LAND CLASSIFICATION 227 



Europe, having only one-tenth acre of forest per capita, and this with 

 a devasted growing stock, as compared with one-half acre of much 

 better forest in France and Germany, and 5 acres per capita in this 

 country. The war brought home to England very strikingly the need 

 for home forests containing reserves of forest products for war needs, 

 and a forestry reconstruction subcommittee was appointed before the 

 war closed to investigate forestry conditions and to make recommenda- 

 tions. This committee ^ recognized the inviolability of private forest 

 property, and did not recommend mandatory laws governing the con- 

 trol and regulation of such property, but recommended co-operation 

 and financial assistance from the public to private owners in the grow- 

 ing of timber. The forestry act, which came into effect in September, 

 1910, follows very closely the recommendations of this forestry com- 

 mittee. The primary feature is a commission of eight members with 

 wide powers for "promoting afforestation and the production and 

 supply of timber," including purchase or lease of any land suitable for 

 afiforestation, purchase and sale of standing timber, advances of loans 

 for private afiforestation, management and supervision of woods, estab- 

 lishment and aiding of woodland industries, collection of forest sta- 

 tistics, promotion of forestry education, experiment and research, and 

 making inquiries for securing an adequate supply of timber in the 

 United Kingdom and in the Dominions. 



If public needs demand the growing of forests on certain areas in 

 this country for streamflow and water regulation purposes, or even 

 for securing admittedly desirable advantages of reserves of timber 

 products for temporary construction work in war times, the proper 

 course would seem to be to purchase or lease such areas, as outlined 

 in the forestry program recently adopted by England. The growing 

 of forests as a public utility is one, par excellence, for Government 

 ownership, as it is one in which private individuals and corporations 

 have very little interest, and one which the Government can acquire 

 without serious conflict with private owners and capital. Land classi- 

 fication as a basis for economic land utilization is of great importance 

 both, as a basis for acquiring and holding land for public forests, and 

 for promoting forestry on private lands. 



' See Journal of Forestry, May, 1920, pp. 569-71. 



