On naval timber and arboriculture; with critical notes on authors who have recently treated the subject of planting

Preface

It may be thought presumptuous in a person who has never had the curiosity to peruse the British classic authors on planting and timber — Evelyn, Hanbury, Marshall, Miller, Poxtey — to make experiment of the public sufferance. The author does not, however, think any apology necessary ; as, if the public lose time unprofitably over his pages, he considers the blame attachable to them, not to him. A WTiter does not obtrude as a speaker does, but merely places his thoughts within reach.

As the subject, notwithstanding its great importance, might, jier se^ be felt dry and

VI

PREFACE.

insipid by the general reader, accustomed to the luxuries of modern literature^ the author has not scrupled to mix with it such collateral matter as he thought might serve to correct the aridity. The very great interest of the question regarding species, variety, habit, has perhaps led him a little too wide.

There is one advantage in taking a subject of this kind, that few professional (literary) critics can meddle with it, further than as regards style and language, without exposing their own ignorance. Yet will the author experience the highest pleasure in being instructed and corrected, wherever his knowledge may be found defective, or when speculation or misconception of facts have led him into error. Knowledge and truth, is mental strength and health ; ignorance and error^ weakness and

PREFACE.

vii disease : the man who pursues science for its own sake, and not for the pride of possession, will feel more gratitude towards the surgeon who dislodges a cataract from the mind's eye, than towards the one who repairs the defect of the bodily organ.

GOURDIE-HILL BY EkROL,

Most suitable dimensions, . . . .18

Figures of bends and crooks, . . . .19

British trees suited for timbers, . . .21

Part II. — British Forest Trees suited for Naval Purposes. Oak — Quercus, . . . . .31

Spanish Chestnut — Castanea vulgaris, . . 42

Beech-tree — Fagus sylvatica, . . .48

Scotch Elm — Ulmus montana, . . .50

English Elm — Ulmus campestris, . . .54

Red-wood Willow — Salix fragilis, . . .58

Red-wood Pine — Pinus, . . . .63

Investigation of the causes of the rot in larch, , 78

Soils and subsoils most suited for larch, . . 82

Soils and subsoils where larch generallytakes rot, . 86

Remarks on open draining, . . .88

Bending and kneeing larch, . . ,90 New plan of forming larch roots advantageously

into knees, . . . . .94

Uses of larch, and value as a naval timber, . 97

• h

X

CONTENTS.

Part III. — Miscellaneous Matter connected with Naval Timber

Nurseries, * . . . . P. 106

Infinite variety existing in wliat is called species, ib.

Injurious effect from selecting the seed of tlie inferior varieties for sowing, . . .107

Injurious effect from kiln-drying fir cones . ib.

A principle of selection existing in nature of tbe

strongest varieties for reproduction, . .108

Injui'ious efi^ect from the plants spindling in the seed-bed and nursery line, . . . .109

Injurious effect from cutting the roots and from pruning, . . . . .111

A light soil and open situation best suited for a niu'-

Wide diverging root-leaders necessary to the large extension of a tree, . . , .112

Further observations on pruning, . . .117

Observations on timber, . . . 122

Table of the number of sap-growths of different kinds

Remarks on laburnum, . . . . 126

Height to which trees may be trained of clear stem, 128

Concerning our Marine, . . . .130

Causes which befit Britain for being the first naval

power, and the emporium of the world, . 131

Utility of a system of universal free trade, . 133

Absolute necessity of abolishing every monopoly and

restriction on trade in Britain, . . 134

Our marine not represented in Parliament, and the

consequences, . . . .135

Insane duty on the importation of naval timber and

CONTENTS, XI

Part IV. — Notices of Authors who treat of Arboriculture. Utility of a general review of these authors, P. 138

L — Forester's Guide, by Mr Monteath, . . 140

Advantage of converting our coppice oak into forest,

and of saving our home oak iu time of peace, 140 Plan, by IVIr Monteath, of preparing peat soils for

planting, .....

of covering hare rocky ground with timber,

of raising oak-forest or copse by layers.

