48 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



even made proposals for a revision of the illogical system in 

 force. When, we may ask, are we going to do something 

 thorough about this absolutely w'/d;/ matter? The injustice of 

 the present situation is admitted ; the fact that our demand 

 for wood is enormous and increasing is well known ; it is the 

 case that we have to buy the bulk of our wood abroad and 

 pay into the pockets of potential enemies for it ; it has been 

 shown repeatedly that we have land surface (of an entirely 

 suitable kind) whereon to establish sufficient woodland to meet, 

 at least, a large part of our wants ] it is certain that we should, 

 had we the woodlands, bring back the population to the land 

 by the creation of forest industries, the money expended on 

 which would remain in the country instead of going abroad — 

 and yet, with all this, we are almost entirely prevented from 

 correcting matters by our present system of woodland taxa- 

 tion. As long as this system stands, very few proprietors can 

 afford to plant and wait a large number of years for a return. 

 Once the woodland is established, it is often more valuable 

 than agricultural land, sometimes it is worth more than twice 

 as much, and, properly worked, it will continue to be so. In 

 this connection it is significant to note certain figures given for 

 the Department of the Rhone. Approximately, Scots pine 

 gives a net annual revenue per acre of 26*4 francs at 50 

 years; Corsican pine, 36 francs at 32 years; silver fir, 76 

 francs at 70 years; oak pays 4f per cent, at 21 years; and 

 sweet chestnut and acacia (Robinia?), 8^ per cent, at 15 

 years. But while the private owner, who locks up his capital 

 in woodlands, both loses interest for a time and pays rates 

 and taxes, the State surely need not worry about taxing its 

 own forests ; it should go forward far more vigorously with 

 planting than it actually does. 



The Americans only a dozen or so years ago suddenly awoke 

 to the forest question, and as a beginning President Cleveland 

 signed a decree reserving 21,000,000 acres. Now they have 

 151,000,000 acres under forest protection. Belgium, which has 

 1,500,000 acres of waste, has started a scheme of lending 

 money on very easy terms, and gives technical aid to communes 

 willing to afforest; she is evidently going to do all she can 

 to encourage afforestation. Even Spain is doing something 

 similar. 



The Society of Franche-Comte et Belfort has lately appointed 



