PRESIDENTS ADDRESS AND DISCUSSION. 95 



Dr A. W. Borthwick, in opening a discussion on "Our 

 Afforestation Problems," said : — " Sir Andrew, ladies and gentle- 

 men, in the very interesting remarks we have just listened to, 

 your Chairman mentioned that the problems which we will 

 have to consider seriously in the near future must be of a purely 

 practical nature, and I hope this discussion will go along the 

 same lines, that is, that we may discuss subjects in connection 

 with the future of afforestation problems and make suggestions 

 which will be capable of immediate application in practice, 

 leaving academic subjects for other occasions. 



" It was felt by the Council that at this time a general dis- 

 cussion on forestry problems by the members of the Society, 

 at the General Meeting, would be more helpful to the cause of 

 forestry than a formal address on some specific theme or phase 

 of forestry development, which might be more or less limited in 

 its general application. 



" One effect of the present war has been to demonstrate, in 

 an unmistakable manner, the vital necessity of maintaining 

 sufficient forest reserves to supply the timber required by our 

 essential industries, and also to meet the manifold requirements 

 of our army in the field. The drain upon the existing resources 

 has been severe, and no time should be lost in replacing those 

 woods which are now being cut, and in developing the afforesta- 

 tion of new ground. These, then, will be our two main problems 

 in the near future, i.e. replanting of old afforested areas and the 

 extension of afforestation to new ground. These are, however, 

 not new problems ; but though old ones they now present 

 themselves in a new light, and must be considered iri the light 

 of the very much altered conditions which now prevail. Never 

 before in the whole history of our Society, or even of the 

 country, has the importance of afforestation and timber pro- 

 duction been more clearly recognised, nor have its problems been 

 more pressing, than now. 



"The final direct aim of afforestation is to produce timber, 

 and the point cannot be too often repeated, nor too strongly 

 emphasised, that the timber grown and produced must be of 

 the right kind and quality, and that it must be available in 

 sufficient quantity. Let it be recollected that our soil and 

 climate are particularly well adapted to produce a larger variety 

 of economic timber than any other European country, and 

 further, that the timber produced in this country is equal 