Influence of our vernal eastern breeze on vegetation. Cause why the trees of narrow belts seldom grow to

large timber, . . . . .148

Observations on pruning and thinning, . .150 Observations on the age at which the valuable part

of oak bark is thickest, . . . .154

Observations on the prevention of dry-rot, . 157

II. — Nicol's Planter's Calendar, . . . 163

Different influence of transplanting on herbaceous and woody vegetables, . . .164

Cutting the roots close in, injurious to some trees and not to others, . . . .165

Mr Bang's plan of raising forest from the seed in situ, 167

Reasons which render the planting of young trees preferable to sowing in situ, . . .168

]VIr Sang's directions for nursery practice ; sowing the different kinds of forest trees in the seed-bed; removing the seedlings to the nursery line, and from thence to the field, . . .170

Remarks on transplanting, . . .178

III. — Billington on Planting, . . .181 An account of the management of the Royal Forests, ib. Reasons why government should rather purchase

than raise timber, and that they should sell off

the Royal Forests, . . . .182 xii

CONTENTS.

The Billingtoiiiau system of priming, . P." 185

Remarks on planting soils not easily permeable hy

INIr Billington's directions for planting tliese soils, 188 ■ — — — . for clearing away weeds, and for cutting in or pruning tlie points of the branches, . 189

IV. — Forsyth ox Fruit and Forest Trees, . 192

Mr Forsyth's surgery of trees, and the value of his

composition-salve, . . . . ib.

Manner in which a tree can be transformed from disease and rottenness to health and soundness, 193 v.— Mr Withers, . . . . .198

Discomfitm'e of our Scottish Knights by Mr Withers, ib.

Account of a number of facts and experiments by the writer, on the comparative strength of quick and slow grown timber — on the influence of circumstance and age in modifying the quality of the timber — on the difference in the quality of different varieties of the same species, and of different parts of the same tree, . . .199

Oak timber, moderately fast grown, so that it may be of sufficient size, and still retain the toughness of youth, best suited for naval use, . .214

Mr Withers, his literary friends and Sir Hem'y Steuai't equally imperfectly acquainted with the sub- , -ject in dispute between them, . . .215

The Withers' system neither necessary nor economically suited for the greater pai*t of Scotland, . 217

Fallacy of experiments on the strength of timber, from not taking into account the difference of tension of the different annual layers, and their position, whether flat, perpendicular, 6cc. . .221 VI. — Steuart's Planter s Guide and Sir Walter

Scott's Critique, .... 226

Importance of whatever may serve to amuse the second childhood of the wealthy, . . .227

CONTENTS.

Xlll

The subject— the art of moving about large trees in general, merely a pandering to our wilfulness and impatience, . . . . P. 227

Intolerable dulness of the park and smooth lawn, 228

Delightftd sympathies with the objects and varied scenery of our peopled subalpine country, . 229

Sir Walter Scott's curious effort to give consequence to the art of moving about large trees, . .231

Paroxysm of admii'ation of Sir Walter, at Sir Henry's discoveries, with his hyperbolic figures of comparison, ..... 233

Account of the writer's practice in moving trees of considerable size, . . . . 235

Taste of Sir Walter Scott for " home-keeping squires," practisers of the AUanton system, . 245

What a British gentleman should be, , . 246

The Allanton practice described, . . 249

Quotation from Sir Henry Steu art's volume, in

which the philosophy of his practice is described, 254

Summary of Sir Henry's discoveries, . .264

Consideration of the accuracy of some of Sir Henry's assertions regarding the desiccated epidermis of trees, and the elongation of the shoots of plants, 265

Sir Henry's assertion that quick-grown timber is inferior to slow-grown, and that culture necessarily renders it softer, less solid, and less dm'able, not correct, ...... 282

The present climate of Scotland, and of the Orkneys

and Shetlands, inferior to a former, . .287

That this may have been owing to these islands having once been a portion of the continent, . 288

The recent advance and recession of the German Ocean, render a former junction with the continent not improbable, . . . .289

Mr Loudon's statement, of the effect produced by pruning on the quality and quantity of the timber, that trees produce the best timber in their natural locality, not supported by facts, . 305 xiv

CONTENTS.

