2 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



In the third place, all admit that private owners cannot finance 

 any extensive scheme of afforestation. It is only the State that 

 can afford to lie out of the large sums of money necessary for 

 the many years that must elapse before a return can be obtained, 

 and can ensure meantime that continuity of good management 

 which is so essential. Three methods of State finance are pro- 

 posed— (i) Government purchase, compulsorily or by agreement, 

 of land suitable for planting; (2) Loans to private owners at low 

 interest; and (3) Co-operation with private owners by the State 

 providing the Capital required for planting privately-owned land, 

 the profits to be divided proportionately to the money and the 

 value of the land provided. While some of the articles under 

 review express dislike of large land purchases by the State, 

 others express doubt as to any extensive system of joint manage- 

 ment, but there seems pretty general agreement that in varying 

 circumstances all three systems might be applied, and that any 

 system of State finance must involve a large measure of State 

 control. 



In the. fourth place, it is taken to be essential that some expert 

 Committee or Board of Forestry be established to enable the 

 above purposes to be carried out with success. 



While of course it would be neither to be expected nor desired 

 that complete unanimity should exist as to the best methods to be 

 adopted in all circumstances so as to further silvicultural develop- 

 ment in these islands, it is significant and encouraging that so 

 much agreement exists as to the methods which may be followed, 

 and this seems to indicate that conditions are now ripe for State 

 assistance on definite lines. On this view the Government's 

 Development Bill may afford a basis on which to proceed. It 

 seems no disadvantage at this preliminary stage that the Bill does 

 not attempt to define in detail the methods to be followed, but 

 rather contemplates a gradual growth of ideas so that progress 

 may be made and assistance given in whatever direction 

 experience points to as most promising. If this policy is 

 adhered to it will leave open to such societies as ours the 

 opportunity of constantly assisting by advice and suggestion 

 in the working out of the National scheme of which we hope a 

 commencement is now to be made. 



In several of the articles in the last issue reference is made 

 to the effects of the death duties in checking silvicultural 

 progress, and in present conditions there is no doubt that the 



