OUR FORESTRY PROBLEM. 217 



acres are classed as iznder wood, equal to not quite 4 per cent, of 

 the area. This makes about -~^ of an acre of woodland per head 

 of population — an area capable of yielding only a fraction of the 

 timber required by the nation. Hence, we find that the imports 

 amount to at least five times the amount produced in the country. 

 An examination of the agricultural returns of Great Britain and 

 of those of Ireland show that there are extensive areas of waste 

 land, which yield either no return or a very small one. Again, 

 there are other areas entered as mountain land, used as rough 

 grazing. These lands may be apportioned as follows : — 



Waste land, including Mountain Total area 



inland water. and heath land. in acres. 



England, . . 4,050,000 1,985,000 6,035,000 



Wales, . . 690,000 1,055,000 1,745,000 



Scotland, . . 4,250,000 9,410,000 13,660,000 

 Isle of Man and 



Channel Islands, 45,000 18,000 63,000 



Ireland, . . 5,235,000 ... 5,235,000 



Total, . . 14,270,000 12,468,000 26,738,000 



I am not in a position at this moment to say what the area of 

 inland water may amount to, but for argument's sake let us 

 assume that there are of 



Actual waste land, 12,000,000 acres. 



Mountain and heath land, .... 12,000,000 „ 



Or a total of . . . . . 24,000,000 „ 



This area is extensive enough to set people considering whether 

 that land could not be used in a more profitable manner than at 

 present. The question is, however, not so simple as it would 

 appear at first sight, because nearly the whole of this land is 

 private property, and most of it is utilised as shooting-grounds. 

 The latter, however, after all is said, do not, even in Scotland, 

 yield moi'e than Is. 6d. an acre all round, while the rest give 

 much smaller returns, down to perhaps 3d. an acre, and in many 

 cases not even that. 



How TO Obtain a Permanent Supply of Timber 

 IN THIS Country. 



It is obvious that this country cannot interfere in the manage- 

 ment of the woodlands of foreign countries. Again, under the 

 VOL. XVII. part II. P 



