128 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



will be justified in adopting means to secure that the industry 

 suffers in no way at the hands of those in charge of it. If 

 the State loans or gives money for forestry purposes, then 

 this certainly is true ; but even apart from that some measure 

 of State interference may be justified. As the forests really 

 are of national importance, it is argued that their owners should 

 have to conform to strict regulations, and that neglect to re-plant 

 should be punishable. Such laws may not be desirable, and 

 certainly ought not to be necessary ; but, on the other hand, 

 we are faced with the fact that the area of forest in this country 

 is steadily decreasing. Cutting goes on with the same cheerful 

 abandon, while re-planting is in many cases tardy, and often 

 entirely neglected. There seems to be little hardship entailed in 

 making this impossible, as the advantage of maintaining the 

 woodlands is of such great importance to the property itself, 

 and to the individual. We find that in Prussia and Saxony 

 the private woodowner is not restricted in any way, except in 

 special cases where afforestation has been carried out by public 

 money. In most of the other German states things are different. 

 In all of them re-planting is compulsory ; and, in some, regulations 

 are laid down for the general working of the woods. The effect 

 of these laws is clearly to be seen in the condition of the woods. 

 They are certainly justified. In the north, where there is 

 no compulsion, the area of the private woodlands is decreasing. 

 In Prussia, Saxony and Mechlenburg, in spite of State assist- 

 ance and good example, in the period 1883- 1900, the area 

 decreased by about 600,000 acres, whereas in Bavaria and the 

 other states, where re-planting is compulsory, the area has not 

 merely remained constant, but has actually been largely in- 

 creased. It is obvious, therefore, that no hardship is felt 

 by the forest owner, for by his own efforts he keeps on increas- 

 ing his holding. Any regulations, to be workable, must of 

 course be so far elastic, in order to suit changing conditions. 

 It must not be thought that the removal of woods is in every 

 case a calamity, or in many cases the ground they occupy 

 could be put to better use, and there can be no doubt but 

 that, especially in England, woods sometimes occupy ground 

 to which they have no claim. Even at the present time 

 such woods are being formed. 



In the countries where legislation on this head does exist, it is 

 mainly directed to maintaining the area of existing woodlands. 



