1909] Afforestation, 631 



WEEKLY EVENINO MEETING, 



Friday, May 21, 1909. 



His Grace The Duke of Northumberland, K.G. P.O. D.C.L. 

 Sc.D. F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



The Hon. Ivor Churchill Guest, M.P. 



Afforestation. 



You are probably aware that for many years past far-seeing and 

 practical men have been engaged in pleading the case of afforestation 

 in the Ignited Kingdom — I regret to add without much success. 

 That there is a ^jrimd facie case for afforestation may be gathered 

 from the fact that as far back as 1885 they succeeded in getting a 

 committee appointed to investigate the subject. Since then a further 

 committee Look evidence in 1902, and recently the Irish Board of 

 Agriculture appointed a committee on the same subject. Those 

 committees, which represent collectively a considerable volume of 

 opinion, expert and practical, have reported favourably on the pro- 

 posals, but up to the present time nothing or next to nothing has 

 been done. Perhaps this is due to the fact that from the very nature 

 of the case, a long while must elapse before tlie talents wliich it is 

 urged sliould be buried in the ground, can come back to the coffers 

 of the community, while for reasons which I shall presently adduce, 

 this is a deterrent which acts with even greater force in the case of 

 the private landowner, who, in the vast majority of instances, can 

 never hope to recover a single farthing of the sums he may invest in 

 the planting of trees, or loss from the dedication of rent-producing 

 acres to this use. 



About fifteen months ago the King was pleased to direct the 

 Royal Commission over which I have the honour to preside, that on 

 Coast Erosion and AfforesUition, to report as to whether it is desirable 

 to make an experiment in afforestation as a means of increasing 

 employment during periods of depression in the labour market, and 

 if so, how, and by whom, this should be done. The Commission have 

 recently completed their laljours as to this branch of the inquiry 

 entrusted to them, and issued a report — a practically unanimous 

 report, I beg to observe, not without pride — with the substance of 

 which I propose to deal to-night, hoping sincerely that you will not 

 find the subject too technical or dull. 



Until well on in the Middle Ages it appears certain that enormous 

 stretches of Great Britain and Ireland were covered with trees sown 

 by the hand of Nature. In those days facilities for transport were 



YoL. XIX. (No. 108) 2 T 



