154 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



forests must be the first areas dealt with by the State and 

 expropriated from the Crown. 



With both the Irish Forestry Committee's and the Royal 

 Commission's contradictory reports before them, it may probably 

 be expected that the Government will desire more detailed 

 information regarding separate schemes for England, Scotland, 

 and Wales. The best way of formulating really sound and 

 practicable schemes is, perhaps, first of all to determine to what 

 Department of Government afforestation work in each country 

 shall be entrusted ; and then in each of these three countries to 

 appoint a National Forestry Board or Afforestation Committee, 

 consisting of representatives of (i) Government; (2) County 

 Councils ; and (3) Landowners, Land Agents and Sheep 

 Farmers, to consider and report, whilst simultaneously collect- 

 ing reliable local data, county by county, regarding the amount 

 of plantable land probably obtainable on reasonable terms, and 

 the existing conditions with regard to the supply of labour suit- 

 able for planting-work. And if, as should certainly be the case, 

 it be desired to assist and encourage landowners to plant {e.g., 

 by granting loans at 3 per cent, under proper conditions as to 

 security and systematic planting and management, and by 

 lightening the burdens on land put under timber), then such 

 Boards or Committees will have many knotty points to consider. 

 Thus, with regard to rating, it will not be sufficient merely to 

 exempt the land from rates till the timber-crops give good 

 returns, for that would mean throwing an additional burden on 

 the whole of the rest of the rateable land in the county ; and 

 the only way of removing a difficulty of this sort will be for 

 Government to give an annual bonus equal to the amount of the 

 rate paid until returns are obtainable from the timber-crop. 



The Royal Commission has not given sufficient consideration 

 to the great practical difficulties connected with hill planting on 

 a large scale. Probably they had no evidence before them as 

 to the immense jungle of long grasses and weeds that springs 

 up when the sheep are taken off and the area is fenced and 

 planted ; and late frosts in spring have done much damage in 

 many recent plantations. 



Confining my remarks merely to Argyllshire, which contains 

 much suitable land, an enormous amount of drainage will be 

 needed, for in many parts the average rainfall is near or over 

 100 inches. And throughout the greater part of Scotland land- 



