Chap.IIII.
Of the preseruation, and sale of high Woods.
Of Trees which take wet inwardly.
It is not sufficient for the Husbandman to sowe, plant, and encrease wood about his grounds, conuerting his earth to the vttermost and extreamest profit that may spring from the same: but he must also be diligent to preserue and nourish his timber trées from all inconueniences that may any way annoy or afflict them: and to this end hée shall daily walke into his Woods, and with a searching eye suruay euery Trée which is of any account, and sée if he can finde any fault or annoyance about the same, and if casting his eye vp to the top, where the maine armes shoote forth themselues, he perceiue that by the breaking off of some arme or other riuen boughes, the wet and droppings of the leaues is sunke and fretted into the Timber, which in time will corrupt the heart, and make the Trée hollow. In this case he shall presently mount the Trée, and with his Bill, either cut the place so smooth that the wet may not rest thereon, or else hauing smoothed it so much as he may with conuenience, mixe stiffe clay and fine hay together, and with the same couer the place, in such manner, that it may put off the wet till it haue recouered new barke.
Of Barke-bound.
If hée shall perceiue any of his younger Trées to beBarke-bound, that is, so stiffe and straitly tied within their owne ryndes, that they cannot encrease or prosper: in this case he shall with a sharpe drawing knife, made in the proportion of a narrowCdraw and open the barke euen from the top of the bole of the Trée downe to the roote, and then clap Oxe dung into those slits, let the Trée rest, and in short space you shall sée it mightily encrease.
Of Hornets and Dores.
If he shall perceiue thatHornets, andDores, or such like, haue found some little hollownesse in one of his Trées, and séeketh there to shelter and hide themselues, which in little space they will soone make larger, he shall forth-with besmeare all the place with Tarre and Goose-dung, and it will driue them thence.
Of the Canker.
If he shall finde that by the droppings of other Trées, some of his Trées shall grow cankerous, and loose their barke, which is an accident very vsuall, and the Trées whose barkes are so lost, will with great difficulty after prosper. In this case he shall annoynt the place with Tarre and Oyle mixt together, and then couer the place with clay, where the barke is wanting.
Of Pismyers.
If he shall perceiue anyPismyerhilles or beds to be made against any of his Trées, which is very noysome, for they are great destroyers of the barks of Trées: he shall then with hot scalding water kill them, and throw the hill downe leuell and plaine with the earth.
Of Iuy, Woodbine, and Misseltoe.
If he shall find anyIuy,Woodbine, orMysteltoeto grow in or about any of his principall Trées, which doe strangle, suffocate, and kéepe them from encreasing, he shall forth-with digge vp the roots thereof, and then cut it away or loosen it from about the barks of the Trées.
Of Thunder and Lightning.
Lastly, if he shall perceiue that byThunder,Lightning, or other plantarie stroakes, any of the armes of his well growne Trées be blasted or slaine, he shall forth-with cut them away, euen close to the quicke Wood, and make the place smooth and euen where they were ioyned: thus shall the carefull Husbandman with a vigilant eye, regard euery enormous and hurtfull thing that may offendhis Timber, and by that meanes possesse more benefit from a fewe Roodes, then others doe from many Acres.
Of the sale of tall Woods.
