From other accounts, it appears that the navy have been fupplied with about 885 loads of oak timber per annum, on an average, from this foreft, for the last twenty years, which is the only produce to the public. The annual expenditure of the forelt appears to be about 3400l. per an num, and the annual clear profit, a bout 10151. on an average; therefore it appears that all the timber in the new forest growing upon 63,844 acres of land, has produced a profit only of 10151. per annum, on an average, for the last twenty years, without making any allowance for the deficiency in the prefent ftock, compared with the flock 20 years ago, or rent for the land.

Having thus pointed out the improper management of this foreft, it may be expected we fhould endeavour to form fome plan for its improvement; we fhall therefore take the liberty to fuggeft our general ideas upon that head. There being in the new foreft, a variety of claims and privileges appertaining to different people, it would be neceffary to afcertain them previous to any final arrangement being made; we should therefore recommend an act of parliament, empowering commiffioners to make inquiry into the nature of their respective claims, which should be paid them in land or money, as the particular circumftances of the cafe may require, which may be va. lued by a jury of freeholders in the county; and, on the other hand, to afcertain and value the rights of the crown in respect to the copyholders, and the encroachments upon the foreft ; all of which being properly ad.

jufted, it will be easily known what part belongs exclufively to the crown, excepting the right of common, of those who refide in the neighbourhood; and as there appears to be about 64,000 acres of wood and wafte land, it may be fairly pres fumed, that if government were to agree to give up certain privileges, and to destroy or park the whole of the deer, which are now extremely numerous, and injurious in a great degree to the adjoining lands, it would be giving up a very confiderable right, which, though not very valuable to the crown, is highly des trimental to the waste lands, and as the crown has already a right to keep conftantly inclofed 6000 acres, (by an act of William III.) for the growth of timber, and of course a very confiderable share in the right of common.

It has been fuggested on a former occafion, that if 20,000 acres were to be conftantly kept inciofed for the growth of timber, it would be a very moderate confideration for giving up fo many other privileges; however, the quantity might be fettled by the commiffioners and the jury. This being afcertained, it only remains to point out the best method of fencing and planting the inclosures, and preferving them till they are out of danger of being inju red by cattle: to accomplish which, we should recommend the external fences to be made with a ditch, and pofts with three rails on the bank, and well planted with white thorn hedge on the infide. We would then recommend a nursery to be made in a central part of the foreft,

- for

for raifing the feveral kinds of plants, adapted to the various foils of the new forest, and a perfon converfant in that branch, appointed to fuperintend the management of it, who fhould refide upon the premifes, and attend not only to the raising of the trees, but to the tranfplanting them afterward in the particular fituations where they are intended to remain, as their fuccefs depends much upon that attention: but perhaps it may be urged, that it will be unneceflary to raife plants in a nurfery, when the inclosures may be fown with acorns, &c. which is certainly much lefs trouble, and when applied to oak only, is the most expeditious way of furnishing a large quantity of ground with young plants; but it does by no means follow, that it is the most expeditious way of raising timber for the navy, as from repeated experiments and obfervations we have found, that tranfplanted oak will thrive fafter, and produce better timber in the fame time, than that which has never been transplanted; and, notwithstanding this is contrary to the generally received opinion, we have ventured to affert it from known facts, which we are ready to prove to any gentleman, and which, we should hope, would tend to remove the prejudice that has general ly crept into people's minds that if the tap root of the oak is cut off, or injured, the tree will never thrive after; whereas, on the contrary, two or three tap roots will generally be formed in its ftead, which affords them a better opportunity of finding out the good earth, and in cafe one of them should be stopped by a stone or otherwise, the others may be more fortunate, which is not the cafe with a fingle tap root, and probably this may account for the fuperiority of the tranfplanted trees.

However, at all events, if the inclofures could be fupplied with oak, without, the affiftance of the nurfery, Ed. Mag. June 1796.

