258 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARliORICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



to Ireland, and I would invite special attention to pages 23-26 of 

 that pamphlet (printed in January 1886 by Alex. Thorn &, Co., 

 Queen's printers, Dublin), where I have dealt with the labour 

 question in connection with afforestation. 



I still hold the views then expressed, and I am more than ever 

 convinced that afforestation may become a powerful help in 

 settling the Irish land question. How the Government can help 

 in this respect I propose to illustrate in the case of County 

 Gal way. 



The county has, according to the returns for 1893 — 



Land under crops, including meadows, 



Land under grass, 



Land, fallow, 



Woods and plantations, 



Turf bog, . 



Marsh, 



Barren mountain land, 



Water, roads, fences, . 



Total, 



1,502,362 100-0 



Or, summed up — 



Land used for agricultural purposes, 

 Woods and plantations, 

 Waste land generally, 

 Water, roads, and fences, . 



Total, . 



1,502,362 1000 



In other words, 484,742 acres, or about one-third of the county, 

 consists of waste land which gives very little or no return, the 

 only income derived from it consisting of shooting or low grazing 

 rents. I maintain that a considerable portion of this area could 

 be used more profitably by putting it under forest. 



It is generally argued against such a measure that the price for 

 timber already produced in County Galway rules very low, and 

 that in consequence it does not pay to plant. Such an argument 

 is, in my opinion, the result of short-sightedness. As long as 

 timber is brought into the market in small quantities, and at 

 irregular intervals in an out-of-the-way locality, fair prices cannot 

 possibly be expected, because remunerative local industries cannot 



