122 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



In this country, the whole of the woodlands are privately 

 owned, with the exception of the Crown woods in England, 

 which form about 2 per cent, of the whole. Thus, forestry has 

 been kept alive in this country by the foresight and the efforts 

 of private individuals ; but individual effort has not succeeded 

 in maintaining the woodland area. Each year the cutting is 

 considerably in excess of the replanting, and this in face of the 

 facts proving the necessity for extending the area. This state 

 of aflfairs has forced many people to the conclusion, that, as a 

 private enterprise, forestry cannot be a success, and that the 

 State alone can successfully cope with the problem. On the 

 other hand, in most of the countries of the Continent, the area of 

 woodlands in the hands of individuals is far in excess of that 

 directly under the State. Only in Russia, Spain and Greece, do 

 the State-owned forests exceed in extent those privately owned. 



Proportion of Forest Area in possession of the State in- 

 Russia ..... 66'4 per cent. 



337 

 33"2 

 28-5 „ 



23-8 „ 



I5"2 

 I2-0 



Germany 



Sweden 



Norway 



Denmark 



Hungary 



France 



Austria 



Belgium 



Switzerland 



Britain (Crown) 



7 3 

 4-8 

 4-6 



2-2 



In weighing the advantages and disadvantages of State 

 ownership and of private ownership of woodlands, it is interest- 

 ing to note that, usually, the profits are far higher in the State 

 woods than in the private woods. No doubt, instances can be 

 cited where this is not the case, but where forestry is really 

 worked as a business, the fact is indisputable. In Germany, we 

 find that the timber yield and the net profit is bigger in the 

 State woods than in the Communal woods, and in these again 

 higher than in the private woods. From returns of 1900 we 

 find that the private woods return just about half the profit 

 per acre that the State woods yield. Sixty years ago, State 

 and private woods yielded about the same returns, but the State 