The apparent use of the infinite seedling varieties of plants, ..... P. 307

VII. — Cruickshank's Practical Planter, . 309

Advantages of laying ground under timber, stated rather too high by Mr Cruickshank, . . ib.

Mr Cruickshank's account of the superior fertilizing

influence of forest upon the soil, . .310

Facts which in many cases lead to an opposite conclusion, . . . . '316

An examination into the causes which promote or retard the formation, or which tend to dissipate the earth's covering of vegetable mould, . 316

Account of an uncommon system of fallowing once practised iu the Carse of Gowrie, . . 324

High manuring quality of old clay walls, . 325

Formation of nitre the probable cause of the fertilizing quality of these walls, . . . ib.

The fertilizing influence of summer fallow may in part be owing to the formation of nitre and other salts, . . . . . . ib.

That there is a deficiency of these salts in some places of the world, and an excess in others, . . 326

Ignorance of Mr Cruickshank regarding the location of certain kinds of trees, . . . 327

Mr Cruickshank's reprehension of the practice of covering fir seeds half an inch deep in England, and and of forcing suitable earth for nui^series where awanting. ..... 330

Best method of transplanting seedlings in the nursery row, . . . . .33]

Quotation worthy the attention of planters, . ib.

Error of authors on the location of trees, in inculcating a determinate character of soil as generally necessaiy for each kind of tree, . . 334

Further errors of Mr Cruickshank on the location of trees, . . . . . .335

Adaptation of Scots fir to moist soils, even to peat-moss, ...... 338

CONTENTS.

XV

An account by Mr Cruicksliank of the most economical and successful mode of planting moors and Weak mountains, ... P. 340

Method of planting" by the flat dibble or single notch, 343

by the double notch or cross-slitting, 344

Expense and comparative merits of each, . . 345

These methods of planting best adapted for a sterile

country, where the weeds are small, , . 346

Practice by the writer of cultivating young plantation by the plough, suited for rich soil, . 347

Best season for planting moist soils, . . 348

Manner in which frost throws up the young plant

from the soil, ..... 349

IVIr Cruickshank's plan of raising oak forest in situ from the seed, . . , .351

That although the bare plan given by our author, of sowing in situ, under the shelter of nui'ses, is good, his directions for executing it are not very judicious, ..... 352

Advantages of this plan which Mr Cruickshank has not noticed, ..... 353

That the power of ripening seed is not increased by

shelter in proportion to the power of growing, 356

That the line of seed ripening, and not the line of growing, regulates the natural distribution of plants in respect to climate, . . .357

That oaks, under this plan of sowing in situ under shelter, can be extended to a climate inferior to the natural, . , . , . ib.

That oaks grown in the low country, and best climate of Scotland, appear not to ripen the seed sufficiently. Thence the probability that oak now would not even keep its present locality in the low country of Scotland, although it may " be taught to rise in our" alpine country, . . . 358

Xvi CONTEXTS.

Appendix

Note A. — That uuirersal empii-e is practicable only under naval power, ... P. 363 Note B. On hereditary nobility and entail, . . 364 Note C. Instinct or habit of breed, . . . 369 Nautical and roving disposition of the superior breed which has spread westward over the maritime provinces of Britain, and over nearly the whole continent of North America, . .370 Influence of change of place, . . .371 Influence of civilization and confinement upon the

complexion, . . . . .372

Difference of character between the population of, the northern and southern maritime provinces of Britain, . , . . .373

That the middle and southern portion of the North Temperate Zone is not so favourable to human existence as the northern portion, . .375