Now when either necessity or the vrgent occasions of any néedfull vse, enforceth the Husbandman to make sale of any part of his tall Wood, in which Marchandise there is many prety and obscure secrets, such as are hard to be shewed by any Verball demonstration, for truly there is not any trucking or marting whatsoeuer, in which a man may sooner deceiue, or be deceiued, men buying and selling in a manner hood-winkt: for it is most certaine that no man can certainely tell either what peny-woorth hée selleth, or the other buyeth, so long as the Trée is standing, there be in Trées so many secret faults, and likewise when they are downe, and come to the breaking or burkning (as the Wood-man tearmes it) so many vnexpected vertues, as for mine owne part I haue often séene a Trée whose out-side hath promised all good hope, the barke being smooth and euen, the body large and great, and the armes high set on, and spaciously extended; yet when this Trée hath béene felled, and came to burkning, there hath béene found a hole in the top, which hath runne cleane though the heart, and vtterly spoyled the whole Timber: so likewise on the contrary part I haue séene a Trée very foule at the top, which is suspitious for rottennesse, whose armes haue growne so close and narrow together, that they haue promised little burthen, yet being cut downe, I haue séene that Trée passing sound, the armes double the loades in valuation, and the price being lesse then any, the proofe and goodnesse to excéede all; so that I must conclude it all together impossible to set downe any fixed or certaine rules either for the buyer or seller: but for as much as there are diuers worthie obseruances for both parts, and that it is as necessary to buy well as sell well, I will runne through euery particular obseruation, which doth belong both to the one and the other partie, with which when a mans minde is perfectly acquainted,he may with much bolder confidence aduenture to buy or sell in the open Market.
How to chuse Timbers.
The first thing therefore that either buyer or seller should be skilfull in, is the choyse of all sorts of Timbers, and to know which is fit for euery seuerall purpose, the crooked and vneyely being for some vses of much higher price and reckoning then that which is plaine, straight, and euen growne, as thus for example.Of Mill Timber.If you would buy Timber for Mill-whéeles, the heads of round Turrets, or any kinde of any worke whatsoeuer, you shall chuse that which is crooked and some-what bent, being sound, firme, and vnshaken.Timber to beare burthen.If you will chuse Timber for Summer Trées, Baulks, Iawnies, or Tracens, you shall chuse that which is most hartie, sound, and much twound, or as it were wrythen about, which you shall with great ease perceiue by the twinding or crooked going about of the barke, the graine whereof will as it were circle and lay round about the Trée. This Timber which is thus twound or wrythen, will by no meanes ryue or cleaue asunder, and therefore is estéemed the best to support and beare burthen, and the heart thereof will endure and last the longest.
Timber for Pales, Wainscote, &c.
If you will chuse Timber for Pales, Singles, Coopers-ware, Wainscote, or such like, then you shall euer chuse that which is smooth, euen, and straight growne, without any manner of twynding or shaking, which you shall perceiue by the straight and euen growing vp of the barke, whose crests will ascend straight and vpright, euen from the roote to the bottome, which is an assured token that all such Timber will shiuer and ryue into as thinne parts as a man would desire.
Timber for Pyles or Water-workes.
Lastly, if you would chuse Timber to make Pyles of, to driue into the earth, for the framing of Weares within the water, the heads of Ponds, or any other worke within the water then you shall chuse that which is most knottie (so it be sound) for that will driue without splitting, and continue in the earth the longest: and of all Timbersthe Elme is accounted the best for this purpose, for it will continue almost euerlastingly in the earth without rotting; yet notwithstanding, the Oake is excellent good also: and thus much for the generall choise of Oakes.
Vse of the Elme.
Now if you would chuse Timber for weather-boards, or to be vsed in water-workes, or to make Planks for low moyst Vaults, then you shall chuse the biggest, soundest and smoothest growneElme, it is also excellent good to make Kitchen tables of, or for boards, for the vse of Butchers. If you will chuse the most principallest Timber, for Cart or Waine Axel trées, for the naues of whéeles, or for any other vse of toughnesse, you shall chuse theElmeonely, for it excéedeth all other Timbers, and though some Husbandmen are of opinion, that theElmeAxel-trée when it is throughly heated, is then most apt to breake, they are much deceiued, for it will endure farre beyond Ash or any other Timber, except Yewgh, which for the scarsity is now of little vse in such a purpose. And herein you must obserue, that theElmewhich you chuse for Axel-trées must be straite, smooth, and without knots, but that which you chuse for naues, must be most knotty, twound, and the hardest to be broken or hewed asunder.
