While professionally employed, and while passing from one part of the
country to another, my surprise has often been great, when I have
witnessed, from its effects, the indifference which many gentlemen
manifest, as to the state and management of this description of
property: there appears, in comparatively few instances, to be any
thing worth the name of an effort to rescue them from that state of
wild unproductiveness in which they have been for ages! One generation
passes away after another, and like as was the father, so is the
son—and as was the agent of the former, so is the agent of the latter!
All they have done for ages gone by, they do now, and little or nothing
more. They calculate, with tolerable accuracy, the return of the year,
when, according to immemorial custom, they ought to “cut, and hack, and
hew,” and they go into the wood for the purpose of _setting out_ the
piece which they intend to fell: this they divide, in many districts,
into a certain number of lots, or ranges, of what they call “Gad Wood,”
which vary considerably in size, but which, as far as they go, include
_all_ the Underwood. At the same time, the sapient woodman contrives to
satisfy himself—and it is seldom that his superiors make any inquiry
into the matter—as to the number of _Oak Trees_, &c. that it is proper
to take down; and then, after due notice given, the whole is sold,
Underwood and all, by Auction.
It is a common practice to describe a _ring_ round a portion of the
Standard Trees which are to remain—such as the Oak, Ash, &c.—and these,
of course, are intended for future timber, the selection being often
as bad as it well can be, but the whole system, from the beginning to
the end, is most objectionable, and it is matter of astonishment that
it should have continued so long. It is objectionable for many reasons,
among which I mention the following: viz.: because the Proprietor
throws out of his own hands that _control_ which a gentleman ought to
have over every person who enters his woods, whether as a purchaser or
as a workman. This control is absolutely necessary in order to secure
two things, for which Conditions of Sale, however well they may be
drawn up, offer but a very feeble security—I mean _the prevention of
entry by teams, &c. at an improper season, and the clearing of the
Woods at a given time_. There are other reasons which apply more or
less strongly, according to the condition of the wood, _as to its
stock, and the staple of its soil_. Carting, or rather _teaming_, for
carts are not often used, will inevitably do much injury in woods that
are _well stocked, if the utmost possible care is not taken, whatever
the soil may be_; but if it be a _tenacious, retentive, cold, clay_,
damage would be done in two ways: viz.: in the poaching of the land,
and in that which would be done to the _stock_ by the _wheels_. The
injury to which woods are liable from these two causes, and others, may
be almost wholly prevented by the active supervision of an intelligent
woodman. Such a person will take care to divide his cuttings as
nearly as he can to suit the local demand, and to begin _as early
as possible_, so that every opportunity may be seized, in _suitable
weather_, for getting away the produce, and it must be his own personal
duty to see that no _avoidable_ injury is done to the stools by the
carriages. These reasons appear to me to be quite sufficient to
establish a decided preference for the mode which I recommend over
the system to which I have referred; but there is another, which I
cannot but think will be deemed of importance enough by itself to
decide the question, and it is this: viz.: _the impossibility of
deciding, before the Underwood is cut_, what Oak Trees _ought_, or
_ought not_, to come down. It is quite possible, I admit, to jump to a
_conclusion_ on the subject: to deny this in the face of the evidence
which every succeeding Winter affords, would be absurd; but I affirm
that no woodman can do it _correctly_. He ought, at least, to have a
_clear coast_, to enable him to give due consideration to the various
points on which he should be fully satisfied, before he cuts down that,
which his whole life would not suffice to set up again. How little
consideration enters into these matters, it is easy for those who
really understand them to judge. For my own part, I am compelled to
say, that I never yet saw a single instance, where timber was selected
in the way to which I refer, without gross blunders being committed.
But more than this may be affirmed—and it is not an over-weening
fondness for my own plans, but a perfect conviction of the _utter want
of adaptation_ in the present practice of many, which induces me to say
it—there is not _one solitary argument that can be advanced in favour
of the practice which I have condemned_. If this be so, then let all
gentlemen abandon it; if not, let the arguments be brought forward.
I have said that the whole system is wrong, and I add, that no good
will be done by a patchwork attempt to amend it. So long, for instance,
as a proprietor retains the “Gad-Wood” plan, he will insure the
continuance of the old system of “mismanagement.” He might as well
think of bending, by his own personal strength, one of the sturdy stems
of his well-grown oaks, as attempt to turn his woodman gently aside
out of his usual track—especially if he be an old man—there must be a
total revolution effected—he must be put into an entirely new course,
if either the condition of the woods, or the revenue arising from them,
is to be improved.
