112 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



for which very low prices were paid, the great bulk of the 

 consumption was of foreign pit-wood. 



It is only fair to the coalmasters to say that the cumulative 

 effect of the increased costs of all stores used in the production 

 of coal may, in their opinion, have discouraged the increase of 

 wages, but timber by itself was not the most influential reason. 



15. Re-afforestation and the Supply of Plants. 



By Nurseryman. 



One of the lessons brought home to us by the Great War has 

 been the need of devoting much more attention to the develop- 

 ment of home forestry than we have done in the past. The 

 national conscience has been awakened to the necessity of 

 action, and our commercial nurseries will be called on to meet 

 the large demand for forest-tree plants which is likely to be 

 experienced for a number of years to come. A few notes on the 

 present position as regards the supply of plants available for 

 planting purposes, and the steps being taken by nurserymen to 

 increase the supply, may not be without interest to those who 

 are interested in the forestry question. 



As is well known, it was some time after the outbreak of war 

 before the Government showed any signs of being likely to adopt 

 any definite line of action with regard to planting, and nursery- 

 men were entirely left without guidance as to what should be 

 done by them in the unprecedented situation which had to be 

 faced. In the autumn of 19 14, most of the nurseries throughout 

 the country were fully stocked, but the demand for their produce 

 practically ceased to exist, and millions of plants had to be 

 burned, thus entailing heavy losses to the owner. At the same 

 time nurserymen had to decide what action was to be taken by 

 them with regard to future sowings, and during the years 

 191 5-1 8, when there was no signs of an early cessation of 

 hostilities or of a large demand for plants in the near future, it 

 was not an easy matter for them, in the absence of a guarantee 

 from the Government that they would be recompensed for any 

 sacrifices that might be entailed by their keeping up their stocks 

 to a pre-war level, to come to a satisfactory decision as to what 

 course they should adopt. 



