126 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of possibilities. Any system by which the State acquires the 

 land outright entails enormous expense, before anything can be 

 done in the way of planting. Then for a very big expenditure, 

 only a small area of new woodlands can be created. Extension 

 would be much more rapid if the bulk of the available money 

 could be .spent in the actual work of planting. This clearly 

 suggests co-operation between the individual who can supply 

 the land, and the State which can find the money. There are 

 several different forms which such co-operation can take, but 

 I propose to deal only with that where the State advances 

 the money in the form of loans. Although there are great 

 possibilities in this, there are also certain elements of difficulty. 

 In the first instance, there is the necessity for some measure of 

 dual control, which frequently means double the expense for 

 half the efficiency. The State, as the lender, must see that 

 the moneys are properly spent, and that the management of the 

 woods is such as to afford sufficient security. Thus, as a direct 

 transaction, the State would certainly lose, as the money must 

 necessarily be cheap. No doubt, in many cases, it may be worth 

 the State's while to lose on the transaction directly, on account 

 of the indirect advantage which might follow, but as a general 

 scheme it would become expensive. Then again, if the onus of 

 finding the cheap money is to be put on the State, the State has 

 the right of dictating how the money is to be spent, and the 

 borrower must forfeit his liberty in the management of his woods. 

 Further, a loan brings with it other disadvantages, and at best 

 it is only a loan. In Germany, money is often advanced by the 

 State, less often to individuals, however, than to communes, 

 corporations and local authorities. In Hanover, where there are 

 vast tracts of moorland, a system was introduced by which the 

 State supplied, in the form of a premium, forty per cent, of the 

 cost of new plantations. The remainder, or any part of it, can 

 be given in the form of a loan. The rate of interest charged 

 on the loan is 2 per cent, to corporations or suitable local 

 authorities, and 3 per cent, to private individuals, while in both 

 cases an additional 2 per cent, is paid to a sinking fund. The 

 work of afforestation and supervision is mostly done by the 

 State authorities. This is really a very suggestive scheme, and 

 is well worthy of our consideration. In Hanover, most of the 

 work has been done through the various villages and councils, 

 like our own County Councils. The idea is sound, as it throws 