Unfortunately it seldom happens that customers are not found for all
that may be offered, in almost any neighbourhood, and in any way. I
say unfortunately, inasmuch as it keeps the managers of many woods
exactly _stationary_, while everybody else is going on. If they had a
little difficulty to contend with, it might, perhaps, induce a _little_
reflection, and raise a doubt in their minds as to the propriety of
the course they were pursuing; which would be a great point gained, as
there has been _very little thought_ applied to the management of this
species of property, either by its owners, or by the persons they have
employed.
There are, no doubt, many refreshing instances of good management to
be met with—I could myself mention a few, were it not invidious to do
so—but in a large majority of cases, from mistaken management, woods
are in a high degree, and for many reasons, a discredit to those who
belong to them. If the Woodman’s account were fairly examined—if a
_Dr._ and _Cr._ balance sheet were exhibited, it would be found that
the land was paying _a very small rent indeed from the underwood, even
where there might be very little oak_, which most assuredly ought not
to be the case; for I contend that there is no Ancient Woodland which
is not considerably below the average quality of what I have seen, that
is not quite capable of _growing a full crop_—either of underwood or of
oak; and for this plain reason, viz.; because _the period of pecuniary
sacrifice, the infancy of the wood_, is gone by: and that woodman’s
management is essentially defective, who cannot show, upon _every_ acre
under his care, a good crop either of the one or the other. I would
here remark, that a _full crop of both_ cannot contemporaneously grow
up together; and this consideration is of far more importance in the
management of woods than is at first sight imagined, or, than by a
slight acquaintance with the subject would be perceived.
If there is found in a wood a superabundance of oaks, and if they are
seen to be _thrifty_, nothing could possibly be so _ill judged_ as
to _thin them too freely_, even though the _crop of underwood were
entirely sacrificed_; for, the very objects most to be desired, can
only be attained by bringing about that state of things which is
here supposed, and which necessarily involves _the sacrifice of the
underwood_, or, at the least, all idea of any considerable _profit_
from it. Under these circumstances, the exertions of the skilful
Woodman will be directed to the securing of _great length of bole
or stem_; for these, and these alone, are the trees which have any
legitimate right to a place in a wood: and, of course, the longer their
boles are, the better.
Having attained this object, the woodman will then anxiously employ the
best means in his power, for encouraging the growth of the underwood,
so far as, at least, to _keep it alive_, and _as healthy_ as possible;
and if he have well considered the subject, he will have contrived to
lay down a plan, a regularly systematic plan, that his successors can
neither mistake, nor, without some good reason, depart from, by which,
during the period that the crop of oaks is being taken, the stock of
underwood shall gradually be acquiring strength and vigour, and getting
well hold of the soil; as well as that, they shall be so equally
diffused over it, as fully and beneficially to occupy the ground, _when
the oaks are all gone_. All these calculations, and many more, which
it is impossible to enumerate, will suggest themselves to the mind of
a man well-skilled in the management of woods; but there are very few
indeed, who either see the necessity of making, or will give themselves
the trouble to make, any calculations at all. In the oversight of
woods, &c. much more is included than is generally supposed. He who
imagines, as too many do, that when woods have been cut, they may be
safely left to themselves; and that when the period comes round again
for felling, they will do all that could be expected from them, has a
very imperfect knowledge of the subject, or, rather, no knowledge at
all: and further; he who does not know that woods will ultimately pay
well for the highest degree of care, attention, and culture, is not a
fitting person to have the oversight of them. But such is the ignorance
on the part of many, who call themselves woodmen, and the carelessness
of their employers, that there is a total negation of _forethought_ and
_calculation_, instead of every step that is taken having reference to
a remote period.
A nobleman, or gentleman, or his agent, may calculate what will be the
effect upon a farm at the expiration of a lease of twenty-one years,
if it be not cultivated as it ought to be, and, by introducing certain
clauses into the lease, he may secure himself against the certain and
serious loss which would accrue to him from bad management; and he who
does not so calculate, has a very inadequate idea of the nature of the
contract which he is about to make; but the man who takes upon himself
the management of woods, and whose views and plans are not extended
over _several of those cycles of time which intervene between the
seasons of cutting_, does not rightly comprehend the peculiar duties
which he has undertaken to perform, and ought, at once, to be relieved
from them, and provided for in some other way; for if woods are worth
having at all, they are worth looking after, and _if they will pay for
proper culture_, which no one who understands the subject will deny,
they ought to receive it, for various weighty reasons, which have been
before adverted to.
