TRANSACTIONS 



ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



15. Report of Forestry Commission, 1920-21. 



The second annual Reporf^ of the Forestry Commission is 

 dated 19th June 1922, and is in respect of the forest year ending 

 30th September 192 1. At the outset readers are reminded that 

 the main objectives on which the forest policy of the Commission 

 is based are : — the afforestation of 150,000 acres of land by the 

 direct action of the State ; assistance to Local Authorities and 

 private owners for the afforestation of 110,000 acres; attention 

 to education, research, and experiment. For these and other 

 purposes connected with the promotion of British forestry, a sum 

 of ;2^3, 500,000 was voted by Parliament in 1919. 



That the Commissioners are making good use of their oppor- 

 tunities is apparent from a perusal of their Report. Some 68,489 

 acres of plantable land were acquired in the twelve months under 

 review ; of this area 46,837 acres were taken on lease or feu, and 

 21,652 acres were purchased. By acquiring a greater proportion 

 by feu than by purchase a saving was effected in current expendi- 

 ture which will result in more money being available for planting. 

 A break in the continuity of land acquisition was unfortunately 

 caused by the Treasury in March 1921, owing to the financial 

 stringency, otherwise the area secured would have been even 

 greater than this. At the same time, the amount acquired is 

 actually in excess of the sanguine anticipations of the Acland 

 Committee. The area planted also shows a substantial surplus 

 as compared with the Acland Committee's recommendations, and 

 is even greater than the Forestry Commission's revised estimate. 

 During the year no less than 12,804 acres were planted on land 



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VOL. XXXVI. PART II, I 