Vse of the Ash.
If you will chuse Timber for Ploughes, ordinary Axel-trées (for those ofElmeare speciall) the rings of whéeles harrow bulls, and such like, then you shall chuse the fairest, straightest, biggest, and smoothest growne Ash that you can finde, and from the roote end vpward, you shall cut out a length of Axel-trées, aboue it a length of shelbordes, and aboue it (if the Trée be so large) a length for heads and Skeathes, the largest armes which are somewhat bending, you shall elect for rings for whéeles, and so according to the bignesse of the Ash, and as your eye can proportion out what will be made of the same, you shall make valuation thereof.
Vse of the Wall-nut tree.
If you would chuse Timber for ioyned Tables, Cupbords, or Bedsteds, you shall then make choise of the fairest Walnut-trée you can finde, being olde, straight, vnknotted,and of a high boale: and although either Oake, or Ash will reasonably well serue for this purpose, yet the Walnut-trée is by many degrées the best of all other, for it is of smoothest graine, and to the eye most beautifull, prouided that by no meanes you put it into any worke, before it be excéedingly well seasoned.
Vse of the Peare-tree.
If you would chuse Timber for Ioynt-stooles, Chaires, or Chests, you shall then chuse the oldest Peare-trée so it be sound, for it is both smooth, swéet, and delicate, and though it be a very soft Wood, yet in any of these frames it is an excéeding long laster, and the heart thereof will neuer bréede worme, nor will it in any time loose the colour.
Vse of the Maple, Beech, and Poplar.
If you would chuse Timber for Trenchers, Dishes, or any Tourners ware, or for any in-laying worke, you shall then make choise of the fairest and soundest Maple, being smooth and vnknotted, for it is the plainest graine, and the whitest Wood of all other: and although either the Béech or Poplar will reasonably well serue for these purposes, yet is neither the colours so good, nor the Timber so long lasting. Many other Trées there are which may serue for many other purposes: but these are of most vse for our English Husbandman, and will sufficiently serue to passe through all his businesses.
Of Char-coale.
Touching Char-coale, you shall vnderstand, that Oake, Elme, and Ash, make your longest and best enduring Coale: the Birtch the finest and brightest Coale, and the Béech or Sallow the swiftest Coale. Now for your small Coale, the twigges of the Birtch makes that which kindles the soonest, and the White-thorne that which endures the longest.
How to value Timber.
Thus when you know how to chuse euery seuerall Trée, and the true vse and profit which can any way be made of the same, and by a practised experience can cast by the suruay and view of a standing Wood, the almost entire profit that may arise from the same, deuiding in your memory how many are for euery seuerall purpose, and towhat reckoning they may amount one with the other, and blemishing (if you buy) the good with the bad, or making good (if you sell) the bad with those good ones which grow néere them, you may then boldly venture into any sale either as a buyer or seller at your pleasure, and sure if you know (as it is fit you should doe) the Market-able prices of all sorts of Timbers in those places, where you are either to buy or sell, as what a Mill-post is worth, what so many inches of well squared Timber, contayning so many foote in length, what a dozen of boards of such a size, what so many naues, spoakes, rings, sparres, or tracens, or what so much sound and good Plough-timber is worth, and then looking vpon a Trée, and computing what may euery way be made of the same, allowing the wast which will hardly sometimes defray the charge of breaking vp the Trée, you cannot but with great ease draw into your minde the true value of euery Trée, and the vttermost profit or losse may any way rise from the same.
How to measure Timber by gesse.
And in this worke I would haue you to obserue this rule very carefully, that is, when you come to any great Timber-trée, to fathome or embrace it about with both your armes, and then knowing what quantity your fathome is, and how many fathome girdleth the Trée round about, you may from former experience giue a certaine gesse what inches of squared Timber that Trée will beare, for if you haue found in former trials that twice your fathome in the rough barke hath borne twenty, or two and twenty inches squared, and now finde that the present Trée on which you looke, is no lesse, but rather with the bigger, you may boldly presume, that being sound, this trée can carrie no lesse square of good Timber: and thus much for the knowledge and choise of tall Woods.
