REVIEWS SiVi 



bility and proposes for these cut-over-lands planting the grant method 

 of assistance. It is expected that under these various methods of as- 

 sistance, in the first ten years 100,000 acres would be planted, leaving 

 150,000 to be undertaken by the State. 



In the case of the State the first problem is the acquisition of land, 

 whetiier by purchase, lease, or expropriation. Purchase and expro- 

 priation are to be used as sparingly as possible. Leasing — preferably 

 perpetual, and if terminable at least for a rotation — is a novel method. 



"Short of ownership, a perpetual lease is the only really sound tenure 

 for a forest. If a terminable lease be for any reason necessary it should 

 not be for a less period than a whole rotation. But it ought not to be 

 impossible, in the case of a lease for a definite period, to give the owner 

 the right of taking over the management of the land with the authority's 

 consent at any period when a satisfactory valuation could be made of 

 the work done by the authority, such valuation being then paid by the 

 owner to the authority." 



It is expected that two-thirds of the requirement of land to be planted 

 during the first decade may be secured by leasing one-third, or 33,000 

 acres, annually by purchase. In figuring the cost of the scheme it is 

 assumed that some of the land acquired will not at once be planted and 

 may be temporarily leased for other purposes. 



The question of employment in its relationship to afiforestation 

 schemes, which was prominently discussed in previous committee re- 

 ports, comes in for consideration. It is figured that for every 100 acres 

 planted $2,500 in wages will be spent, "a full year's wages for rather 

 less than 8 men," and 10 to 12 men may be required under some condi- 

 tions as against 2 or 3 in herding. 



The financial aspect of afforestation is recognized as one "to be ap- 

 proached with caution." 



The cost of planting, everything included, is placed at the comfort- 

 able figure of around $26.65 P^^ 'icre ; the cost of administration and 

 protection at 97 cents (4.?.), road-building and maintenance at 43 cents : 

 total outgo, around $28. The returns are figured on the average pro- 

 duction of five conifers — Norway spruce, Scotch pine, European larch. 

 Douglas and Sitka spruce according to normal German (although not 

 mentioned as such!) yield tables and other measurements. Since these 

 represent 100 per cent efficiency, the calculation is also made for 70 per 

 cent efficiency as more nearly approaching average conditions. There 

 is a table and diagram of curves relating the returns to the cost (and 

 presumably the quality) of the soil, when the return per cent on pre- 

 nar values appears on a 70 per cent efficiency as ranging from 2 to 3.2 

 per cent, the lower figure, of course, for the more expensive soils. 



