REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY. 133 
been added recently, but I take the official statistics as representing 
about three-quarters of a million acres. Now, in the face of that 
state of things, do not you think it a matter of State importance 
that the question of supplying by reafforesting certain appropriate 
parts of the country should be seriously taken up?” ‘TI think that 
the replanting of naked districts would be highly beneficial. In 
Scotland the Arboricultural Society has existed for 31 years, and 
we are paying great attention to that point ; that the afforesting 
of naked tracts would be highly advantageous in a climatic and 
economic point of view, there can be no doubt.”—“ Then, besides 
the timber, which is so directly important and necessary in archi- 
tecture and domestic dwellings, furniture, handicrafts, and manufac- 
ture of almost every conceivable kind, is there not a very 
considerable number of industries mainly dependent upon forest 
products, such as bark, tar, resin, turpentine, and soon?” “ Yes.” 
“As to bark, and the undergrowth in woods near large towns, 
would not the production of all those materials give rise to very 
important industries in those countries!” ‘‘ Yes, I think a great 
deal more could be done than there is done. One of the several 
premiums offered by the Highland and Agricultural Society, is how 
to utilise those waste products ; there is a deal of material burnt 
which might be turned to account. In Germany nothing is lost.” 
“Ts not there a very high value, even yet, given to iron which 
is prepared by timber smelting?” ‘‘Yes.”—“ Are you aware that in 
the Cumberland district the smelting of iron by timber is still 
carried on very extensively, resulting in the production of a very 
superior class of iron and steel for instruments in use in surgery and 
in the arts?” “IJ have no personal knowledge of the Cumberland 
iron works ; but I have seen a great deal in the coniferous forests 
in the Himalayas of iron smelting by timber ; it requires very good 
management, otherwise it consumes a great deal of wood.”—“ Are 
you aware that charcoal-smelted iron stands very high for the pro- 
duction of the best quality of steel?” ‘‘ Certainly.” 
‘Then you think there is a considerable field for the operations of 
reafforesting in this country with every prospect of success?” “I 
think there are many places exceedingly suitable for planting.”— 
“T understand you to say that you would like to see a separate 
school of forestry in each of the three kingdoms?” “TI hope 
eventually that may be so.”—‘‘ What I want to ask you is, whether 
you do not think it would be much the better course to attempt 
to get one school in the largest of the three kingdoms at first, and 
