AFFORESTATION OF BARREN LAND. 7 



a scheme as that outlined here, both landowner and Government 

 expert having to be satisfied as to its suitability. 



The cost of formation I have taken at ^4 per acre, and if 

 done on any large scale this should be ample. The crop is 

 assumed to be Scots pine. 



Now let us consider the terms and obligations on both sides, 

 and how a forest formed on these lines should work out in 

 practice. 



The first thing to do is to decide on the area to be taken, 

 and this should be done in large compact blocks ; and if this is 

 the case nearness to existing means of communication need not 

 be a paramount consideration, as the value of the forest produce 

 will eventually make it worth while to bring means of com- 

 munication to it, though of course the geographical situation 

 should not be lost sight of. 



Say a practically continuous area of 1000 acres can be 

 secured. The owner must be prepared to give this land 

 free for the purpose, and if we assume the rent to be is. 6d. 

 per acre he will then be depriving himself of an income from 

 that source of ^75 per year, which, on an estate on which 

 there is only a narrow margin, is a serious consideration. 



The scheme of planting, species, method, and all such con- 

 siderations should be decided by the Government expert, and the 

 Government must be prepared to put down the necessary money 

 to plant it, which, assuming the rate of ^4 per acre, will be 

 ^4000. 



Now we come to the question as on what terms the Govern- 

 ment should find the money. I would propose that it should be 

 in the form of a loan to the owner, and should be at a low rate 

 of interest, say 2^ per cent., and should be repayable by annual 

 instalments after the fortieth year, the instalments to include 

 compound interest for the whole period up to the final repayment 

 of the loan. 



The Government should have a lien over the crop as their 

 security, and should have no claim against the owner as regards 

 his personal or heritable estate. 



It may be argued that this involves a risk which the State 

 should not undertake, but I would point out that the owner is 

 also taking his share of the risk in forgoing the rent of his land, 

 and, unless the State is prepared to take some risks, it is very 

 doubtful if anything can be done. 