The foregoing remarks will apply, of course, most directly, to woods
where there is an _apparent redundancy_ of oak. I will now suppose the
case of a wood where there is a _deficiency_, or little or no oak. Here
there ought, unquestionably, to be _a full crop of underwood_. This
underwood ought to be adapted, as to _kind_, first, to the nature of
the soil; and, secondly, to the _local demand, if the local demand be
good_: and as to its _age_, of course it must be that which best suits
the market, or when, comparatively, it will fetch the best price; so
that in some districts, as in Kent, for instance, it will _sell_ best,
and therefore ought to be _cut_, at about twelve years of age: in
others it would not sell so well at less than from fifteen to twenty
years old. But it does _not_ follow as a matter of course, that because
a wood has always, previously, stood from twenty to twenty-five years,
it should for ever continue to do so; on the contrary, I should say,
that there are _very few woods indeed, if any_, which ought to stand
more than twenty years, and a great proportion of them, nothing like so
long. The great reason why the produce of woods does not earlier come
to maturity, is the gross “mismanagement” to which they are subjected:
but when the time shall arrive that they shall be deemed worthy of as
much “care, attention, and culture,” as any other part of an estate,
then will they be found, probably, to yield quite as good a return for
it; and the present _no system_ management will be exploded.
In all cases where the cycle has run beyond twenty years, it will, at
least, be well for the proprietor, or his manager, to sit down and
calculate whether the stuff would not pay better if felled some years
earlier. The inquiry can do no harm; and much good may possibly arise
out of it. In the case last supposed, viz.: a wood with little or
no oak, _and well stocked with underwood of a suitable kind_, there
cannot be a doubt upon the subject; for if the stock—by which term I
mean the shoots which have sprung up from the stools—has been properly
treated, it will have arrived, in twenty years, at a size quite large
enough for agricultural uses, and it can very seldom be allowed to
stand longer without _serious injury to the stools_. A very little
consideration will convince any one, who does not resist conviction,
that such ought to be the state of a wood so circumstanced as to oak;
but nevertheless the actual condition of most woods is widely different
from this: instead of there being a full crop of underwood, where there
is a deficiency of timber, or a full crop of timber, where there is
little or no underwood, it too frequently happens that there is neither
the one nor the other, even on land which is, as was remarked before,
capable of yielding a handsome revenue! And here let it not be supposed
that I am speaking of _extreme cases only_, or that there are but _few_
woods in this state: the cases are numerous: I have seen, and could
point out many, but this I shall not do: I rather choose to leave these
observations with “all whom they may concern,” to work conviction where
they are seen to be _just_, quite indifferent as to the effect which
they may produce on the minds of any who may oppose them.
And now let me ask—_if this be the state of many woods—if neither a
crop of timber nor of underwood is found—to what is it owing?_ the
reply is not difficult: it is _mainly_ attributable to proprietors
themselves, and to their agents: to woodmen in a subordinate degree.
In proof of my first position, I would respectfully remark, that if
a gentleman _chooses_ to sacrifice every thing to the idea of having
_good covers_; and, supposing that any thing which interferes with the
primeval state of his woods, is incompatible with this object, _refuses
to do any thing at them_, the woodman may not bear the blame. Again:
if a proprietor happen, unfortunately, to have _such an aversion to
felling timber_—and there are many such—that he will sooner let it _rot
down_, or _allow one tree to destroy another_; or again; suffer the
timber trees to stand so thickly that they not only totally destroy
each other, but the underwood below also, the woodman ought not to
be censured; except indeed, he have advised such a course, which I
can hardly think any man accustomed to woods could do, in the present
day. Once more; if gentlemen lack the moral courage—and I have met
with _some_ of this description—to treat with the contempt which it
deserves the vulgar meddling, the idle tattle of those who are ever
ready to say, when timber is felled, that the owner’s _poverty_, and
not his _will_, consents to the deed, we are furnished with abundance
of reasons for the serious waste of property that is going on, but the
woodman is not in fault, neither ought he to be blamed. Lastly: if
proprietors commit the management of their woods to persons who are
wholly incompetent—as is too often the case—to discharge the duties
confided to them, I cannot see that the men are to be condemned, but
rather their employers. Wherever such “mismanagement” prevails as I
have attempted to describe, and have seen so much cause to lament, it
may generally, I think, be traced, either to ignorance on the part of
woodmen, or inattention on the part of their employers: but it will
be quite clear to all, who will allow themselves time to think on the
subject, that the _grossest_ mismanagement is to be met with, not on
first, nor even on second, but on _third_, and _fourth-rate_ estates,
where _regular woodmen_ are not kept, and below that grade downwards,
to property which is in the hands of Trustees, or mainly under the
control of Solicitors, or Corporate bodies; or, which is probably worse
than all, under the supreme direction of men who having, during the
whole of their business life, had too many Stewardships, &c. _for any
human being to look after and manage well_, cannot of course be deemed
capable of judging rightly on a subject which requires _the closest
possible attention, the nicest discrimination, and an extended and
varied experience_.
