'wcnhock. stffing of Hollow Pipes, which in the Summer and Winter both, are füll of2 i?.->. 224 . Moilture, they do not Sbrink in the Winter, and therefore the Wood cannotbe Closcr at one time than another: For otherwise it would be füll of Cracksand Clefts. The Sudden and Unexpected Rptting of some Timber, he con-ceives to prcceed from lerne Inward Decay ini the Trce before it was Fell’d:having Oblerved all Trees to begin to decay at ftrst in the Midis or Heart ofthe Tree, though pollibly the Tree may Stand and Grow for near an Hun-ts red Years aftervvards, and Increale in Bigneß all along.
x. He lays, he was once of Opinion, that Trees growing in good Ground,but Increaling flowly, were the best and strongelt Timber ; and that theseTrees which in few Years grew Large, was the Soffest and Britlest; the Con-trary to which, upon Enquiry of Experienced Workmen, he found to betrue, and Instances in an Elm of 8o Years Growth, which was 1 1 Foot inCireumference, and proved Excellent Tough Timber.
3 ; The