316 THE FORESTRY COMMITTEE. [Sept. 



that country had in 1841. A very considerable amount of cutting- 

 down was going on in England, Scotland, and Wales, without any 

 corresponding extent of reproduction. In Scotland during the 

 last century they had paid great attention to the cultivation of 

 woods. In face of the state of things he had mentioned, it was an 

 important matter that the reafibresting of the country should be 

 considered. Besides the timber, which was so important in architec- 

 ture and handicrafts of every kind, there were many industries 

 connected with bark, tar, resin, and undergrowth. A great deal 

 more could be done in utilizing fragments. He understood that 

 Cumberland timber was largely employed in the production of 

 iron and steel. Charcoal - smelted iron stood very high for the 

 production of the best quality of steel. He had had great experi- 

 ence of the extension of the forestal system in India. When 

 camels, goats, and cattle were excluded, the forests reproduced 

 themselves. The department planted teak seeds and those of other 

 trees on cleared spaces after forest fires, etc. The reafforestation of 

 suitable lands in this country would give occupation to many 

 suffering from want of employment of labour. 



The Chairman : You do not say that a forest would give more 

 employment than agricultural land ? — Witness said he understood 

 that the question he was asked had reference to land unsuitable 

 for agricultural operations. 



By Mr. Seely : It would be better to get one good school for the 

 three kingdoms first, and then when that was full, to try another. 



By Dr. Farquharson : There were very good practical foresters 

 in Scotland, but they had not been taught vegetable physiology. 

 Three or four of them had been employed in India for planting. 

 They had had no school to go to for theoretical knowledge. In 

 France and Germany they do not plant much, but leave restoration 

 to nature. The Scotch were exceedingly good planters, and if 

 they had a little more theoretical knowledge they might turn their 

 natural sagacity to better account. He hoped that forest schools 

 might become self-supporting. It was a question as to what the 

 owner of the woods could afford to pay. Of course, a forester who 

 only received £60 a year could not pay much. As to planting 

 more extensively in Scotland on mountain slopes, he guarded him- 

 self by saying these should be in accessible places near rivers. 

 Asked his opinion as to planting grouse moors, witness said smilingly 

 he would rather not say much on that subject. If a much greater 

 area was put under wood in Scotland, it would depend on the 

 foreign supply as to whether that would bring down prices. 



The Chairman asked whether the keep for sheep would not be so 

 much better in woodlands than in the open moors that the thirty 



