EDITORIAL COMMENT 731 



able soil and climate and abundance of waste land. It is only a ques- 

 tion of time before the whole of the country's growing timber which is 

 fit for commercial use must disappear. This country was poorer in 

 timber at the beginning of the war than any European country except 

 Portugal and will be more destitute at its close. Even if every acre 

 felled is replanted, it will be many years before the present output can 

 be repeated." 



The afforestation scheme proposed is to plant 1,770,000 acres on an 

 80-year rotation, when two-thirds of the whole should be planted within 

 the first 40 years. 



State planting is recommended, the total cost for the first 10 years to 

 be about £3,500,000, including the initial cost of planting and charges 

 for administration, education, and research, upon an estimate that there 

 are not less than three and probably more than five million acres of 

 rough grazing land also capable of growing first-class timber without 

 encroaching on food-producingiand. The commissioners estimate that 

 by afforesting two million acres England should be not only self-sup- 

 porting in timber within 50 to 60 years, both for military and commer- 

 cial purposes, but to a great extent independent of imported timber; 

 and further results would be: (a) The retention of money at home for 

 expenditure on a home industry of great importance, and (b) profit- 

 able utilization of very considerable areas of land now almost entirely 

 unprofitable. 



Beginning with the fifteenth year, pitwood from the quicker-growing 

 species on the better kinds of mountain land should be available ; by 

 the fortieth year pit supplies for two years, at the present rate of con- 

 sumption, should be obtainable from plantations made in the first 10 

 years. 



The scheme should be self-supporting after 40 years, by which time 

 £15 million may have been paid out, this sum being less than half the 

 direct loss (£37 million) incurred during the years 191 5-16 through 

 dependence upon imported timber. 



The work is to be in charge of a Forestry Commission (represented 

 in the House of Commons), composed of six members — three whole- 

 salaried officials and three unpaid — and consultative committees for 

 England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland are to be appointed. The com- 

 mission would inidcrtake the general control of forestry oducatitin and 

 maintain "demonstration woods" for practical work. 



It is estimated that work would be provided for not less than 25,000 

 families; also a tonnage to the .^um of 7,000,000 net tons of shipping. 



