222 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



be undertaken. The Government might take for the purpose 

 lo million acres. Such land could be secured for los. an acre, 

 for it was mostly bog or hill-land. That meant a capital 

 expenditure of ^^5, 000,000. The cost of planting would be 

 probably for this country ;^3 per acre, making a further ex- 

 penditure of ;^30,ooo,ooo, or a total outlay of ;!^35, 000,000. 

 Assuming that the 10 million acres only increased in value to the 

 extent of los. per acre per annum, at the end of 50 years the 

 ^^35, 000,000 invested would produce a return of ^^250,000,000. 

 These 10 million acres would find profitable life-giving employ- 

 ment for 150,000 men. 



Mr Munro Ferguson pointed out that we were importing 

 timber and timber products of the value of nearly 30 millions 

 sterling a year. Our home production was small, but the area 

 available for the growing of timber was enormous. It could 

 not properly be grown unless the State took direct action in 

 the matter, providing facilities for learning the art, and holding 

 woodlands of its own. State action abroad had rendered it 

 very profitable, four millions of the population of Germany 

 being dependent upon the woodlands. He was confident that 

 if the area suitable for timber in the United Kingdom were 

 afforested, we could have a population of three quarters of a 

 million dependent upon those who would be employed, and have 

 great incidental industries, which would support still more people. 

 In Scotland he believed it would make good the whole of the 

 loss of rural population. He knew of no other way except 

 afforestation by which it would be possible to restore the great 

 country population we had lost. 



Mr H. Lewis pointed to the success of experimental afforesting 

 in Wales, and urged that, to the advantage of Wales and the 

 country generally, the area of these experiments might be 

 extended. 



Mr Field said that in former times Ireland was well wooded. 

 Scientific men held that if the country were properly wooded 

 and drained, the temperature might be raised at least two or 

 three degrees. 



Replying for the Government, Mr Long said the Government 

 were being asked to embark upon an undertaking such as 

 they had never been asked to embark upon before. They 

 had always believed that private enterprise would undertake 

 such work if it was remunerative. But did anyone believe 



