186 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



increased afforestation of waste lands provides extra work in the 

 shape of managing the woo'ls, and in the development of industries. 

 As regards the latter point, let me remind you of the beech woods 

 in the Chiltern Hills, whose existence caused the development of 

 an extensive chair industry, which uses the produce of these 

 forests as its raw material. Tens of thousands of people are 

 employed in that industry, which would never have seen the light 

 of day without those forests. There is every likelihood that 

 similar industries will spring up in other parts of the country if you 

 create the necessary woodlands. On the whole, then, I think the 

 students of this College are to be congratulated on enjoying benefits 

 which are as yet denied to students at other similar institutions. 

 What I have said so far, naturally brings me to the question whether 

 extended and improved forestry is of such importance to this 

 country generally, as to justify any special measures to be taken 

 towards furthering it. To answer that question is a complicated 

 matter : hence, within the short time at my disposal, I can only 

 touch on a few of the more important points. 



Requirement of Forest Produce in this Country. 



The production of timber in this countiy may be estimated at 

 perhaps two million tons a year, and that quantity has probably not 

 varied very much during the last forty years. On the other hand, 

 these islands imported in 1864 about 3 J million tons of timber, 

 and in 1899 10 millions, making an average annual increase of about 

 190,000 tons. Here, then, is an important fact. Of the timber 

 imported in 1899 about 87 per cent, was pine and fir, and only 13 

 per cent, so-called hardwoods. Of the latter, 3 per cent, were oak, 

 and the other 10 per cent, teak, mahogany, furniture woods, house 

 and door frames. Some of these cannot be grown in this country. 

 The centre of gravity of these importations rests, however, in the 

 coniferous woods, and these, or efficient substitutes for them, can 

 be produced in these islands. As regards prices, it may be said 

 that they fell from 1870 onwards to about 1888, owing to the 

 great development of the means of transport by sea; from 1888 

 to 1894 they were steady, but then a reaction set in, so that the 

 years 1894 to 1899 showed a gradual rise in prices equal to about 

 18 per cent. Then came the war in South Africa, which caused a 

 temporary check, but during the last twelve months the effects of 

 it have practically disappeared. In my opinion, we shall never again 



