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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

tion of air which it has received when in a growing state ; and as in almost everyother country, Britain excepted, the greater part of the timber is raised in im-mense forests, where the wind and sun are almost totally precluded entrance, theconclusion is obvious. Modern experience, and experiments of the simplest nature,most unquestionably prove, that trees, planted in considerable numbers, encrcasein their bulk almost inconceivably faster than those which being singly planted,are compelled to endure and brave the rough assaults of the wind and weather,destitute of that protection which, even in plantations, trees mutually atford toeach other,

On the contrary, it is to be remembered, that the extraordinary increase ofbulk is by no means an equivalent for the depreciation in respect to quality. Thespungy texture of the wood, naturally produced by quick vegetation and accele-rated growth, causes the earliest decay; while the close grain or fabric of thetree, which, as it were, in spite of adversity and defiance of tempests, has ac-quired, though slowly, and, perhaps, with no small difficulty, a sufficient matu-rity, possesses the power of long defiance to those ravages of time which would,much more speedily, prove destructive to the upstart plant. Such appears to bethe true cause * of the superiority in character which British oak long has, andstill continues to maintain, over that of every other country in Europe.

Although prejudice, which, on some occasions, acquires the less harsh term offash ion, in respect to peculiar practices, and the example of other countries, dis-plays much stronger effect in the instance of marine architecture than it does perhapsin any other existing; yet the practice of France and Spain was only partiallyimitated by Great Britain. The former country in particular had, for a long time,ceased to construct any three-decked ships, and the cause was very easily to be dis-covered. They were considered as peculiarly fitted, only, to the attack of batteriesor fortresses ; attempts which the French nation has been uniformly averse to, far asthey were connected with the operations of their navy. The peculiar excellenceof a naval officer was supposed to consist in the ability of making such an arrange-ment as should enable him, whether in a single ship, or as commander of an ex-tensive fleet, to commence, and finish the encounter with his enemy by a distantand scientific cannonade, in which the peculiar abilities of the gunner could berendered more efficient than the intrepid fearless temper of the seamen, who

* The comparatively small parcels in which the English oaks are planted, and the frequency ofthem in hedge rows, where the air has constant and tree access.

seemed