74 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the best areas of mature timber, and that the urgent demand for 

 pit-props has led to the sacrifice of immature and promising 

 woods, while at present we have no means of estimating the 

 extent occupied by the various age-classes, or even of dis- 

 tinguishing between areas with a normal growing stock and 

 those in various stages of depletion or occupied only by worth- 

 less scrub. 



The report is admirably arranged : Part I. gives a concise 

 and clear statement of the position of forestry in the United 

 Kingdom ; of national requirements in timber and the sources 

 of supply ; it also gives a summary of the experience gained in 

 time of war, and an exposition of the case for adopting an 

 adequate forest policy for the United Kingdom. Part II. gives 

 the forest policy recommended. This can be best summarised in 

 the"\vords of the Sub Committee to be found on pages 4 and 5 

 of the report, from which the following paragraphs are taken : — 



"(5) In order to render the United Kingdom independent of 

 imported timber for three years in an emergency, it is necessary, 

 while making due allowance for an improved yield from existing 

 woods, to afforest 1,770,000 acres. Taking eighty years as the 

 average rotation, we advise that two-thirds of the whole should 

 be planted in the first forty years. We consider that the quota 

 to be planted in the first ten years should, in view of the initial 

 difficulties, be limited to 200,000 acres, of which we advise 

 150,000 acres should be planted by the State and 50,000 acres 

 by public bodies and private individuals assisted by grants, or 

 by co-operation between them and the State. The area to be 

 planted by the State in subsequent years may be reduced in the 

 same degree as private individuals come forward to undertake 

 the work. 



"(lo) We estimate the cost for the first ten years at ;^3, 425, 000. 

 It may be necessary to invest ^15,000,000 altogether in this 

 enterprise during the first forty years. After that time the 

 scheme should be self-supporting. The financial return depends 

 on prices, wages, bank rates, etc., which are difficult to forecast. 

 Forests are a national necessity ; the country must have them 

 even though they yield less than the current rate of interest on 

 the capital invested. The whole sum involved is less than half 

 the direct loss incurred during the years 19 15 and 191 6 through 

 dependence on imported timber. 



" (8) The first essential is a Forest Authority equipped with 



