REPORT OF GENERAL MEETING. 9 



will depend on its ability to dispense with imports for a limited 

 period. We have at present three million acres of wood, of 

 which perhaps two million are or might be coniferous forest 

 worked on economic lines. I cannot within the limits of the 

 time at my disposal tackle the estimate in detail. I can only 

 state my belief that if these two million acres were made fully 

 productive, the afforestation of another million and a half acres 

 would make us reasonably safe. Possibly others here, who 

 have devoted more study to the subject, will agree in this 

 conclusion. The calculation is one which any one may make 

 for himself, imports being reckoned in loads and a load re- 

 presenting pretty fairly the average annual production of an 

 acre of well-managed coniferous wood. Whatever the precise 

 amount to be afforested may be, it constitutes a considerable 

 change. I may leave it to others to discuss to-day how it can 

 be introduced with the least possible disturbance into the 

 complicated structure of our national life. 



"Let me mention one technical point as specially concerning 

 this Society. The more the subject is studied, the more certain it 

 becomes that the great problem of afforestation in Scotland is the 

 utilisation for timber-growing of that class of moorland which is too 

 high or too poor to winter live stock, but which, if the superficial 

 difficulties can be overcome, is capable of producing crops of 

 timber much above the minimum which is held to justify aff'oresta- 

 tion in continental countries. A great deal of evidence bearing 

 on this question, in woods of all ages, must be available if only 

 it were collected. I would suggest that there is here a practical 

 piece of work which the Society might take up. It follows 

 naturally from the survey made and published some years ago. 



" I make no apology for reminding you once more of the 

 foundations on which any forest policy worthy of the name 

 must be built. Nothing has occurred to cause this Society to 

 modify the opinion it expressed nearly ten years ago as to the 

 nature and order of these antecedent steps : — 



"First, we demanded a Central Authority devoted to forestry 



and forestry alone. 

 "Secondly, a Demonstration Area where complete records 



could be kept, forest officers and working foresters trained, 



and the science of British forestry built up. 

 "Thirdly, a survey to ascertain the extent and value of land 



capable of growing timber. 



