1885.] DEBATE ON SIR JOHN LUBBOCK'S MOTION. 101 



THE DEBATE ON SIR JOHN LUBBOCK'S MOTION. 



AFTER several postponements, Sir John Lubbock's opportunity 

 came on the loth May. Before going into Committee of 

 Supply, he moved the House of Commons for a Committee to 

 inquire if, by the establishment of a Forest School, our forests and 

 woodlands could be rendered more remunerative. He said that, as 

 last year he had the opportunity of addressing the House on the sub- 

 ject, he would not trespass long on their indulgence. The subject 

 was one of considerable importance. England was almost the only 

 country without a Forest School. Such institutions existed in 

 Prussia, Saxony, Hanover, France, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, 

 Spain, Eussia, and, in fact, in almost every other country. The need 

 for a Forest School in England had by no means reference only to 

 the State forests. There were some 2,800,000 acres under wood, 

 while in the colonies the forests were estimated to cover no less than 

 340,000,000 acres. In fact, our interests in this respect were 

 larger than those of any other country in the world. He would 

 only give two instances out of many which might be quoted to show 

 how much might be effected in this direction. Thirty years ago the 

 Landes was one of the poorest and most wretched regions in France. 

 It had been judiciously planted, and was now one of the most 

 prosperous. The increase of value was estimated at no less than 

 £40,000,000. In India fifteen years ago the net forest revenue 

 was only £52,000, while since the establishment of a Forest 

 Department it had risen to over £400,000, which, of course, would 

 represent an immense inci:ease in capital value. Competent 

 authorities had estimated that there were over 5,000,000 acres of 

 land in this country which might be planted with advantage. 

 M. Boppe, one of the greatest French authorities, had recently visited 

 this country on behalf of the India Office, and clearly indicated his 

 opinion, though he expressed it as courteously as possible, that we 

 were behind other countries in the management of our woodlands. 

 Our own highest authorities were of the same opinion. Mr. Brown, 

 in his standard work on Forestry, said that " if our woodlands had 

 been judiciously managed we should not find so great a part of the 

 woodlands of Great Britain in the unprofitable state in whicli they 

 are." ]\Ir. Cruikshank, in his Practical Forester, said that " nothing 

 was more common than to see trees planted in situations for which 

 they were utterly unsuited," and he gave many illustrations. The 

 Journal of Horticulture said that " it is little less than deplorable 

 to witness the miles of woods that are practically valueless from a 

 commercial point of view, whereas, under skilled supervision, they 



II 



