2i8 NATURAL SCIENCE. Sept.. 



Godwin-Austen suggested that much of the apparently artificial 

 chipping of the flints had originated through the rubbing together of 

 stones in masses of talus and mud. On the whole, then, the general 

 sense of the meeting was opposed to granting any extreme antiquity 

 to the early dwellers on the former plateau of Kent. 



Forestry. 



Professor Bayley Balfour, in his capacity as President, addressed 

 the Biological Section on the subject of Forestry. In many respects 

 this address was the most important communication that was delivered 

 to the public in any of the Sections of the Association. 



Two reasons have interfered to prevent the English people paying 

 necessary attention to the afforestation of our land. The first is 

 the abundance of coal in this country. For many years all practical 

 men have regarded the supply as almost inexhaustible, and it is only 

 now that the warnings of experts in mining and geology have been 

 accentuated by the actual exhaustion of many of our coal-fields that 

 there is a possibility of getting the public to believe that England 

 may soon have to revert to the partial use of charcoal. The next 

 reason is that the continuous extension of our commerce and our 

 territory has opened up for use series of forest-clad areas, while the 

 woods and forests of the continent have by themselves been nearly 

 able to supply our demands. But the increasing scarcity and 

 price of imported timber is now awakening our eyes to the enormous 

 waste of our timber-growing capacity. This waste is in two direc- 

 tions : the forests we have, are, from want of trained experts, in many 

 cases very badly managed ; immense areas, well adapted for growing 

 timber, and ill adapted for any other crops, are left barren. 



Besides the direct economic advantage of increasing the produc- 

 tiveness of the land, there are many other advantages that would 

 accrue were the course urged by Professor Bayley Balfour and 

 others to be adopted. There would be a great increase in the 

 employment of labour ; a very large part of at least the first steps in 

 afforestation would demand unskilled manual labour, directed by a 

 comparatively small staff of experts. We believe that the London 

 Daily Chronicle has already advocated this as a field for that State 

 employment of the unemployed which is believed by many to be at 

 once prudent and inevitable. 



The extension of woodland and forest would increase not only 

 the natural amenity of our country, but it would appeal directly 

 to all naturalists and lovers of animals and plants, in that it would 

 provide an enormous increase of area suitable for many of the most 

 attractive wild animals and plants that can live in this country. 

 Professor Bayley Balfour made a practical suggestion to aid the 

 attainment of his object. " There are tracts which without damage 

 to the natural beauty, and without depriving in any sensible degree 

 the people of their privileges of recreation they prize so much, might 