Note D. Use of the selfish passions, . . 376

Note E. Injudicious measurement law of the tonnage of vessels, rendering om' mercantile marine of defective proportions, . . . .377

Note F. On the mud depositions or alluvium on the

eastern coast of Britain, . . . 378

Probability that a delta of this alluvium, a continuation of Holland, had at one time occupied the entire German Ocean, .... 379 Accommodation of organized life to cii'cumstauce, by

diverging ramifications, . . .381

Retrospective glance at oiu* pages, . . . 388

Introduction

Navigation is of the first importance to the improvement and perfecting of the species, in spreading, by emigration, the superior varieties of man, and diffusing the arts and sciences over the world ; in promoting industry, by facilitating the transfer of commodity through nmnberless channels from where it is not, to where it is reqiured ; and in bearing the products of those most fertile but unwholesome portions of the earth, to others more congenial to the existence of the varieties of man susceptible of liigh improvement : Water being the general medimn of action, — fluidity or conveyance by water, almost as necessary to civilized hfe as it is to organic Hfe, in bearing the molecules forwai*d in theii* vital com'ses, and in floating the pabulimi (the raw material) from the soil through the H^ing canals to the manufactories of assimilized matter, and thence to the points of adaptation.

A

INTRODUCTION.

As civilization progresses under the influence of navigation, and the earth exchanges her stragghng hordes of savages for enhghtened densely-peopled nations, every climate and country will be more set ajDart to its appropriate production, and the utility of \he great conduit, the Ocean, will more and more be developed, and become the grand theatre of contested dominion — superiority there being almost synonymous with Universal Empire — diy land only the footstool of the Mistress of the Seas *.

In the still horn* which has followed the cannon roar of our victories, we seem disposed to sleep secure, almost in forgetfulness, that we possess this superiority, that we stand forth the Champion of the World, and must give battle to every aspu'ant to the possession of the trident sceptre.

As soon as the recent principles of naval motion and new projectiles, conjoined to shot-proof vessels, shall have been brought to use in naval warfare, marine will have acquired a great comparative preponderance over land batteries, and every shore be still more at the mercy of the Lords of Ocean.

When we consider the tendency of luxmious peace, the effeminacy thence flowing in upon many of our wealthier population,— when we view, on the

See App. A.

INTRODUCTION.

one hand, an entailed aristocracy*, whose founders had been gradually thrown uppermost in more stirring times, the boldest and the wisest, but whose progeny, " in a calm world" entailed to listless satiety, have little left of hope or fear to awaken in them the dormant energies of their ancestors, or even to preserve these energies from entirely sinking ; and, on the other hand, an overflowing population, chained, from the state of society, to incessant toil, the scope of their mental energies narrowed to a few objects from the division of labom% all tending to that mechanical order and tameness incompatible with liberty ; thus, perhaps, equally in danger of deteriorating and sinking into caste, both classes yielding to the natural law of restricted adaptation to condition : — when we reflect on this, the conclusion is irresistibly forced upon us, that the periodical return of war is indispensable to the heroic chivabous character and love of freedom which we have so long maintained, and which (Britain being the first in name and power in the family of nations) must be so influential on the morale of the civilized world. It is by the jar and struggle of the conflict that the baser alloy and rust of our manners and institutions must be removed and rubbed away : it is by the en-

* See App. B.

A ^

INTRODUCTION.

nobling excitement of danger and of hardship that our generous passions must be cherished, and our youth led to emulate the Roman in patriotic thirst for glory — the Spartan in devotion — their own ancestor, the more daring Scandinavian sea-king or rover in adventurous valour. Without, however, seeking the fight, yet in preparation for the perhaps not distant time, when we shall face another foe, it behoves us, without any sickly sentimentality, to cherish our warlike virtues—above all things to attend to what must constitute " the field of our fame," Our Mabine, and the material of its construction, Naval Timber,

* See App. C.