Much mischief has also arisen from the employment by gentlemen, and by
their agents, of persons, who, while they may, usefully and creditably,
fulfil their duties as village carpenters and the like, cannot possibly
possess those enlarged, comprehensive views, which are necessary to the
proper management of timber generally, and Ancient Woods especially.
I must here protest against the conclusion being drawn, that I am
doing injustice to any class of men in remarking, as I have done, on
their manner of discharging the trust committed to them. As to the
professional gentlemen, either their _engagements_, their _position_,
or their _habits_, interpose an insurmountable difficulty, and relieve
them from the charge of wilful neglect: and as to the others it is no
injustice to them to affirm, as I do most positively, that there are
principles and considerations involved in this subject, which they
can, in no wise, grasp or comprehend: and so perfectly clear is this
to me, so fully am I borne out by a long course of “observation and
experience,” that I have never yet seen one solitary instance, where
_the timber taken down in thinning_, either in woods or plantations,
_when in such hands_, has been properly done; and in _very few_ cases
indeed, either here, or higher up the scale, without the most _serious
blunders_. One case has fallen under my observation this Winter,
(1842,) where _oak timber trees were selected and marked for sale,
which were exactly, in every respect, such as a good judge would wish
to see in every wood; and not only, not too thick, but, from the same
injudicious mode of selecting and marking at previous auctions, much
too thin_. They were also in a state of _high vigorous health_, and
moreover, there was no underwood which could be benefited! I admit that
this was a more flagrant outrage against the principles which ought to
rule in selecting, than is usually committed, but the work is hardly
ever done as it ought to be.
But whatever difference of opinion may arise among practical men, upon
the points now under consideration, and on whomsoever the blame may
rest, it is unquestionable that the actual state of a large proportion
of our Ancient Woods is very bad indeed: they are either crowded
_with inferior oak timber_, along with the most miserable rubbish as
underwood; or, if they contain any thing valuable in either the one
or the other, no _principles_, or rules of any kind, are applied in
the management of them; and, consequently, they are, on some account
or other, and of course more or less rapidly, _passing through the
stage of deterioration_, and are annually losing to their owners, _a
heavy per centage on their value_. In many cases, the oak, from ages
of “mismanagement,” is stunted in growth, and of a _form, and shape,
totally unsuited to the place where it stands_; and the underwood
consists of that alone which is indigenous to the soil, and which,
therefore, no neglect can destroy, nor any culture improve: in addition
to all this, they are often, nay almost always, on clayey, retentive
soils, _ruined with water_: they are periodically _shut up_, for from
eighteen to twenty-five years, during which time, it is impossible to
do any thing at them; and, when they are cleared of the underwood,
instead of the opportunity being gratefully seized, for the purpose
of effecting those operations which can only be carried on at such a
time, they are _shut up again_, and left in their original state—except
indeed they may have been despoiled of some of their oak—nothing
being _done at them_, or, if any thing, probably so little, or so
_ill_ done, that no good result is produced. But what ought to be the
course pursued at such a time? Why, as it is only during the year of
“hagging,” and the following season, that any work of magnitude, any
improvement worth mentioning, can be carried on; a proprietor should
more carefully examine his woods when they have been cut, than he would
any other description of property: he should himself, if he understand
it—which, however, is very seldom the case—or if he do not, by a person
who is conversant with such matters, make a most rigid, and particular
survey, in order to satisfy himself _as to what ought to be done_; and
this he must do _immediately when the underwood is cut_, or rather, as
soon as any considerable portion is done, so that he may have before
him _all the time which he can possibly command_, for carrying on, and
completing, his improvements. He must not be deterred from commencing
them by any consideration of _the remoteness of the prospect of return
upon his outlay_; but, instead of visiting the sins of his fathers upon
the generations following him, he must, if the case demand it, make a
_present_ sacrifice, for the benefit of his posterity: I say if the
case _demand_ it, but this will not very frequently happen, as there
are very few instances of “mismanagement” where _the fear of cutting
timber_ has not been one of the principal causes of that mismanagement;
and where this is so, there is at once found a source from whence may
be obtained _the means of amply paying for any outlay that may be
required_. I have thus far remarked only on what may, and what ought
to be done, when Ancient Woods come to be _felled in the regular
way_, and _at the usual time and age_; but there are vast numbers of
cases where, first, the condition of the woods is so bad, that all
considerations about the _usual_ time, are merged in the necessity
for immediately commencing the work of renovation; and, secondly,
the instances are not few, where the same course is desirable, in
order that a more profitable way of disposing of the produce may be
introduced, to supersede the old jog-trot mode of getting rid of it.
