464 Forestry Quarterly 



well liked. Douglas fir has not done well except in pure stands as 

 it is too fast growing for other species. It is not considered adapted 

 for use on limestone soils. 



Thuya plicata has been given a fair trial. At 40 years it has 

 reached 70 feet in height in a pure stand ; but rot starts early and 

 diminishes its value. 



Picea sitchensis is now considered one of the most important 

 trees for use in Ireland because of its ability to withstand the con- 

 stant winds. It is doubtful if the seed of any of the Pacific coast 

 species planted in Ireland has been secured from those districts 

 where winds are most prevalent. It would be worth while experi- 

 menting with specially selected seed from exposed localities such 

 as the West coast of Vancouver Island to learn if strains might be 

 developed particularly adapted to exposed hillsides in Ireland. 



A Land Act passed in 1903 had resulted in the purchase of estates 

 by the government in order that the agricultural lands comprised 

 within the estate might be distributed amongst the tenants in 

 pursuance of the policy of breaking up the large estates. There 

 frequently remained wooded areas for which no disposition was 

 possible to the Government Estate Commissioners except the sale 

 and clearing off of the timber. Under this policy the area of 

 forest land was actually being decreased through Government 

 action. Accordingly, in 1908, an annual grant of $28,000 was 

 made for the acquisition and management of such tracts. The 

 Department had up to 1914 acquired ten timbered areas varying in 

 size from 240 to 1900 acres and totaling 7,000 acres. These are 

 under permanent management by the Department as demonstra- 

 tion areas and as local sources of timber. About 800 acres have 

 been planted in these woodlots. 



A Departmental Committee on Forestrj^ in Ireland, of which 

 the Chief Inspector of Forestry was a member, recommended that 

 an area of 200,000 acres of mountain land should be piu-chased 

 and planted for forest purposes. It was estimated that of the 

 2,000,000 acres of mountain land in the country this much at 

 least might safely and profitably be used for timber production 

 and that argument about the total area available might reasonably 

 be left over until action had been taken on 200,000 acres as a start. 

 Obstacles are numerous in the way of public purchase of land in 

 the British Isles. A strong fear of the nationalization of land 

 exists in certain quarters. The titles and usages existing over 



