lO TRANSACTIONS OF ROVAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and such like details, and it is up to him to see the work 

 properly carried out. If this is the case it would seem reason- 

 able that the Government should bear the cost of making good, 

 and that no part of this expense should fall to be repaid by the 

 owner. I would point out that he will suffer quite sufficiently 

 by the added lapse of time before the crop is at maturity, 

 compound interest being charged against him during the whole 

 of this period. 



Failure, however, may be apparent at some later date, and it 

 is not very easy to define what should be considered failure. I 

 have come to the conclusion that it must be decided by the 

 actual stand of timber on the ground at a specified date. If we 

 take that date as forty years after the date of formation, if our 

 expectations are to be realised, the amount should be somewhat 

 as follows : — 



If the crop is Larch . . . looo cubic feet per acre. 

 ,, Scots pine . . 1200 ,, ,, 



„ Spruce . . . 1800 ,, ,, 



These figures are somewhat arbitrary, but they are based on 

 actual measurements and observations in this country, though 

 the conclusions are by no means to be considered authoritative 

 and may have to be considerably modified in the light of further 

 investigation. 



If the stand of timber fell below these limits, or such limits 

 as can be shown to be reasonable, I would propose that the 

 Government should be entitled to come in, cut the crop and sell 

 it for what it is worth, and that the net proceeds should be equally 

 divided between the Government and the owner of the soil. 

 They would probably both be losers, the latter by the revenue 

 he has sacrificed, and the Government by the difference between 

 the amount expended and the amount realised. 



I should perhaps state definitely that I have gone on the 

 assumption that the owner does all supervision and bears the 

 expense of it, but that he is entitled to all the produce during 

 the growing period. I do not see how it can be done otherwise, 

 but he would be obliged to do as he was told, and carry out all 

 instructions by the Government supervisor, the Government 

 reserving the right to enter on possession on similar terms to 

 those provided for the case of failure in repayment of the loan, 

 if their instructions were not obeyed. 



