122 English Timber and Underwood. 



We are assured by all authorities that we cau produce in 

 this country as tine timber of many species as any country in 

 the world. This fact is largely confirmed by the fine timber 

 that has been produced in many districts in the past. Few- 

 countries have so small a percentage of woodland relatively to 

 the area of land that authorities maintain will produce good 

 timber, and which at the same time will give a better retura 

 from forestry conducted on proper economic liue.s, than from 

 its present use. Few, too, have larger and more important 

 markets for all classes of wood than the United Kingdom. Yet 

 in few countries has so little attention been given to forestry. 



Since, as in marketing, larger issues of policy are often 

 obscured by less important details, it is advisable again to cover 

 the ground in a broad and general manner. 



Advocating improved methods of forestry does not neces- 

 sarily imply enthusiastic support of large schemes for State 

 afforestation, or even for planting up new areas of land at 

 present devoted to other purposes. Opinions may differ on 

 some of these points, but surely not about the urgent need for 

 tackling existing woodlands. With such a number of our 

 woods returning next to nothing, with so large quantities of 

 trees past maturity or never likely to make good timber, it 

 must appear peculiar to any observer that the subject of forestry 

 should not only receive so little sympathetic consideration, but 

 even experience opposition in some quarters. That in estate 

 forestry the production of trees for purposes of sport, orna- 

 ment, &c., should often take precedence of raising timber for 

 profit is not sufficient reason for the existing apathy. The 

 preservation and succession of trees and timber is of even 

 greater importance on a residential estate than in State forests, 

 and the object of forestry is to apply the policy of " practice 

 with science" to all branches of arboriculture or sylviculture. 



It seems of primary importance to enumerate some of the 

 factors which have resulted in the present unsatisfactory 

 position of forestry in this country, and at the same time to 

 illustrate the important influence of markets on production. 



Some might suggest that the first cause of depression in 

 prices of timber and underwood was the final removal of the 

 duties on imported timber in 1866. This might have resulted 

 in lower prices after the foreign trade had developed, but lower 

 prices were inevitable, and were due to far more important 

 causes, the principal being increased facilities for transport, 

 the general development and opening up of new countries, and 

 the change in our general conditions at home. Fresh and 

 wonderful supplies of all classes of wood were suddenly avail- 

 able, and these could then be sold in this country at a price 

 that represented little more than expenses of marketing and 