With regard to the first, it will at once be perceived, by a practical
eye, and a sound judgment, whether a wood is in such a state, _as to
the prospect of a crop_, that it is the proprietor’s interest to _make
a sacrifice in the underwood_ and _cut it_, although it may sell for
nothing but faggots, _rather than finish, or run out, the term, at
the end of which it would be cut in the usual course_. I have seen
hundreds of such cases: there are many in almost every neighbourhood
where woods exist at all; and I confidently ask, what would be the use,
or how would it be possible to show the propriety, of completing the
term of the cycle, if, first, _the wood contained nothing valuable as
underwood_; and if, secondly, _it contained a considerable portion of
timber that required immediate attention_, on some account or other?
I should, for instance, instantly determine to cut, where I found a
wood crowded with a class of unhealthy oaks, or other timber: but it
is not necessary to particularize, as I would not pretend to give such
directions here as would enable a gentleman to decide, for that could
only be done _after inspection_. So many points have to be considered,
that a careful survey of a wood must be made. This done, fortunately
there is no difficulty in coming to a correct conclusion upon such a
question as this. A practical man, who understands what he is about,
will be in no danger of committing an error in the decision to which
he will be led, for these are not subjects on which a difference of
opinion might naturally arise upon an examination taken. The various
considerations for _cutting_, or _forbearing to cut_, would _so
certainly present themselves_ to the mind of a person _really competent
to judge_, that I should say there would be no doubt whatever, of his
deciding correctly, if he were not interfered with by the personal
wish, or taste, of his employer. It is with this as with most other
subjects:—wherever men understand what they are about, and are guided
and governed by _fixed principles_, matters go on well; but the
misfortune, with regard to woods, is, that ages of “mismanagement,” and
other causes, interpose obstacles and difficulties which it will be
no slight task to overcome. To give a brief summary of my views upon
this important point, I would remark, that no wood ought to be allowed
to _run out its term_ which is not _stocked as it ought to be_, or
which, if stocked tolerably well, _is suffering injury from imperfect
drainage_. As I have just said, these points must be determined by an
examination of the wood by some person whose judgment may be relied
upon; but any gentleman may see at once, if he will, that if a wood is
really in the state which I have supposed, viz., without either timber
or underwood _worth standing_, &c. it would be perfectly absurd to _let
it stand_; for at the end of the cycle it would be very little better
than at the beginning, and so much more time would be irrecoverably
lost.
As to the second point—_the improvement of revenue to be derived from a
different mode of disposing of the produce_, I am of opinion that much
might be done, in many places, without laying an increased tax on the
local buyers, who are generally either farmers, or their tradesmen, the
wheelwrights and carpenters of every neighbourhood, and who already pay
quite enough for what they get; and especially the _former_, to whom I
would much sooner recommend their landlords to allow an _abatement_,
as an encouragement to them to keep their fences, gates, &c. in good
order, than any thing in the shape of an advance. But still, much may
be done to increase the returns from woodland property, by an improved
system of management, and, first, I should advise _a careful assortment
of the stuff after it is felled_: I would here, as in every thing
else, _classify_, by which means, the different kinds, as well as the
different sizes, and shapes, will come into the hands of such persons
as they may exactly suit, instead of jumbling all sorts together, so
that a buyer is obliged to purchase that which he _does not want_, in
order to come at another portion of the same lot which he is desirous
of having.
Secondly: There is room to doubt, I think, as hinted before, whether
mistakes are not often made, in not adapting the produce of woods
better as to its _age_, both to the local demand, and the interests of
the proprietor.
