Sentence:  The ground in almost every part of it is covered with stools or stems of Oak, at not more than three feet <WSD>stool</WSD> from <WSD>stool</WSD>, and these not having been thinned since last cutting, are completely overburdened, and are evidently killing each other and dying for want of nourishment ... 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A plant that has been cut down until its main stem is close to the ground, resembling a stool, to promote new growth.