the young seedlings, generally all of one kind, spring up so numerous, that, choaking each other, they all die together in a few years. This close springing up and dying is sometimes repeated several times over; different kinds of trees rising in succession, till the seeds in the soil be so reduced as to throw up plants so far asunder as to afford better opportunity for the larger growing varieties to develope their strength; and, overpowering the less, thus acquire spread of branches commensurate to the height, and thence strength of constitution sufficient to bear them forward to large trees. Mr Monteath, apparently to encourage the destruction of young oak, and keep his merciless hatchet agoing, asserts that “oak trees, at the age of 24 or not exceeding 30 years, have as thick a rind or fleshy part of bark, as when they arrive at 50.” If by this he means to say, that the useful part of the oak bark of the stem of a tree at 50 years old is no thicker than that of one of 30, we say he is wrong, widely wrong. A thriving oak tree of 100 years will still continue to increase the thickness of the valuable part of the bark on the stem, although part of the {155} outer layers or cuticle may lose vitality, and become _corky_. We have taken down a luxuriant growing oak, exceeding three feet in diameter, the living bark of whose stem was about two inches in thickness, resembling thick plank, and which was considered by the tanners much stronger in quality than bark of younger growth. Has Mr Monteath seen any bark resembling this on 24 years old sproutings? If, by the above quotation, our author means to say, that the valuable part of the bark on the branches of a tree 30 years old, is equal in thickness to that on the same sized branches of a tree at 50, we say he errs still; that is, provided the older tree be in a healthy thriving condition, and growing equally open and exposed as the younger. Trees, as they increase in years, increase also in the thickness of the living bark, from the root upwards to the smallest twig, provided they have not begun to get dry and sickly from over maturity. When this period arrives, the living part of the bark upon the stem and larger branches becomes very thin, with a great proportion of dead corky substance; although, on the twigs and smaller branches, it still continues to thicken. The age at which the external part of the bark begins to lose vitality, is considerably dependant upon luxuriance of growth, climate, and exposure; and the {156} period when this loss proceeds faster than the annual increase within, is altogether dependent on the vigour of the tree, not on the age, and never takes place till the timber is ripe for the dock-yard.