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they could not with many other kinds, particularly fir and larch; and as most of the inclosures would contain fome barren land on the hills, it would be highly improper to plant it with oak, which would never suc ceed, whereas it would produce excellent fir and larch timber, which would pay better than oak, and at the fame time fupply the neighbouring country with fire-wood, which, under the present fyftem, will foon be very fcarce, and not fufficient for the legal claims for that article. With refpect to the number of offi cers neceffary to fuperintend the fo reft, after it is properly regulated, it may not be neceffary to particularize here; but we may just mention, that a very few, under a competent board, would be fully fufficient for the whole management, and thofe should be paid a falary adequate to their employ, and on no account fuffered to receive any emolument or fee whatever from the foreft.

SALO P.

By Mr Bifhton.

Improvement of the Commons.-On this head furely it is not neceffary, at this time of day, for myself, or any other perfon, to fay any thing more than, "inclose them all as foon as convenient." The idea of leaving them in their unimproved ftate to bear chiefly gorfe bushes, and fern, is now completely fcouted, except by a very few, who have falfely conceived that the inclofing of them is an injury to the poor; but if thofe perfons had feen as much of the contrary effects in that refpect, as I have, I am fully perfuaded their oppofition would at once ceafe. Let thofe who doubt, go round the commons now open, and view the miferable huts, and poor, ill-cultivated, impoverish ed fpots erected, or rather thrown together, and inclofed by themselves, for which they pay fixpence or a

fhilling

fhilling per year, which, by lofs of time both to the man and his family, affords them a very trifle toward their maintenance, yet operates upon their minds as a fort of independence; this idea leads the man to lofe many days work, by which he gets a habit of indolence: a daughter kept at home to milk a poor half'ftarved cow, who being open to temptations, foon turns harlot, and becomes a diftreffed ignorant mother, instead of making a good useful fer

vant.

The furrounding farmers, by thefe means, have neither induftrious labourers or fervants, therefore the commons with the cottagers around become a great burden, instead of a convenience; for most certain it is, that in all the countries where this is the cafe, the labourers are generally indolent; and the contrary is the cafe where they live under the farmer, in comfortable cottages, with only a quarter of an acre of land, work every day in the year, and have their children taught to read, and put out to labour early. This I have been witness to, not only in my own parish, where we inclofed a common and fields twenty-five years ago, but in many other places fince, where I have been concerned. To do any thing for a poor man and his family, (who are to be maintained by their own labour) which gives them the habit of indolence, is the fame as taking the rich man's income, for both alike become helpless. I am aware that it will be faid by fome, how then are the poor to obtain -houses? I answer, by taking off the objection to houses being built by their employers, the freeholders and opulent perfons, as the laws of poffellion now ftand. The objection to poor poffelfors are, that as foon as the Jowner of a houfe takes into it a poor perfon and family, he finds himself bound to them, even if thieves, or perfons of the worft behaviour, The

poffeffor, feeling his weight in this refpect by his poverty, puts the landlord to defiance; and if he should not know this himself, he can eafily find those who will inftruct him to withhold poffeffion, so as to put his landlord (under the best management on his part) to 101. expence, before he can eject him, which is at once fix or seven years income of the premises.

There cannot, I conceive, be any danger of opposition to this alteration for the gentlemen of the law, whofs profeffions are liberal as well as profitable, for fo good a purpose, will readily give up the loss of these poor clients, in the fupporting of whom, against their landlords, they have but feldom got much credit: therefore, I would propofe for houses with land, at any rent not exceeding 21. 10s. yearly, and not being under an agreement in writing to the contrary, the tenant having had fix months previous notice in writing, from his landlord or agent, for quitting at the next lady-day, and not quitting, but holding over by the space of three days, that the owner or his agent, may apply to one of his Majefty's juftices of the peace, who fhould, with all convenient speed, fummon the parties and their witnefies, and if upon fuch inquiry and hearing fuch notice, as aforefaid, it fhall be found to have been regularly delivered, at the party's dwellinghoufe, &c. that in fuch case, the juftice fhall grant his warrant to the conftable and parish officers where fuch complaint arofe, to empower them to ferve the officer of the parish to which they are ordered to be removed, with a notice of the order, and if fuch officer, for three days, omits giving a fecurity for abiding by the decifion of the court of quarter feffions, then to immediately take and convey the faid-tenant and family, with their goods, to the officers of the parish whereunto they belong..

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