Since this volume went to press, there has been some changes of scenery on the political European stage, even rivalling what has ever been accomplished of sylvan metamorphosis on the face of nature by Sir Henry Steuart. The intense interest excited by these efforts towards the regeneration of man, has completely thrown into shade our humbler subject—the regeneration of trees. We have even forgot it ourselves in the hands of the printer, while yet unborn. These sudden transformations altering the political and moral relations of man, also render a number of our observations not quite apposite, and our speculations, some of them, rather “prophetic of the past.” They, by obliterating national distinctions, and diminishing the occasions for going to war, will, it is hoped, bring the European family closer into amity. At any rate, they have completely thrown out the {391} calculations of our politicians regarding the balance of power and international connection as natural allies and foes, and bind the French and the British together by ties on the surest principle of friendly sympathy, “idem velle atque nolle,” which no Machiavellian policy of cabinets, nor waywardness of political head, will be able to sunder.
We had intended to bring out Naval Timber and Arboriculture as a portion of a work embracing Rural Economy in general, but this is not a time to think of rural affairs.
NOTES TO THE APPENDIX.
- [67]. The very extended sway, the state of civilization considered, of the Tartar, was evidently the consequence of the great facility of communication from the plain open surface of the country, and the equestrian habits of the people.
- [68]. The habit of breed is apparent in many places of the world. Where a fine river washes the walls of some of the internal towns of France, scarce a boat is to be seen, except the long tract-boats employed in the conveyance of fire-wood—nobody thinks of sailing for pleasure. The Esquimaux, and the Red Indian of North America, inhabiting the same country, shew an entirely distinct habit of breed. The Black and the Copper-coloured native of the Australian Islands, are equally opposed in instinctive habit.
- [69]. The sea water from Flamborough-head, southward to the Straits of Dover, is generally discoloured with mud; and during every breeze takes up an addition from the bottom, which is an alluvium so unstable and loose, that no sea vegetation can hold in it. From not producing herbage, the general basis of animal life, few fishes or shells can find support in it.
FINIS.
ERRATA.
| Page | [10], | top line, for they read the branches |
| [18], | line 13. from bottom, for under read within | |
| [18], | line 8. from bottom, for long read in length of wing | |
| [22], | insert f at fig. on right-hand side of wood cut. | |
| [26], | line 8. from bottom, for 5 read 3 | |
| [57], | line 4. from top, for any read many | |
| [78], | line 11. from top, for latitude read altitude | |
| [87], | line 9. from top, dele may also in some degree | |
| —, | line 10. from top, for diminish read diminishing | |
| —, | line 11. from top, for increase read increasing | |
| [205], | line 12. from top, dele generally esteemed | |
| [206], | bottom line, for lineal read large | |
| [218], | line 5. from bottom, for ground read portion | |
| [220], | line 7. from bottom, after soil insert a semicolon | |
| [222], | line 14. from top, for latterly read laterally | |
| [223], | line 13. from top, for falling read felling | |
| [242], | line 12. from top, for into read in, to | |
| [280], | line 14. from top, for the read this | |
| [285], | top line, after n insert o | |
| [300], | line 2. from bottom, dele of | |
| [327], | line 6. from bottom, for that dew, read dew, that | |
| [331], | line 10. from bottom, for root read row | |
| [372], | line 14. from top, for tend read tends |
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE.
- Original spelling and grammar have been generally retained,
with some exceptions noted below. Original printed page
numbers are shown like this: {52}. Footnotes have
been converted to endnotes labeled 1–69, and moved to the
end of the appropriate book division—i.e. Introduction, Parts
I–IV, or Appendix. The transcriber produced the cover
image and hereby assigns it to the public domain. Original
page images are available from archive.org—search for
“onnavaltimberarb00matt”. - Page [iii]. Changed “EDINDURGH” to “EDINBURGH”.
- Page [xiv]. Changed “and and” to “and”.
- Page [216]. Changed “in in” to “in”.
- Page [218]. The phrase “3s. per do.” was changed to “3s. per load,”.
- Page [325]n. Changed “coutnries” to “countries”.
- Page [326]. Changed “Eygpt” to “Egypt”.
- Page [346]. Ditto marks in the first table, “do. do.” were changed to “, from one to three years transplanted,”.
- Page [351]. Changed “unweildy” to “unwieldy”.
- Page [386]. Changed “mpressions” to “impressions”.
- Page [391], ERRATA. The errata have been applied to the text in the proper locations. The correction for page 327 l.6 from bottom had already been applied in the edition which is the basis for this transcription. The correction for page 331 l. 10 from bottom cannot be applied, as there was no “root” or “row” on that line. There was, however, a “row” on line 8 from the bottom, so perhaps the correction had already been applied.