Thirdly: So numerous are the facilities in the present day, to what
they used to be, for the transmission of produce of every kind from one
place to another, and so many demands have, by commercial enterprize,
been opened out, which were altogether unknown a quarter of a century
ago, that it may, even as to heavy produce, like that of woods, be
always questioned, _when the demand is slack, and when prices are low,
whether the local market be indeed the best market_, or whether the
produce may not be much better disposed of in some other way. That
this sometimes occurs, I can prove from my own experience in many
cases, but I will mention only one, which was that of an Ancient Wood,
a twentieth portion of which was felled every year, and in which,
from “mismanagement,” a large quantity of the stuff was annually left
unsold, but where, after the introduction of a better system, the whole
was disposed of without difficulty.
Fourthly: A great increase of revenue may be derived from _a better
mode of managing the stock_, both of timber and underwood: the latter
may, by timely and judicious pruning, by a proper attention to
draining, &c. _be brought to maturity_ at a much earlier period than it
has hitherto been done in many places, and thus, of course, be made to
return a greater rent.
It is incredible how little is done to Ancient Woods compared with
what ought to be done, _in the way of draining, pruning, stubbing
up rubbish_, and _filling up with young plants_; although it is
manifest that, whenever a wood is opened, these important operations
_should_ claim the very particular attention of the proprietor or his
woodman. But they do not receive it; and hence one cannot wonder at
the _stunted, unhealthy_ appearance, which many woods exhibit. They
are almost always without any _effective drainage_, it being generally
thought quite sufficient to open out a few paltry drains, which the
falling leaves of the first Autumn will _choke_ up. It will indeed very
seldom be found, that even the outside ditches are well looked after:
whereas it should always be the anxious concern of the woodman to
provide, as well as he possibly can, for the _effectual drainage_ of
a wood after being felled, not only during a year or two, but for the
term of the whole cycle. Of course I am aware that the leaves _must_
fall, and, consequently, that the free egress of the water must, in
some degree, be _impeded_, but, nevertheless, it is in the power of
the woodman to provide, in a great measure, if not wholly, against
this contingency, by making a sufficient number of ditches, of _ample
capacity_, and by putting them in the best direction. But instead of
this, it will very rarely be found, as I have just now said, that even
the outside ditches are properly attended to. The consequence is,
that the _oaks_, and our best underwood, the ash, not liking too much
moisture, become diseased, and make comparatively slow progress: in
fact, their _existence_ is shortened by it, as the former will be found
upon cold clay land, having a strong subsoil, to be very stunted and
sickly in their appearance, and ultimately to die at the top, when, of
course, they must be cut down; while the latter will much sooner become
hollow, and they too, will finally perish. A small outlay in draining,
if judiciously expended, would, in most cases, prevent these effects,
and as it would only require to be done once in fifteen or twenty
years, it could not lay more than a trifling charge upon the land.
Pruning is also a very necessary operation in Ancient Woods, both of
the oak and of the underwood. I shall not here enter upon an inquiry
into _the general question of pruning_, but, continuing to treat my
subject practically, venture to remark, that, as our woods are now
circumstanced, pruning, of some kind or other, is, as far as the
oak is concerned, quite _indispensable_. Whether it should be by
_fore-shortening_, _close pruning_, or some other method, must be
determined upon an examination taken, but I do not hesitate to express
my belief, that _the pruning of oak trees in woods_, may be almost
wholly dispensed with, after the few first years, _if they are well
trained from the beginning_; but that being the case with very few,
pruning _must_ be resorted to. And as to the underwood, the question
has still less difficulty in it. When a wood is well stocked with
underwood of the right sort, the object to be aimed at by the woodman
is _to bring it to maturity as soon as possible_, and one means which
he possesses, if he will make use of it, is _pruning_; which he should
commence, after one year’s growth, and occasionally repeat—say on
the fourth and sixth years, allowing the intervals to pass without
interfering with it. If this operation be performed as it ought to be,
the stools will have a number of poles proportioned to their size and
capacity of supporting them, and the poles themselves will not only be
more of an uniform size, but they will be much straighter, and on every
account better adapted to the use for which they may be intended. But
if a wood be stocked with nothing but rubbish, such as hazel, birch,
alder, &c. it will not be _worth_ pruning, and the best course to take
with it, would be to _stub it up_, and get rid of it altogether.
Finally, on this point, and more particularly with reference to timber,
if the pruning be _judiciously done_, it will tend greatly to improve
the health of the wood, but _the indiscriminate_ use of the pruning
knife might do much harm, it should, therefore, only be done under the
most careful direction.
