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Chapter Ten Woods and Plantations

THIS is by no means a woodland county, and therefore, without any particular established systems of managing coppice woods ; the timber is cut down promiscuously at the pleasure of the owner, and meets with ready sale, for the various purposes for which it is adapted. On the Belvoir estate is plenty of timber and plantation, and Donnington park has all sorts of timber trees, and of every age, from the young plant to a state of decay. About many other of the gentlemens seats is plenty of timber and plantation, and I particularly observed upon the Beaumanor estate of William Herrick, Esq. an abundance of ripe well grown oak, carefully preserved in a maiden state, and now so ripe as to be fit for any use to which oak is applicable. Mr. Monk observes, there is very little timber in the county, except in the hedge-rows ; Burbach Wood contains about 60 acres, with many thousands of young thriving oaks ; Aston Flamville Wood, about the same, with some fine young oaks and small ash ; these and the woods about Beaumoor, are the principal.
At Cleybrook, and in all that part of the county, there is a great deal of timber in the hedge-rows, which gives it a very pleasing appearance. Some people are of opinion that timber is here too much encouraged in the enclosures. There is very little timber on the Melton Mowbray side of the county, till you reach the Duke of Rutland’s estates, where there are extensive plantations of oak and other forest trees, which as they grow up will be a great ornament to the country.
There are a few spring coppices in the county, which are coppiced at about 20 years growth (Mr. Monk) : they are upon too small a scale to be found upon them any particular system.
Mr. Lynes, Lord Wentworth’s steward, plants Dutch willow, on low swampy ground in beds 12 feet wide, 2 rows in a bed, which leaves the plants 6 feet asunder every way ; the alleys are dug between the beds, and the contents thrown on the beds ; they are cut once in about 15 years, and by this management, the land is made to pay full 40s. per acre, per annum- Mr. Monk.
Upon Dishley farm, are small plantations of willow, made by the occupier, Mr. Bakewell, and continued by his successor, for the purpose of raising rails for fencing, and for hurdles and gates, thus preventing the use of oak.
In some of the young plantations about gentlemens’ seats, I observed good large cabbages, grown between the young trees ; this I think good economy, as keeping the plantation clean, and growing valuable and productive crop without waste of land or labour.
In a tour through the country in 1807, I made further observations on its timber and woodlands, and think the county contains as much as is desirable on so good a soil I believe the annual growth, or increase of the growing timber of the county, aided by the regular importation, is sufficient for its domestic consumption, without lessening the quantity growing ; but little or no great supply for ship building, or naval purposes, must be looked for here, although Lord Moira has a profusion of timber of every kind in Donnington Park, of between 4 and 500 acres ; oaks of all ages, from the young sapling to the old venerable oak, that has stood the blasts of 4 or 5 centuries, now past maturity and verging to decay. I cannot help thinking but it would be a rational, desirable, useful, and much to be wished for triumph of utility over taste, if the great land proprietors would permit these to be culled out and sent to market, before they were too far decayed ; their places might be supplied by fresh plantations ; and interest, profit, and personal advantage must strongly second the proposal ; many of these would now in a mild and moist spring yield a good deal of bark (an article now of high price and in great demand) and some might produce useful timber, but many of them I fear are too far gone. A considerable quantity of excellent and capital oak is also grown there to be found, in high perfection and maturity, growing almost close to the Trent ; and dispersed all over the park, is elm, ash, lime and beach in great plenty, and of every stage of growth.
Lord Moira has annual falls of timber and sales, in South Wood, Ashby old Park, not by auction, but upon the following liberal principal : the timber is cut down by his lordship’s agent, and the bark and appendages sold ; it is then marked and valued by a proper judge, tree by tree, and the value entered in a reference book : an agent attends at stated times, and sells to any one who applies, farmer, dealer, or tradesman ; whatever he fixes on, whether on one or more trees at this valuation, no abatement is made or advance put on. Mr. Dawson, his lordship’s steward, thinks more money might be made by auction, but the tenants and the country are thus accommodated for their own consumption.
The price and value of the different kinds of timber in the Midland counties, I have been well acquainted with, for about 40 years, the first 20 years of which, it underwent but little advance ; but within the last 20 it has advanced considerably : the following are the Leicestershire prices, at two periods of time.

Price of Timber in 1786, from Mr. Marshal Price in 1807.
	S. D. S. D.	S. D. S. D.
Oak in the round, per foot -	1 6 to 2 0	2 6 to 3 0
Ash, ditto - -	0 9 1 0	1 6 to 2 0
Elm and Beach, ditto - -	0 9 1 0	1 8
Poplar, ditto - -	0 8 1 2	1 6
Inch Oak boards, per square foot	0 3	0 6
Elm, ditto	0 11/2	0 21/2 to 0 3
Ash, ditto	0 11/2	ditto
Poplar, ditto	0 11/2	ditto
Ash Axle-trees	3 3 to 3 6	4 6 to 5 0
Six-inch fellys, a trine of 13	12 0	16 0 13 0
Narrow, ditto, ditto	8 0	12 0
Elm Naves, per pair	4 0	7 0 8 0

The value of growing oak, coppice timber, with the bark and all appendages, seems to be doubled within the last twenty years ; the timber itself is advanced rather more than as two to three ; but the value of oak bark in that time is advanced more than four-fold.

SOME PRICES OF LABOUR, &C. CONNECTED WITH WOODLANDS.

From Mr. Marshall	Prices in 1786.	Prices in 1807.
	S. D.	S. D.
Making Faggots, labourer finding bands	0 5 a score
Ditto, employer finding ditto	0 4 ditto
Cutting out Post and Rail	1 0 per score
Cutting out Stakes	0 1 ditto
Cleaving Lathes	0 4 per 100	0 6 per 100
Cutting and setting up Cord Wood	2 0 per chord	2 6 per chord
Double digging Sward, 18inches deep for planting	1 3 per rod of 64 square yards

Add one fifth, or 20 per cent. Advance, where the present price is not given.

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