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 Timbers the 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 growne Elme, 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 the Elme onely, for it excéedeth all other Timbers, and though some Husbandmen are of opinion, that the Elme Axel-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 the Elme which 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.