_Stubbing up rubbish_, such as _thorns_, _briers_, _birch_, and, in
many places, _hazel_, is much to be recommended, as by this means,
light and air will be admitted more freely, and the health of the wood
promoted, and, of course, its growth facilitated. It is perhaps just
possible, that there may be a few cases where the demand may be such
for birch, hazel, or alder, as to warrant a woodman in keeping them as
a part of his stock; but I have generally found, upon inquiry, that
they have fetched such a miserable price, as to yield very little more
than would pay expences.
_The absolute necessity of filling up with young plants_ must be
universally admitted, although _in practice_, it is very rarely done,
or, if done at all, it is very generally so ill done, as to produce no
perceptible improvement in the stock.
It too often happens that sufficient care is not bestowed in _selecting
the plants_. They are frequently put in _too small_, and when they
are long enough, they are often _deficient in thickness_. All plants
put into old woods, should be of _good size_, _stiff_, and _well
rooted_. Again: it will be admitted, that they are often planted in
a most slovenly and careless manner.—The following is a specimen of
what I have _seen_. The workman takes his spade, and inserts it in
the ground as far as it will go, _in a sloping direction_; he then
raises it to a _perpendicular position_, which, of course, produces a
“_nick_,” into which he _thrusts the plant_, and having put his heavy
foot upon it, there and thus, he leaves it to its fate, and pursues his
ill-directed labour, without a gleam of light breaking in upon him, as
to the possibility of his being more usefully employed, or doing his
work in a more effective manner! In this way, or in some such way as
this, thousands of acres of Ancient Woods are treated every year; but
it must be clear to every one, that such a practice is a disgrace to
those who pursue it. If the workmen are asked their opinion of it, they
will, in most cases, assure you, that the plants will “_all grow_,”
but the misfortune is, that _experience_ is against them. Both theory
and practice are directly opposed to their view. But independently of
facts, which every where condemn such methods, no one acquainted with
the _rudiments_ of the subject, needs to be told, that it is utterly
unlikely that either an oak or an ash plant should grow, under the
manifest disadvantages in which it is placed, when its roots are thus
_jumbled together_, and forced into a “_nick_” fit only for a willow
set; and when, moreover, it has to commence its course in competition
with other underwood, which has already possession of the ground. It is
absurd to suppose that it should succeed.
I do not presume to say that some woods do not receive different
treatment, in _all_ respects, to that which I have denounced: that
would not be true; but these are the exceptions, and even where the
management is best, there is much to complain of.
In commencing the subject of Planting, I am impressed with a sense of
the importance which should be attached to it in such a work as this.
I mean planting by way of filling up, in Ancient Woods. I am quite
aware that it demands such a largeness and comprehension of view, that
it might well be supposed likely to discourage one of stouter nerves
than mine. It is important because, first, every wood in the kingdom
ought to be _well planted_, whether it is or not: It is so, secondly,
because there are very few that are properly planted.
As I have stated before, the infancy of a wood, or plantation, is the
only time when it cannot be expected to pay. After it has arrived at
a certain age, say from fifteen to twenty years, it ought to begin to
make _some_ return. In woods, if they are properly planted, it will
necessarily be small during the first two cycles of twenty years each.
It must be observed, that I am here speaking of the first forty years
of an _Ancient_ Wood, supposing it to have been thoroughly purged
of its rubbish, retaining all the valuable stock, and to have been
re-planted. The return must be small, because the oaks will have been
planted thickly, in order that they may acquire great length of bole:
and this being the case, whatever underwood may have been put in, it
will be treated with direct reference to the health and prosperity of
the entire class of timber trees. After the expiration of the first
cycle, that portion of the stuff put in for underwood will be cut
over, and such pruning of the oak as may be required (which will be
very slight) will be done, care being taken never to lose sight of
the principle of _classification of the oaks, into certain families of
larger or smaller size, according to the term which a skilful woodman
will allot for their entire existence_. This is of immense consequence,
and will embrace calculations, and a knowledge of the habits of trees,
which can only be acquired by “close observation and long experience.”
Where a sufficient number of oaks have been introduced, the _underwood_
will yield very little return per acre, even at the end of the second
cycle; but if the wood has been well managed, it will have been kept
alive and tolerably healthy; and when it is cut, at the end of forty
years, a considerable number of oaks of a useful size for farmers,
wheelwrights, &c. will be taken down: this will admit light and air,
and in a slight degree, perhaps, improve the position of the underwood
during the course of the third cycle.
