632 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



disposal was the incentive for the most reckless destruction 

 of forest. Trees were felled regardless of their immaturity, 

 and, if any were retained, they were those which were of little 

 or no service. This occurred in other countries too, even where 

 the present condition of forests is far superior to that of 

 the United Kingdom, but circumstances were different. In the 

 United Kingdom development began earlier, forests were more 

 accessible, the supply of coal caused greater independence of 

 the yield of fuel from forests and there were no striking 

 examples of erosion consequent on disforestation. The financial 

 aspect of forestry was of course not recognised and the only 

 real stimulus to afforestation was provided by shortage of 

 timber for the Navy. In consequence, oak was sown in a large 

 number of areas, often regardless of the conditions of the 

 locality, as is shown by some of the forests now surviving. 

 Again, bent stems and branches had a particular value in ship- 

 building, and to meet the requirements the oak were frequently 

 grown far apart. Admirably, however, as this served the 

 purpose, while still admitting of the production of a number 

 of fine straight oak, the treatment could naturally not be applied 

 to other species without producing results commensurate with 

 their natural power of development. But identical treatment 

 was applied, and, promoted by the not unsatisfactory results 

 in the case of larch, is the cause of rejection of so much home- 

 grown timber to-day. Further, a more permanent damage has 

 been done by the inadequate protection afforded to the soil 

 and its consequent deterioration, especially where grazing was 

 permitted. A striking example of this is furnished by the Forest 

 of Dean, where occasional fine old oak-trees surviving from a time 

 when the species was mixed with beech are found amongst the 

 open and poor crops of oak grown pure during the last century 

 when grazing was permitted. 



Very considerable influence has also been exercised upon 

 the treatment of forests, more particularly in the past few 

 decades, by considerations of sport. The abundance of natural 

 undergrowth, a condition favouring both ground and winged 

 game, has exactly the reverse effect in regard to the success 

 of modern systematic forestry. 



Finally, a cause of many more recent, and, it is feared, future, 

 failures has been an attempt to grow species, often exotic, 

 which happen to be in demand, or otherwise to find favour, 



