SOS:

A DISCOURSE

book hi. dibly reported, that even our famous Forest of Dean hath been utterlywasted no lefs than three several times within the space of nine hundredyears. The Prince Elector, Frederick IV. in the year 1606, sowed a partof that most barren heath of Lambentlieun with acorns after ploughing, as* 1664. £ have been informed : It is now * likely to prove a most goodly forest,though all this while miserably neglected by reason of the wars. For thecare of planting trees should indeed be recommended to Princes and greatPersons, who have the fee of the estate; tenants upon the rack, by rea-son of the tedious expectation,.and jealousy of having their rents enhanced,are, for the most part, averse to this husbandry; so that unlefs theLandlord will be at the whole charge of planting and fencing, (withoutwhich as good no planting) little is to be expected; and whatsoever isproposed to them above their, usual course, is looked upon as the whimand fancy of speculative persons, which they turn into ridicule when theyare applied to action; and this (says an ingenious and excellent husband,W'hose observations have afforded me no little treasure) might be the reasonwhy the prime writers of all ages endeavoured to involve their discourseswith allegories, and Co nigmatical terms, to protect them from the con-tempt and pollution of the vulgar, which has been of some ill conse-quence in husbandry; for that very few writers of worth have adventuredupon so plain a subject, though doubtlefs to any considering person, themost delightful kind of Natural Philosophy , and that which employs themost useful, part of the Mathematics.

The Right Honourable the late Lord Viscount Montague has plantedmany thousands of Oaks, which, I am told, he draws out of coppices,big enough to defend themselves; and that with such succefs as has ex-ceedingly improved his pofsefsions; and it is a worthy example. To con-clude, I could have shown an avenue planted to a house standing in abarren park, the soil a cold clay; it consisted totally of Oaks, one hundredin number: The person who first set them, dying very lately, lived to seethem spread their branches one hundred and twenty-three feet in compafs,which, at the distance of twenty-four feet, mingling their shady trefses forabove a thousand in length, formed themselves into one of the-most vene-rable and stately arbor-walks that in my life I ever beheld: This was atBaynards in Surrey, and belonging lately to my most honoured brother (amost industrious planter of wood) Richard Evelyn, Esq.-since trans-

planted to a better world : The walk is fifty-six feet broad, one tree withanother containing, by estimation, three quarters of a load of timber, and