174 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



neglect and ignorance inferior in quality, ^^'e import about 

 ^30,000,000 worth, and evidence is practically conclusive that 

 we could well produce the bulk of it at home — an objective 

 worth pursuit. Timber is a permanent need. It is true that 

 some substitute continually supplants it for certain purposes, 

 but some new demand arises even more frequently. We could 

 produce all our own wood pulp, but we produce none. Whole 

 populations amongst the western nations of the new and old 

 worlds live in wooden houses — which are not only suited to 

 small holdings — for which the cost of an English model cottage 

 is too great a burden — but also afford the best accommodation at 

 lowest cost, even in severe climates. It is significant that Dr 

 Schlich has reviewed somewhat pessimistically the question of 

 the world's supply and demand, and in that connection we ask 

 ourselves what is the home area, and what crop can it raise ? 

 Protection we may once more set aside, for timber duties were 

 about the last to go, and did nothing to stimulate the infant 

 industry. We have had three official Forestry reports in less 

 than 25 years, besides one or two for India, and many unofficial 

 views have been expressed — reports and opinions of various 

 values, but received until to-day with obvious indifference by the 

 public and its rulers. The report of the Commission on Coast 

 Erosion deviated somehow into Afforestation, and created an 

 artificial connection between it and urban unemployment. Its 

 recommendations are calculated to erect an elaborate super- 

 structure on inadequate foundations, — and though that has not 

 rendered it the less effective in bringing afforestation into favour, 

 it makes it all the more necessary to take the immediate steps, 

 long since officially recommended, to provide for organisation, 

 survey, training, planning, co-ordination, and negotiation for 

 purchase. We must create a working machine which will 

 provide scientific economic control for the main operation. 

 Even to organise a large landed estate on sound lines is not 

 a matter to trifle with, and national afforestation is not only 

 a tremendous undertaking, but one for which straw has yet 

 to be gathered to make the bricks. To attempt to afforest 

 without staff, organisation, training, experiment, and survey 

 would be sheer folly. Even our experts cannot be trusted, for 

 their sphere of practical experience in this country has been 

 so limited as to render their guidance of only partial reliability. 

 To avoid disaster and the disappointments we practical planters 