Best seasons for the sale.
Now to come to the seasons & fittest times for sale of these high Woods: you shall vnderstand that it is méete for euery good husband which intendeth to sell any of his high Woods, to walke into the same immediately after Christmas, & whether they be in woods, Groues, hedge-rowes, orother places, to marke with a special marke all those Trées which he intendeth to sell, as well for the wéeding and cleansing out of all such as are decayed and wasted, as also to know the true number of both the good and bad, and thereby in some measure to compute the profit which will arise from the same, for to make sale of them otherwise confusedly, might bring much losse to a man happily, selling away those that would encrease their valewes, and kéepeing them which daily would decrease their goodnesse, or so vnorderly vnmixing his Wood, that where one faire and good Trée would draw a mans eye from beholding diuers which are doated, now that onely taken away, the rest will remaine, and neuer be sale-able, and therefore euer as néere as you can so suite and match your Trées together, that in your sales you may neuer passe away an absolute worthie Trée: but you may euer couple some which haue defects to goe with it, as in these dayes we sée Warriners and Poulters sell Rabbets, a fat and a leane euer coupled together. When you haue thus marked out what you meane to sell, and disposed your sale according to your best profit,The time for Chap-men.after notice giuen vnto the Country in the Market Townes néere adioyning, you shall begin your sale the Candlemasse following, which sale you may continue all the Spring, according to the greatnesse thereof, or the quicknesse of buyers. Now for any rules or orders to be obserued in these sales, I can prescribe you none certaine, because it is méete that euery one binde himselfe to the customes of the Country in which he liueth, whose variations are diuers, for almost euery one is seuerall, onely in the maine they holde together, which is that they seldome make publike sales for money downe vpon the head, but for a certaine payment some fewe moneths after, which makes the Marchandise more lookt to, and the sales goe away the faster; and in this the Sales-man must be circumspect in the choise of his Chap-men, and where hée findeth any doubt there to make one neighbour stand bound for another, as for the earnest penny it is euer ouerand aboue the price, and must be laide downe at the binding vp of the bargaine, which earnest is in some Countries foure pence in the pound, in some eight pence, and in some twelue pence, according to the goodnesse of the Timber, and hath euer béene taken for a fée due to the Sales-man for his paines and attendance: and sure if he be carefully honest, it is a merrit well bestowed: if otherwise, it is much too much for falshood, for in him consists the owners losse or profit, and therefore it may become any man, of what place so euer, to take a strickt account from such an officer: or if he haue any doubt euer to ioyne with him in commission, another of contrary faction.
When to cut downe Timber.
When you haue made sale of your Timber, you shall by no meanes let it be cut downe till the end of Aprill, at which time the sap ascending vpward, will loosen the bark, and make it come from the body of the Trée easily. You shall cut your Timber downe close by the earth, not digge it vp by the rootes, vnlesse you meane vtterly to destroy it, for from the spurnes of the roote will arise new Spiers, which in processe of time, will come to another Trée. As soone as you haue felled your Oakes, you shall with your Axe immediatly whilst the sap is wet, take all the barke from the body and the armes, and setting it end-wayes as vp one by another, so place it, that the winde may passe through it, and dry it, and then sell it to the Tanners, which will giue you a good price therefore, according to the worth and scarsity thereof. When your Trées are barkt, you shall then sawe the body into such lengthes of Timber, as shall be méete for the purpose for which it is bought, or in such sort as it may be best portable: the armes also you shall hewe from the body, and so burken or breake them vp, as they may be fit to be loaded: all which done, and the Timber caried away, you shall, if you intend to haue the Wood renew, fence in the sale, and kéepe it safe from Cattell: and thus much for the preseruation and sale of high Woods.