TEANSACTIONS 



OF THE 



EOYAL 8C0 TTISH ARBORICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



17. Forestry in Some of its Economic Aspects.^ 



By Professor William Somerville, M.A., D.Sc. 



After summarising the recommendations made by the Select 

 Committee of 1885, and the Departmental Committees of 

 1902 and 1907 (Ireland), with their results, Dr Somerville 

 proceeds : — 



" Lastly, there remains to be mentioned the inquiry that has 

 recently been concluded by the Royal Commission on Coast 

 Erosion and Afforestation in terms of the reference ' Whether 

 in connection with reclaimed lands or otherwise, it is desirable 

 to make an experiment in afforestation as a means of increasing 

 employment during periods of depression in the labour market, 

 and if so, by what authority and under what conditions such 

 experiment should be conducted.' In their Report the 

 Commisson recommend that Forest Commissioners be 

 appointed to determine the specific areas that may with 

 advantage be afforested — amounting, it is estimated, to 

 9,000,000 acres — and that the work should proceed at the rate 

 of 150,000 acres annually, at a cost for land, labour, and 

 material, of ^2,000,000 a year. Seeing that this is a re- 

 productive work it is recommended that it should be financed 

 by loan, the annual interest, together with administrative charges, 

 amounting in the first year to ^90,000, and rising to over 

 ^3,000,000 in the fortieth year, after which, till the eightieth 



^ Condensed from a paper read by the author before the Royal Statistical 

 Society, i6th February 1909. 



VOL. XXII. PART II. I 



