138 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



in the fields in summer can do the forest work in winter, 

 without leaving their homes. In the other case, they have to 

 emigrate to forest colonies or whatever they are called. More- 

 over, by a proper distribution of the forest-areas amongst 

 cultivated lands, a local market for the smaller dimensions 

 of timber and for firewood would be created, whereas much 

 of such produce would be of little or no value in large con- 

 centrated blocks of forest, owing to the cost of haulage. 



As to the financial aspect of the scheme, into the details of 

 which I cannot enter on this occasion, I gave it as my opinion 

 that 3 per cent, on the capital outlay might be expected, if the 

 maximum price of the land did not exceed ;^io an acre, and 

 provided that the scheme were conducted on rational and 

 economic lines. It will not suffice to have experts at London, 

 Edinburgh, and Dublin ; an essential point is that there shall 

 be thoroughly competent managers on the spot in the field. 

 Unless this is attended to, the estimated returns will not be 

 realised. 



There is a strong feeling in the country that something 

 substantial in the way of afforestation should be done, and 

 it is to be hoped that people will not be frightened by the 

 gigantic scheme of the Royal Commission. After all, it is 

 easy to cut it down to the proportions required by the wants 

 of the country. Indeed, the Commissioners seem to have 

 felt that themselves, as they append an alternative scheme 

 for 6,000,000 acres; the more pity that they did not start with 

 it. They were, apparently, led away by the desire to provide 

 as much labour as possible for the unemployed. Although 

 afforestation can be made a useful auxiliary in the solution of 

 the question of the unemployed in the immediate future, its 

 principal value in this respect lies in the fact that it will 

 gradually reduce the stream of population towards the towns, 

 by making it worth while to remain in the country. If afforesta- 

 tion achieves that, and I believe it will, then the State can well 

 afford to devote a large sum of money to making it a reality, 

 though we need not go so far as ;^4oo,ooo,ooo. One-fourth 

 of that sum, invested during the next sixty or eighty years, will 

 suffice. 



