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IRISH GARDENING. 



*MRISH GARDENING." 



AN ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY. 

 Off:ces-53 Upper Sackville Street. Dublin. 



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Irish Forestry Report. 



THE Report, just issued, of the Depart- 

 mental Committee on Irish Forestry 

 forms a most valuable text-book on the 

 present condition of our woodlands, together 

 with carefully considered recommendations as 

 to a national scheme of afforestation. 



The Report shows that the percentage ot 

 area of woods in Ireland is much below that oi 

 any European country, with the exception of 

 Iceland. This area is proved to be too low for 

 the economic welfare of the country, and that 

 it is steadily shrinking, while, from the character 

 of the cutting, the quality of the w^oods left 

 standing is deteriorated. This state of affairs 

 is brought about chiefly by the Land Purchase 

 Acts, as the existence of woodlands is an 

 obstacle to the purchasing of estates. This 

 factor in the disappearance of woodlands was 

 helped by the storm of 1903, which threw an 

 excessive quantity of timber upon the market. 

 When the demand in Great Britain for timber 

 was great, owing to a shortage of supplies 

 from abroad, the best trees were felled to meet 

 the increased trade, and, while the value of the 

 woodlands was deteriorated, no effort was 

 made on the part of the landowners to re-plant. 

 The evidence given as to the exhaustion of 

 woods is conclusive. In the last five years the 

 area cleared amounted to 7,424 acres and the 

 number of trees felled to 5,241,259, while the 

 area planted amounted to 4,532 acres and the 

 number of trees planted 9,458,573. From this 

 can be seen that the number of trees felled have 

 amounted to more than half of the number of 

 trees planted, whereas, it is stated, the number 

 of trees planted should be at least four times 

 the number of trees felled. 



The Committee tested the conditions of wood- 

 lands by direct inspection of King's County, and 

 from the survey have stated that a probable 

 50% of these woods have been partially cleared, 

 are not being restored, and are going into 

 decav. 



Comparing this actual survey with the statis- 

 tics of other parts of Ireland, it is assumed that 

 a similar state of affairs exists throughout the 

 country. The increased facilities for the felling 

 of timber point to the increase of the number of 

 trees felled. Not only is the quality of the wood 

 to be deplored, but the low^ yield of timber is 

 abnormal, and the result of the present process, 

 if not checked, means the closing of existing 

 wood-working industries which are dependent 

 on home-grown timber. Representatives from 

 these industries have been interviewed by the 

 Committee, and all are unanimous on one point — 

 that if the present state of dimiuLition of Irish 

 woodlands goes on imchecked, these industries 

 will have to close their doors. 



The export of timber, mostly in the round 

 state, has attained the proportion of 72%, leaving 

 only 28% for home industries. This sending out 

 of timber of so large a proportion in the raw 

 state means that the Irish timber industry is 

 not effectively organised. This traffic would 

 be svibstituted by a trade in prepared timber. 

 The Report insists on the organisation of the 

 timber industry and the need for technical 

 education, so that the country may get the 

 benefit of its woodlands. 



Under the Purchase Acts the preservation of 

 woodlands is not provided for, nor is the acqui- 

 sition of waste lands sufficiently provided for. 

 The Report urges immediate need for remedying 

 this loss. It shows the value of timber at 

 present, when the world is rapidly approaching 

 a shortage, and its increasing value in various 

 industries — among these the development of 

 bye-products. It argues that the value of timber 

 commercially increases, and that a national 

 supply becomes of supreme importance. Ireland, 

 all men oi" experience agree, in soil and climate 

 is particularly well favoured for producing g'ood 

 timber. There seems to be not so much avail- 

 able land as might be expected. Two classes 

 of land are barred out before estimating — land 

 which would pay better for tillage or pasture, 

 and genuine waste land. Of the latter, some 

 of the mountainous districts to the north and 

 west of the coimtry, where peaty and rocky types 

 predominate; but, in most of the other districts, 

 the possibility of afforestation amount from 

 about 10% to 20% . Of the entire surface of 

 the mountains much land, which wovdd be more 

 suitable for forestry, is now in the hands of 

 tenants who use it for poor pasture. 



The Report urges the necessity for State 

 action. The undertaking is too great and too 

 far-reaching for private ownership. The respon- 

 sibility lies on the State in Ireland, in view of 

 its past neglect and present legislation to 

 remedy the defects. The Department of Agri- 

 culture is at present endowed wnth necessary 



