BRITISH EMPIRE FORESTRY CONFERENCE 675 



has been appointed for the United Kingdom, and an appropriation has 

 been granted of 3,500,000 pounds sterling for its operations for a 

 period of ten years. This is equivalent to around $1,701,000 per year, 

 at the normal rate of exchange. This money is to be used primarily 

 for the purchase or leasing of land for afforestation, though other 

 aspects of forestry work will receive attention. Large forest nurseries 

 have been established, land is being acquired, and the program is 

 already well under way. This extensive planting program by the 

 British Government will, of course, be largely supplemented by ex- 

 tensive planting on estates and other private holdings. Many of the 

 larger estates have their own forest nurseries, and in addition large 

 commercial nurseries are in existence. 



The British Isles were originally heavily forested. The long series 

 of wars, however, extending over centuries, resulted in the devastation 

 of enormous areas, supplemented later by clearing for agriculture, for 

 revenue, and for other reasons. In Scotland, for example, great areas 

 of forest were burned by the Romans in their invasion during the third 

 century. The process was continued during the warfare between the 

 Highlands and the Lowlands. Military reasons operated toward 

 further destruction of the forest during the time of Cromwell. During 

 later periods, great areas of forest were cut for purposes of coloniza- 

 tion or revenue. Reforestation has been carried on for the most part 

 by estate owners, in many cases for purposes of amenity or sport. 

 Now, however, it seems probable that during the next ten years 75,000 

 acres will be planted in vScotland by the State; that 25,000 acres may 

 be afiforestcd through loans or other schemes in co-operation with local 

 authorities and private owners, and that a similar area may be restored 

 to trees in the woodlands exploited during the war. or a total of 125,000 

 acres for Scotland in the ensuing ten-year period. 



Taking the United Kingdom as a whole, it is stated that the rate 

 of felling, greatly stimulated by the war. is still far above the pre-war 

 rate, and is at least double the current annual increment. Further, 

 many of the large estates are being broken up, and the new owners 

 may not, in many cases, take as much interest in the tending and re- 

 placement of the forest as did the former owners. On the other hand, 

 there are some compensating factors which will tend to reduce the 

 rate of cutting. It is clear, however, that even though a vigorous policy 

 of afforestation be followed, some 40 or 50 years at least must elapse 

 before the country in respect of its supply of home-grown timber can 

 be in as good a position as that which it occupied in 1914. With con- 

 tinued support of the work of the Forestry Commission, as is to be 

 anticipated, now that the Government has recognized the necessity, 

 the situation will right itself in time. 



Space does not permit specific reference to the highly interesting 

 and valuable reports submitted by other portions of the Empire, of 

 which that for India is worthy of special mention. 