I need not pursue the subject farther here, having, I trust, succeeded
in opening to the reader a general view of the plan which should be
pursued. But there are other woods where a larger portion, both of
oak and of underwood, will be found, and where, consequently, it
will be more the object of the woodman to improve by _less extensive
measures_ than would be adopted in such a case as the one just
referred to. It will mostly be best to do this by pruning, stubbing,
and planting—always supposing that an effectual drainage has been
secured—and here I would remark, that whenever planting is done in a
wood, it should be as well done as circumstances will possibly allow.
Instead of the “nick” system, or any similar plan, the woodman should
dig holes for the underwood in the Autumn, and plant in February, or
early in March. For oak, he should dig a larger hole, in the Autumn,
give it a Summer fallow, and put in a vigorous, stiff plant, the
Autumn following, or in the February next but one. If some such plan
as this were pursued, there is not much fear but the plants would
grow, and in this way woods may be gradually brought into a prosperous
state, instead of their being, as they now are, in the aggregate, a
_comparatively_ valueless property to their owners.
I may here illustrate my view by a reference to a particular case,
which came under my professional notice. It was a wood held on lease
by a gentleman, under an ecclesiastical body, the lease being for a
certain number of years, renewable upon the payment of a fine every
seven years. Some dissatisfaction was felt by the lessee at the
amount of the fines demanded, and the lease was permitted to _lapse_,
at which time the intrinsic value of the stock, whether of timber
or _underwood_, was literally nothing. The oak was all gone, as it
was quite natural that, with a lease so framed, it should be, and
the underwood, instead of being usefully and beneficially occupying
the ground, of which it then had _entire possession_, was not worth
the trouble of cutting! How different would have been the position
of the lessors in this instance, I need not say, if, during the two
last cycles, when the oaks were becoming very thinly scattered, the
underwood had been cherished, as it most undoubtedly ought to have
been. The neighbourhood was one where there was plenty of demand for
the produce of woods; the particular wood referred to, would have been,
on every account, as good a cover, and all parties would have been
alike interested in the continuance of the lease.
But as I must now very shortly bring such of my “Remarks” as refer to
“Ancient Woods,” to a close, it may be as well just to run over the
whole subject in a recapitulary form, so as to present it to the reader
in a sort of bird’s-eye view.
I have, then, endeavoured to show, that the present state of the
Ancient Woods of this kingdom is very far from what it ought to be,
and fully proves that their owners have paid little attention to
them: that they are almost valueless to them, simply and only for
want of better management: that they are capable of such a degree of
improvement as would insure from them a fair, reasonable return: I have
endeavoured to show this by contrasting the plans of woodmen, if they
can be said to have any, with those which, in my judgment, ought to be
pursued; and I am not aware that I have, upon any one point, exposed
the errors of their course, without suggesting that which I conceive
would be the right one. It is quite impossible, however, to lay down
in a book like this, or in any other, specific rules or directions
which shall constitute a sufficient guide for the manager of woods,
out of the difficulties of a false position, or enable him to reform
the errors of a vicious practice: for, first, not one woodman in fifty
would be convinced, by any process of reasoning, that the present
state of woods is so bad as I have described it to be; and if they
would not admit the existence of the evil, they would not be likely to
perceive the value of any remedial measures that might be recommended.
Next: a difficulty would every where present itself, if woods were
improperly treated, from the woodman feeling that the introduction of
any new plans would, necessarily, involve the condemnation of his own.
Besides all this, as I have remarked before, so many things have to
be considered as to the state of a wood, before a safe opinion could
be given as to the best course to be taken with it, that nothing less
than a minute examination, affording the opportunity of duly weighing
all the circumstances of each particular case, would justify any man in
suggesting a specific course.
In proof of this, I would offer the example of a wood which I will
suppose to be of forty years standing, and to have been started with
as many oak plants as would suffice to insure a sufficient number of
timber trees, possessing ample length of bole, or stem. Upon the plan
of management which I have suggested, there would be, at the second
cutting of the under wood, a certain number of oaks to cut out also,
and from the stools of these, there would start young shoots, which,
if _properly dealt with_, would, with those which would spring from
every subsequent cutting, furnish a succession of timber trees; but if
no care were taken in _nursing_ them, the probability is, that they
would be unfit for timber, and that it would therefore be necessary,
occasionally, to introduce a small number of maiden plants, even as
early as the expiration of the second cycle.