OF FOREST-TREES.

315

(besides fens, highways, rivers, &c. not counted) and without reckoning chap.in the mast or loppings; which whosoever shall calculate from the annualrevenue that the mast only of Westphalia , (a small and wretched countryin Germany ) does yield to that Prince, will conclude to be no despicableimprovement.

In this poor territory, every Farmer does by antient custom plant somany Oaks about his farm as may suffice to feed his swine. To effectthis, they have been so careful, that when of late years the armies infestedthe poor country, (both Imperialists and Protestants ) the single Bishopricof Munster was able to pay one hundred thousand crowns per mensem,

(which amounts of our money to about 25,0001. sterling) besides the or-dinary entertainment of their own Princes and private families. Thisbeing incredible to be practised in a country so extremely barren, I thoughtfit to mention, either to encourage or reproach us. General Melanderwas wont to say, the good husbandry of their ancestors had left them thisstock pro facra anchord; considering how the people were afterwards re-duced to live even upon their trees, when the soldiers had devoured theirhogs; redeeming themselves from great extremities, by the timber whichthey were at last compelled to cut down, and which, had it continued,would have proved the utter desolation of that whole country.

I have this instance from my most w'orthy and honourable Friend SirWilliam Cursius, late his Majesty’s Resident in Germany , who receivedthis particular from the mouth of Melander himself. In like manner,the Princes and Freedoms of Iieffe, Saxony , Thuringia , and divers otherplaces there, make vast incomes of their Forest-fruit (besides the timber)for swine only: So.as in a certain wood in Ilefsia only, twenty thousandhave been fatted, yielding the Prince 30,000 florins.

I say then, whosoever shall duly consider this, will 'find planting ofwood to be no-contemptible addition, besides the pasture much impro-ved, the cooling of fat and heavy cattle, keeping them from injurious mo-tions, disturbance, and running as they do in summer, to find shelter fromthe heat and vexation of flies.

But I have done, and it is now time to get out of the wood, and torecommend this, and all that we have proposed, to his Most Sacred Ma-jesty, the Honourable Parliament, and to the Lord High Treasurer, priu-