170 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



nous sommes deja au fusil a /(f//jeV," and the Pomeranian replies, 

 " Ach ! pour nous, nous sommes encore au fusil a balled 



It is comparatively recently that the politician and the writer 

 have taken up forestry, and meanwhile something has been 

 actually done to bring theoretical and practical silviculture into 

 closer combination. And it was time, because public attention 

 is at length drawn to afforestation, and there is a danger of its 

 future being compromised by its transformation from a highly 

 skilled economic industry to a form of relief for the unemployed. 

 With a few scattered exceptions, it cannot be said that we have 

 as yet any organised silviculture — meaning systematic growth of 

 the largest possible quantity of the best and most profitable 

 timber upon any given area. Our present position is that we 

 have 4,000,000 acres or so of woodland worked over all at a 

 dead loss. A few landowners and their foresters have shown 

 what our soil and climate can do when properly utilised. The 

 State has remained inactive. Crown woods are still for the 

 most part models of what they should not be. The State has 

 provided, sometimes lavishly, for almost every kind of training : 

 it has done next to nothing for silviculture, in spite of the fact 

 that this industry makes the greatest demands on training. 



The Government of India trains its forest officers at Oxford, 

 but sends them abroad for their practical course. We cannot 

 supply that training, nor are we in fit condition to emulate forth- 

 with our European neighbours and adopt a large plan of 

 national afforestation. We have not reached the stage of 

 training, or attained the standard, in silviculture, that we have 

 in agriculture. A farmer who left his roots unthinned, or 

 allowed his corn to stand until shaken out, would excite notice, 

 unfavourable comment, and possibly active restraint, but the 

 forest owner committing equivalent absurdities escapes detection. 

 One disadvantage from which private ownership suffers is that 

 it cannot secure continuous good management throughout the 

 growth of the crop, partly for want of trained foresters, and 

 partly because the legislature has so far removed the control 

 of the dead hand that no forest plan can be made permanent ; 

 and without continuous good management and a settled 

 policy there can be no silviculture. There is no track laid 

 by usage and tradition which the average unenlightened owner 

 and forester may follow mechanically. Until quite recently they 

 have not had any facilities for acquiring knowledge, while 



