188 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



timber at some 1060 million cubic feet, which is said to be about 

 106 million in excess of normal reproduction." Here, then, is 

 another of our most important sources of supply also working with 

 a deficit. As to Austria-Hungary, very little timber comes to this 

 country, because half their export goes to Germany and the bulk of 

 the other half to various other countries, especially France. There 

 remains, apart from a diminishing supply from Sweden and Norway, 

 Russia. That country has enormous areas under forests, but it has 

 still greater areas without it. Its -population is rapidly increasing. 

 Differing views are taken of Russia as to her capabilities of main- 

 taining her export of timber. Some experts say that her resources 

 are inexhaustible, others doubt it. My own opinion, having 

 weighed the evidence on both sides, is that Russia is a somewhat 

 doubtful factor. At any rate, there can be no doubt that the 

 demand is increasing year by year, and that other European 

 countries must reduce their exports. Then as to North America : 

 the United States are no longer a real exporting country, because 

 they import already more from Canada than they export. Thus 

 we are reduced to Canada for making good the deficiency in 

 Europe. That country is supposed to have about 266 million 

 acres of timber lands, and she could, no doubt, supply the rest of 

 the world with the necessary coniferous timber, if her forests were 

 managed in a rational manner, instead of killing the goose that lays 

 the golden eggs. There are also the peculiar conditions of the 

 timber trade, and the great destruction wrouglit by forest fires, to 

 be taken into account. In summing up this part of the subject, it 

 may therefore be said, (1) that we require enormous and ever- 

 increasing quantities of timber, (2) that prices in the future are 

 likely to be higher than in the past, (3) that supplies from outside 

 rest on a very unsafe basis, (4) that the increase of the afforested 

 area in this country, especially by utilising the waste lands, is sure 

 to lead to an increased demand for labour. 



Steps to be Taken in this Country. 



It is clear, then, that we must look about and see what we can 

 do for ourselves in these islands. A detailed examination shows 

 that we have plenty of land available for extended afforestation. 

 There are altogether some 25 million acres, or 30 per cent., of the 

 land in Great Britain and Ireland, which is either lying waste 

 altogether or used for rough grazing, apart from their value as 



