DISCUSSION ON REPORT OF FORESTRY SUB-COMMITTEE. 137 



plants. In planting out in the woods, and for the first two or 

 three years afterwards there was a certain amount of deaths 

 yearly, and a certain amount of beating up required, but 

 after that time, in Scots pine, larch, and spruce plantings 

 deaths amongst the transplants were few and far between, 

 so that little or no beating up was required, thus saving 

 a considerable amount of labour and expense. I must 

 say I would want nothing better. I may also state that they 

 were very useful in road-making, draining, and fencing. As 

 I have pointed out in this case, and I have observed it in others, 

 it requires two or three years before the men get into proper 

 touch with the work, and before the best can be got from them. 

 In my opinion, therefore, I would deem it unwise to put trust 

 in any large scheme of planting solely on casual labour. In 

 the case just referred to the small-holders were men who had 

 been brought up on the land, and whose people had been 

 tenants of the holdings for a considerable period. They were 

 thus accustomed to country life, and more or less accustomed 

 to out-door work. On the other hand, if we establish men on 

 the land who had no previous experience in this way, it will be 

 some considerable time before they would be capable of doing 

 useful work. 



"The term small-holding, as meant here, would only consist 

 of anything from 5 to lo acres, and would not be of a size to 

 keep a man steadily employed. My opinion is that the proper 

 supply of labour will be more difficult to maintain and deal 

 with than any other part of the scheme, and, unless something 

 in the nature of small-holdings is arranged for, the afforestation 

 of the waste lands of Scotland will be a slow process. It is 

 to be hoped that the Government will tackle this proposition 

 on sound principles and on broad lines. It would be a pity 

 if a combined co-operative scheme of such vast importance 

 as forestry and small-holdings should be wrecked through 

 antagonism, but let us rather hope that there will be a better 

 feeling between parties, with a desire to help forward without 

 delay what is for the common good of the country in this 

 matter." 



Lieut. -Col. F. R. S. Balfour, Dawyck, said : — " I am asked to 

 say something on the social and economic benefits that would 

 result to this country if a comprehensive system of afforestation 

 was established here, as recommended by the report. 



