ON THE CREATION OF LEASEHOLD TIMBER FARMS. 421 



Another inducement would be the granting of long leases. We 

 have indicated thirty years as a miniinum, but a merchant before 

 risking his capital and labour should have a reasonable prospect 

 of continuity of tenure, and a reasonable period of lease would be 

 fifty years, or even longer, as, in the case of cultivating hardwoods, 

 less than this period would be practically useless. 



It would also be necessary to abolish all game restrictions, and 

 the land would have to be left practically untrammelled by such 

 reservations as are to be found in agricultural leases. This would 

 certainly be no hardship to landlords, as the land which would 

 in all probability be given over to timber farms is not at present 

 occupied as game preserves. 



Much has been written and said about the Government ad- 

 vancing money for the purpose of planting waste lands, but 

 however much Governments have been to blame for their neglect 

 in forestry matters, this system should not be looked upon with 

 approval. Success in anything is best attainable by self-help, and 

 the adoption of " timber farms " offers the medium whereby self- 

 help can secure reasonable prospects of yielding rich returns ; and 

 while self-interest would be the only consideration of the farmer 

 in following this out, he would be steadily advancing the interests 

 of forestry, covering our mountains with a wealth of timber, 

 creating almost an entirely new branch of industry in timber 

 manufacture, providing work to numberless people, and producing 

 within the country that which it is ca2)able of consuming. Progress 

 is only effected by genuine labour and persevering work, and it is 

 only by these means that an advance can be made. The self- 

 interest of the " farmer " will ensure the principle being applied 

 on his timber farms, and we should soon see manifested a 

 development of the timber lesources of the country, with results 

 that would be beneficial to the whole community. 



The public have now learned to look upon the matter of our 

 timber supply as an important question. They have heard a 

 great deal about experiments with rare conifers, and recommenda- 

 tions for the planting of various trees. The results of all these 

 will be valued at their proper worth, but meantime the advance 

 in forestry has been very dilatory. Let commercial men take the 

 matter up on the system suggested here, and hard matter-of-fact 

 lines of profit and loss will be worth a thousand theoi-etical 

 experiments and recommendations. The trees that will thrive 

 and pay best under particular circumstances and conditions will 



