4 TRAXSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



true that a few scattered efiforts have since been made to adopt 

 methodical treatment ; and a wider appreciation of the advan- 

 tages of close canopy, clean timber, and heavy crops is discernible. 

 Yet, on the whole, there has probably been a further reduction 

 of the already inadequate stock of timber in the wooded area. 

 The more intelligent of our foresters have come to recognise the 

 shortcomings of our practice, and, within the limit of their 

 opportunities, have endeavoured , to effect an improvement. 

 Attempts have also been made to organise some forestry 

 instruction. The classes at the University and at the Royal 

 Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, and the lectures given at a few 

 Agricultural Colleges, and under the auspices of one or two 

 County Councils, have been well conducted. 



Waste Lands. 



7. As regards the question of the extension of the forest area, 

 it is shown on the highest authority that there is in these islands 

 a very large area of waste, heather, and rough pasture or land 

 out of cultivation, amounting in all to 21 million acres, on a 

 large proportion of which afforestation could be pi"ofitably under- 

 taken. Regular forest book-keeping is rare in Great Britain ; but 

 we believe the various estimates of profit obtained from the culti- 

 vation of timber, which have been laid before both inquiries, to 

 be substantially correct. These show that excellent returns, 

 even with indifferent management, have often been obtained from 

 plantations formed on land of little or no value for any other 

 purpose. 



Profits in Germany. 



8. Dr Schlich gives corroborating evidence from the Con- 

 tinental forests, where accurate book-keeping has long been 

 practised. As an example, he says, referring to Saxony : " I 

 have selected one of the ranges which is by no means the best. 

 It is a district called the Authonsthal Range, an area of 4072 

 acres, managed by a highly trained forester, situated in the Erz- 

 gebirge, between an elevation of 1500 and 2700 feet. 

 Distinguishing between four quality classes of soil, and calling 

 1 the best and 4 the least, the average quality is 2*7; it is 

 therefore between second and third quality. The species grown 

 there are 93 per cent, spruce, 3 per cent, silver fir*, Scottish pine 

 and beech, and 4 per cent, blanks for certain reasons. The 



